The Panagia Galaktotrophousa in Aspropotamos

The Monastery of Panagia Galaktotrophousa is located very close to the villages of Anthousa (formerly known as “Lepenitsa”) and Chaliki in the Aspropotamos region, “below” the road leading to the Baros Pass and the “border” between Thessaly and Epirus. Surrounded by fir forests and the clear springs of the Aspropotamos River (Achelous), the journey to the monastery is an experience in itself: full of curves, forest scents, and panoramic views of the Pindos mountain peaks.

The exact date of the monastery’s founding is not definitively known; however, it appears to have been established in the 18th century. It takes its name from a rather unusual icon of Panagia Galaktotrophousa, a depiction of the Virgin Mary nursing Christ.

The monastery was destroyed in 1943 by the Germans. During that time, the icon of the Galaktotrophousa was burned—a dedication from 1788 by Dimitrios Tourtouris from Kalarrytes “in memory of himself, his siblings, and their descendants.” The dedication was accompanied by the inscription: “This icon, called the Galaktotrophousa, was brought from Venice in the year 1761 by Dimitrios Tourtouris, and it is of ancient origin…”

The Monastery Today

Today, aside from two newer buildings on the western side, only the katholikon (main church) remains—a stone structure of the Mount Athos type, that is, a cross-in-square plan with side apses, a dome, and a four-pitched roof covered with stone slates. The monastery’s architecture is simple yet imposing, with dominant features of stone and wood.

You can combine your visit to the monastery with a walk through the nearby villages of Anthousa and Chaliki, two of the most beautiful in the Aspropotamos region. Don’t miss the stone bridge of Michos, which used to serve as the crossing point for the residents of Anthousa heading to the monastery.