The most beautiful religious buildings Romania

It is located in the heart of a district made up of elegant, quiet, tree-lined streets and beautiful homes. Founded by Dominicans in 1475, the monastery was abandoned a century later with the arrival of Protestantism. In the 18th century, Ursuline sisters settled there and transformed the place into a Catholic church and a school for girls. The complex has been restored, combining the Gothic architecture of the 15th century with the Baroque of the 18th century. Nationalized under communism, the church today hosts masses of the Greek-Catholic community.

It's the little jewel of the historic centre. Built in 1724, in the Brâncovenesc style, it is a superb example among the many buildings that appeared during the century of the Phanariotes, the governors imposed by the Turks. The façade is richly decorated with carved columns, medallions and multiple plant motifs. The interior is also remarkable, covered with frescoes and endowed with a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis. The modest size of the building, the darkness that reigns there, the play of lights on the icons give it a very special atmosphere.

This fortress-church, one of the most beautiful in Transylvania, was built between the 13th and 16th centuries by the Teutonic Knights and the Saxons. The main enclosure is circular, with walls 3 to 4 m thick! It comprises more than 270 cells, each of which belonged to a family from the village. Spread over 4 levels and connected by wooden stairs, they were used to store food. A parapet walk, 12 m high, allows you to walk around the structure. The Gothic church in the centre of the fortress dates from 1250.

Founded in 1715 by the erudite Metropolitan Antim, this is one of Bucharest's most beautiful monasteries. You'll notice the characteristic Brâncovenesc style, the discreet but rich floral carvings, as well as beautiful Nativity paintings (dating from 1812, like many of its buildings). The monastery is concealed by the blocks of flats built in the 1980s. To erect them, the block housing the monks was moved 20 m. The surrounding streets, which escaped destruction, offer a glimpse of the district's past charm.

A little gem! At the foot of the Făgăraș mountains, this immaculately white monastery was founded by the Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714). It resembles the Horezu monastery, but is of smaller dimensions. Demolished in the ^17th century, it was restored and enlarged in the ^20th century, in the purest Brâncovenesc style, and now houses a monastic community. The church boasts beautiful murals. Don't miss the museum, which features a valuable collection of icons on glass, as well as a variety of folk and religious art objects.

The Orthodox Cathedral is located in the centre of Piaţa Avram Iancu. This admirable building, built in ten years, between 1923 and 1933, is a perfect example of the marriage between the Romanian and Byzantine styles, particularly visible in the domes. Forty years after its construction, in 1973, the Diocese of Cluj was established as an archbishopric, with the Orthodox Cathedral remaining its property. In front of the building, the statue of Avram Iancu, one of the leaders of the 1848 revolution, was erected in 1993. Finally, the external façade was renovated between 1996 and 1999.

5 km south of Agapia, in the village of Văratec, this monastery, all white in the middle of a pretty landscape, was built in 1795 and its church in 1808. The latter is striking, with its two slender, round towers. The charming complex is occupied by nuns, who keep the site beautifully in bloom. You'll see many magnificent icons. The village of Văratec itself is very pleasant, with its traditional houses. It is home to the tomb of poet Veronica Micle, Mihai Eminescu's great love.

It's the city's landmark building. Of neo-Byzantine and neo-Romanesque inspiration, the Orthodox cathedral was built between 1936 and 1946 and can accommodate 5,000 standing worshippers. Its monumental appearance is impressive: 63 m long, 35 m wide, 80 m high. The ochre and yellow of the brick and the green and gold of the tiles form an elegant color combination. Its bells, each weighing 8 tonnes, were cast from rare metals from Sumatra and Borneo. Inside, the icons are superb. Some are on display in a basement museum.

It was built according to the plans of the Austrian architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach (1693-1742). Begun in 1736, work was interrupted by the plague epidemic and the cathedral was not completed until 1774. In the shape of a cross, it mixes classical influences and baroque decorations. The two altars bring a rococo touch to the whole. In 1849, the building was severely damaged and the last restorations took place in 1981-1982. The arrangement of the vaults gives the place an excellent acoustics, suitable for organ concerts.

Dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Armenian church(biserica armenească) was built in 1915. Recently renovated, it has regained its whiteness. The courtyard features a bust of General Andranik (1865-1927), Armenia's national hero. It also houses a museum dedicated to the history of the country's once sizeable Armenian community. Mainly made up of small craftsmen and merchants, it has left a precious architectural heritage, visible in the surroundings in the beautiful Armenian quarter, which starts here and stretches along Calea Moșilor.

Surrounded by an imposing fortification wall, it was built between 1690 and 1695 by Prince Mihai Cantacuzino, on his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Sinai, hence its name. A new church with a red façade is part of the ensemble. It was restored in 1903 by the French architect Lecomte du Nouÿ, who modernized it by adding ceramics, enamels and paintings. The older, smaller church is in the Brâncovenesc style. The Sinaia monastery is also home to the first Bible translated into Romanian (written in Cyrillic), dating from 1668.

Built between 1883 and 1895, it was the first church built in the city after the War of Independence of 1877. Its inauguration was delayed because of its interior paintings, which had to be corrected: the artist had given the features of local personalities to the religious figures! The brick building is Neo-Byzantine in style and is topped with copper domes that do not go unnoticed. In the park surrounding it, you can see the remains of the old town of Tomis.

This is the northernmost of the Bucovina monasteries. Its enchanting setting, among forests and hills, is worth a visit in itself. It houses the tomb of the founder of many of Moldavia's religious buildings, Ștefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), making it a mecca for Romanian patriotism. In fact, you'll be greeted by a statue of national poet Mihai Eminescu, erected in memory of his 1871 speech, delivered right here, in which he declared, "Let's make Putna the Jerusalem of Romania." Built in 1469, this is Ștefan cel Mare's first fortified construction. It has undergone numerous alterations and restorations over the centuries, not least following the terrible fire that ravaged it two years after construction was completed. Of the original construction, only the Treasure Tower on the west wall remains. The present church, 35 m high, dates from 1662. The pyramidal roofs of its towers echo those of the well.

The builder's tomb is a fine Carrara marble ensemble, surmounted by a baldachin (which distinguishes it from the tombs of his two successive wives) and decorated with the aurochs' head, Moldavia's emblem. He had decided to rest here as soon as construction of the complex began, and supervised the construction of his tomb himself.

The Putna monastery, now home to a community of monks, was also an important cultural center, as evidenced by the remarkable collection of embroidery and illuminated manuscripts on display in the museum.

Situated 5 km south of Gura Humorului, it's the most visited monastery in Bucovina, and it's not uncommon to have to queue for admission in the middle of summer. Its popularity and multiple titles (the most famous being "the Sistine Chapel of the East") are justified, however. This monastery was erected by Ștefan cel Mare in 1488, in just twenty-one days, according to legend. In fact, the bells, still in use, date back to the time of the famous Moldavian voivode! The walls of the Sfântul Gheorghe church, in typical Moldavian style, feature the most beautiful fresco in Bucovina, the very fresco that earned it the nickname of the Sistine Chapel: the Last Judgment covers the entire western wall of the veranda. This recurring scene in the monasteries of Bukovina is here detailed to the extreme. You'll recognize Jesus judging the living and the dead, the gates of Paradise, Adam and Eve and the paths that sinners and the righteous will take towards Hell or Paradise. These sinners are depicted, for the first time, according to their ethnic origin (Turks, Tatars, Armenians, Jews). All the exterior murals were painted in 1547, under Petru Rareș.

The place is famous for the color known as "Voroneț blue", which fascinates with its unique transparency and whose manufacturing secret remains untold. This blue background wonderfully brings out the details of the many richly colored figures, religious personalities or local figures. Peasants are also recognizable.

Râșca is located 20 km southwest of Fălticeni, 10 km away from the Suceava-Târgu axis Neamț. The monastery includes a church, also founded by Petru Rareş in 1542 (then extended in 1611-1617), a bell tower and a surrounding wall from the 17th century. The church is elongated in shape, dominated by two towers. The exterior paintings are rather well preserved. The multiple roofs, the size of the building and the richness of the frescoes form a superb ensemble. The monastery has been restored many times, notably in 1991.

It was founded by Petru Rareș in 1532, not far from a 1410 church built by Alexandru cel Bun and later destroyed by a landslide (its ruins are still visible, 500 m away). While most of the monasteries in the region have suffered much destruction, Moldovița has preserved all of its original buildings. The Buna Vestire (Good News) church is surrounded by a bucolic, delicately flowered garden, enclosed by an imposing 6-metre-high, quadrilateral perimeter wall. This makes the church all the more impressive.

The interior and exterior paintings date from 1537. Inside, you'll see, among others, a votive painting of Petru Rareș and his family offering the model of the church to Christ. Outside, the painting on the south façade is particularly well preserved. The themes depicted are the Tree of Jesse, the Hymn to the Virgin and, below, the Siege of Constantinople (where you'll notice the use of perspective).

A small museum is housed in the former treasure house. Built by Metropolitan Efrem in 1612, it also housed a school for copyists and miniaturists. From the reign of Alexandru cel Bun until the ^18th century, the Moldovița monastery functioned as an important cultural center, where church books were copied and decorated. The most precious manuscripts date from the ^15th century. The museum's centerpiece is Petru Rareș's carved wooden throne. Also on display are icons, embroidery, old books..

At the heart of Piaţa Unirii is one of the oldest religious buildings in Cluj and one of the most imposing Gothic buildings in the country. A place at the crossroads of styles, built between 1350 and 1480: its carved wooden pulpit is Baroque, its portal of the sacristy (1528) is Renaissance and its 80 m bell tower, erected between 1834 and 1863, is neo-Gothic. Also note its superb stained-glass windows, its wall paintings and its portal with the Archangel Michael, protector of the place.

Located in the commune of Mitocu Dragomirnei, some fifteen kilometers north of Suceava, this monastery impresses with its castle-like appearance, due to the magnificently preserved defensive walls and towers, which are reflected in the nearby waters. It was built between 1602 and 1609, around a small church built a few years earlier(biserica mică, influenced by Muntinian architecture). The large church(biserica mare, 1609), which follows a Latin cross plan, is particularly imposing due to the height of its facades and its tower (42 meters), which dominates the ensemble. The monastery itself stands out for its proportions, its height being particularly excessive in relation to its width. The facing is in rough stone, but the pillars are made of cut and shaped stone blocks. The decorative carving features a range of geometric and vegetal motifs. Moldavian, Byzantine and Muntinian styles are combined. The beautiful interior paintings are in the Byzantine style. The fortifications and defensive towers were built in 1630 by the voivode Miron Barnovschi. You can admire the emblem of the Moldavian region, carved in stone on the main tower.

The site was a major cultural center, specializing in illumination and the copying of religious texts. The monastery museum features some superb books and manuscripts, including the 1609 Tetraevangile illuminated by Anastasie Crimca, to whom the monastery owes its cultural influence.

In front of the imposing Colţea Hospital building stands a statue of Mihai Cantacuzino, built in 1869. It was he who, in 1704, decided to build this hospital, the first in the city. It was rebuilt twice. The Colţea church was also founded by Mihai Cantacuzino, in 1702. It underwent numerous renovations after a fire (1739) and an earthquake (1838). You'll notice its unique portico, Italian Baroque style and floral ornamentation. The interior features paintings by Tattarescu dating from 1871.