Kipina Monastery

The awe-inspiring, built on a steep cliff in Tzoumerka, near the village of Kalarrytes, Kipina Monastery, is probably the most impressive monastery of Epirus.

It was built in 1212 by the monk Gregorios and is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary.

Inside the monastery, a secret door leads to a crypt, which was a hideaway for both enslaved Greeks during the Ottoman domination and later for members of the resistance movement. Impressive frescoes decorate the interior of the church dating back to the 17th century.

Its name is originates from the gardens that monks cultivated beneath the monastery(Kipina –kipos in Greek ,garden).

The asphalt road reaches the base of the rock and from there a path carved into the rock and a wooden bridge lead to the monastery.

The path is on the rock slope and the hanging bridge before the entrance remains mobile. When it rises, it creates a 4 meter gap on the cliff which prevented the monastery from prospective raiders in the past.

Position on the map