The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second biggest monastery of Meteora. Located very close to Great Meteoro Monastery, it was founded in the mid 14th century by a monk named Varlaam. The chapel was finally decorated in 1548. The beautiful frescos in the monastery’s chapel of All Saints belong to the famous hagiographer of the 16th century Franco Catalano. The monastery has preserved the tower with the old pully system where you can see the net, used by the first monks to bring up people and provisions. The visitors can also see a very large 16th-century oak barrel used for water storage over the previous centuries. The monastery of Varlaam has opened recently a brand new museum, where visitors can admire the excellence of religious painted icons – mostly contemporary to the Renaissance period – and precious holy vestments of the priests from the Byzantine period.

The Holy Monastery of Roussanou, located at Meteora was first established in the 14th century. It received the name probably from the first hermit-monk who settled on the rock during that period.  Visit Roussanou for a different view of the surrounding cliffs and the adjacent Meteora Monasteries. Follow the pathway from this monastery to the upper main road and discover an off-the-road panoramic view point spot that allows you to walk on bear rocks! Don’t miss out on this photo opportunity!

Enjoy a traditional Greek lunch in Kastraki, near the city of Kalampaka, before heading back to Thessaloniki.