A pious, precarious place

Like the other five surviving monasteries of Meteora, Rousanou isn't as given to solitude as it used to be. The 20th-century addition of convenient staircases opened these contemplative complexes to curious tourists. But before that, ascetics and their daring visitors had to ascend and descend ladders to get here—or be hauled up and lowered down by nets and ropes, the same way food and other necessities were delivered. Ease of transit isn't the only big modern change for Rousanou: While originally a home for male monks, nowadays it hosts a convent of nuns.