What to do · Meteora
Roussanou Monastery
Information
- From
- €5 per person
- Duration
- 45 min
- Season
- Open 9:00 to 16:30 in summer and until 14:00 in winter. Closed on Wednesdays
What it is and why it matters
Roussanou occupies the whole summit of a narrow rock, at 484 m above sea level, and is the monastery best seen from the road: the walls reach the edge and there is not a metre left free. The rock was already called Roussanou in the early 16th century, when two monks, Ioasaph and Maximos, settled on it and rebuilt the monastery, which was in ruins. In 1545 they rebuilt the katholikon.
In the 19th century it declined and came under Varlaam. It was restored in the 1980s and today is a convent of nuns.
What you see inside
The building has three floors clinging to the rock. On the ground floor are the katholikon, the reception room and cells; above, more cells and service rooms, which are not visited.
- The katholikon, dedicated to the Transfiguration and also to Saint Barbara, of Athonite type, with a dome. Its frescoes are from 1560 and cover the walls. Photos are not allowed inside.
- The courtyard and terraces, with a view of Kastraki, the Great Meteoron and Varlaam.
It is small: between the climb and the visit, allow 45 minutes.
Opening hours and closing days
According to the hours published for 2026:
- Summer (April – October): 9:00 to 16:30; on Sunday, until 16:00. The long hours start on 15 May: before then, confirm.
- Winter (November – March): 9:00 to 14:00; on Sunday, until 16:00.
- Closed on Wednesdays all year.
The nuns may change it at religious festivals without notice.
Entry and clothing
Entry costs €5 per person, in cash, at the door. Under-12s do not pay. There is no reservation.
Women, skirt below the knee and shoulders covered; skirts are lent at the entrance. Men, long trousers. No vest tops. It is an inhabited convent: speak quietly in the courtyard.
The climb
From the road you go down and climb a stairway, about 140 steps, and cross two bridges built in 1930, which replaced a wooden one. They are short, but the last stretch is steep. It is not accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair.
Getting there and parking
By car. It is on the monasteries road, near the junction to the Great Meteoron. There are few spaces beside the access: read the car park page and arrive early.
On foot from Kastraki. The M8 section of the path network leaves from the village's old aqueduct and climbs to Roussanou in 1.72 km with 250 m of ascent. It is short and steep: wear mountain footwear and bring water. It is the way to arrive as the monks did. We explain it with the other sections in monks' footpaths.
With children
They like the bridges and the stairway, and the visit is short. The path from Kastraki is demanding for under-7s.
Combine it
If it is Tuesday and the Great Meteoron is closed, start here. A kilometre towards the Great Meteoron is the lay-by for sunset over the rocks.
Tips
- Confirm the hours before 15 May In April and the first half of May it may open fewer hours than in high summer.
- Walk up in the morning If you leave the Kastraki aqueduct early, you avoid the heat and arrive at opening.
- Photograph it from the road The classic view, with the monastery filling the whole rock, is from the lay-bys on the road up to the Great Meteoron.
Frequently asked questions
Which day is Roussanou closed?
Wednesdays, all year.
Can you walk up from Kastraki?
Yes, by the M8 section: 1.72 km and 250 m of ascent from the old aqueduct.
Is it a monastery of monks or nuns?
Nuns. It was restored in the 1980s and a community of women lives there today.
As a family
