Moni Rousanou Religious Site

Address: Meteora, near Kalambaka, Thessaly, Greece

Moni Rousanou is a small Eastern Orthodox monastery located on a narrow rock pillar within the Meteora complex in Thessaly, Greece. It is one of the cluster of monasteries that crown the distinctive sandstone towers at Meteora.

The monastery is comparatively compact and historically has been a nunnery; it contains a church with fresco decoration and monastic cells arranged on the small plateau atop the rock. A modern stepped path and footbridge provide the principal visitor access to the site.

Moni Rousanou dates largely from the 16th century when many Meteora houses were established or rebuilt, and its architecture reflects the adaptations needed to build on a narrow, elevated rock surface. The monastery is part of the Meteora monastic group that draws visitors for its geology, architecture and Byzantine art.

It sits among the Meteora pillars near the town of Kalambaka in central Greece’s Thessaly region.

• Access and setting: One of the Meteora monasteries perched on a sandstone pillar; access to the visitor areas is by stone steps and a bridge constructed in modern times.

Rousanou is one of the Meteora monasteries near Kalambaka. From Kalambaka center it’s a short drive (5-15 minutes) or a 20-40 minute walk depending on which trail is taken. Local buses and taxis serve the complex; follow the signed visitor path up from the monastery parking areas.

• Wear sensible shoes: the final approach is a series of steep steps hewn into rock.
• Visit early morning to see the first light hit the cliff face - the monasteries of Meteora glow at dawn.
• Combine with a visit to another Meteora monastery; each has its own art and viewpoint.