The most beautiful religious buildings Romania

It's one of the most beautiful and impressive in the country. The massive late Gothic church dates from 1516. The interior is sober. Note the earthenware fireplace decorated with blue flowers, as well as the sacristy door, with its lock featuring nineteen latches that close simultaneously! This remarkable ensemble served as a residence for Lutheran bishops in the ^16th and ^17th centuries. It has never been conquered, so impressive is its defensive system: three fortified enclosures 12 m high, with six towers and three bastions.

With a roof with coloured motifs, it was erected in the 14th century on the site of a 12th century church. It is very representative of the Transylvanian Gothic style, with its three naves and transept. Inside, its 60 or so tombstones of local personalities, 15th century frescoes and its 6,000-pipe organ are remarkable. You can also climb the bell tower, which peaks at 73 m: after 192 steps, at a height of 55 m, the view is breathtaking.

One of the most photographed monasteries in the region, this convent, a complex of churches and wooden houses, impresses with its position in the green hills of Maramureş. The entrance to the Twelve Apostles monastery is done by a magnificent sculpted portal. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Church of the Virgin Mary is one of the highest in the region. The site, dating back to 1720, impresses with its architectural unity.

A masterpiece of architecture, this Byzantine-style church with its twisted towers was erected in 1517 by Prince Neagoe Basarab on the site of a former 14th-century monastery. The work of master mason Manole, it has been redesigned and restored several times. Its present appearance is due to the French architect André Lecomte du Nouÿ who, from 1875, restored it to its former beauty. At that time, the building was practically in a state of ruin, following earthquakes and fires at the beginning of the 19th century. The interior is superb, with its gilded oil paintings. The original frescoes have been largely replaced and fragments can be seen in the Bucharest History Museum. The church also houses the tombs of its founder as well as those in white marble of the royal couples Carol I (1866-1914) and his wife Elisabeth, and Ferdinand (1914-1927) and Queen Mary. They were joined in 2003 by King Carol II, who died in exile. The exterior is incredibly rich, the stone is chiseled to the extreme with oriental motifs, representing plants or birds. Opposite the church, the episcopal palace, all in red brick, dates from 1890.

Legend has it that Manole had his wife walled up in the church, in the hope of breaking the curse that had struck the building site. He himself was sequestered there and, trying to escape, he crashed to the ground, causing a fountain to gush forth, visible at the entrance to the park that bears his name.

It occupies an entire section of the Grande Place, along with the adjoining parish church. Built between 1726 and 1733, the richly decorated church is in the Viennese Baroque style. Masses are still held here in German, even though the Saxon community is now very small. The parish house once housed the Jesuit seminary. Above the tabernacle, the fresco of Mary and the Divine Child is a fine example of local Baroque painting. The patio houses the statue of the martyred Catholic priest Jean Népomucène, which was removed from the main square during the Communist era.

This church perched on a mound is an important monument of the Romanian faith. Founded in 1658 by the voivode Constantin Șerban, it became the church of the Metropolitan of Wallachia a few years later, and the cathedral of the patriarchate in 1925. The building is rather massive, with an arcaded façade and three bell towers, added in 1698 by Constantin Brâncoveanu. The interior ornamentation is impressive, but perhaps most fascinating of all is the fervor displayed within. Next door, the Patriarchate Palace houses the headquarters of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Less impressive than Prejmer, but interesting nonetheless. The fortifications were built between the ^15th and ^17th centuries by the local Saxons. Its 50-metre-high tower and seven square bastions give it a massive appearance. The round enclosure is made up of houses adjoining the church, which was originally Romanesque but has been remodeled in Gothic style. It contains interesting frescoes. The interior of the fortress is lined with small houses along the wall, in which the inhabitants took refuge during sieges.

Built between 1902 and 1906, the cathedral bears a certain resemblance to Saint Sophia in Istanbul. Its architects, Naghy and Konemer, were originally from Budapest. It is the seat of the Orthodox metropolis of Transylvania. Renovated and repainted in 1964, it is pleasantly luminous. Its beautiful murals, like those on the iconostasis, were painted by Octavian Smighelschi, a Hungarian from the village of Ludoș, not far from Sibiu.

In the heart of the Schei district, this wooden church built in 1292, rebuilt in stone in the 15th century and enlarged in the 18th, blends Gothic and Baroque styles. With its main tower and the four others flanked at the corners of the building, it looks like a castle! At the time, it played a very important cultural and religious role for the Romanian communities in the surrounding area. Inside, you will see beautiful icons, some of which date back to the 15th century.

This large edifice, on the banks of the Târnava Mare river, was built in 1937 in neo-Byzantine style. Another religious building of note in the lower town, located a little further west, between the river and the railway line (strada Ștefan cel Mare, 34): the Church of the Lepers(biserica Leproșilor, called Kirche am Siechhof in German). This small Gothic Lutheran church dates back to the 15th century and was the asylum church for lepers from the 16th to the 19th century. Today, it is used by the Greek-Catholic community.

The monastery is named after the hermit Agapie, who retired to the area in the ^14th century. Built between 1642 and 1647 on the initiative of Gavril, brother of the Prince of Moldavia Vasile Lupu, the monastery has undergone numerous alterations that have modified its original structure. The church has often been damaged, most recently by the earthquake of 1977. Its interior frescoes, dating from 1861, are the work of the famous Romanian painter Nicolae Grigorescu. He also signed some superb icons, presented in the museum, among other remarkable works.

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.

Arriving in Brașov in the early ^19th century, the Jewish community built a synagogue here, completed in 1901. Concealed at the far end of a courtyard, this elegant building of red brick and white stone is in the neo-Moorish style. Its size reflects the importance of the community until the Second World War. The immaculately white interior walls are finely sculpted. The synagogue features interesting stained-glass windows, notably the geometric motifs above the entrance porch. It also houses a small memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

Founded in 1645, the Moldavian-style church, reminiscent of the one in Iași, boasts well-preserved interior paintings. The monks' living quarters are charming, with flower-filled corridors and low white walls. You'll find a short explanatory text in French. Another interesting religious monument, the Sfântu Dumitru church, located strada Bărăției, was founded in 1639 by Dumitru Buzinca, one of Wallachia's most important boyars at the time.

The cave-monastery of Saint Andrew(peșterea Sfântul Andrei) lies 80 km west of Constanța, shortly after Adamclisi, in the village of Ion Corvin. Nestled in a forest of lime trees is a cave where, according to legend, the apostle Andrei took refuge. Arriving in the region around 60 A.D., he is said to have built a church here, where he and his followers celebrated the first Christian masses in what is now Romania. In the 1990s, a monastery was built next door.

The Sucevița monastery was founded by the Movilă family in 1581 (church) and completed in 1601 (enclosure). Flanked by towers with pointed roofs, the 6-meter-high, 3-meter-thick surrounding walls form an almost perfect quadrilateral (100 x 104 meters). The central church is entirely covered with exterior frescoes (the best preserved in Bucovina), dominated by green and red. Executed by the brothers Ion and Sofronie in 1596, they feature an impressive number of biblical characters. Saints, prophets, chroniclers and martyrs number in the hundreds, and their expressions are so elaborate and varied that they deserve to be viewed face by face, the succession of scenes giving the impression of reading a book. The fresco known as the Ladder of St. John Climacus (or Ladder of Virtues and Vices) is considered one of the most beautiful. It represents the 32 stages one must pass through after death. Only those who have never sinned reach the top of the ladder, paradise.

The Museum of Religious Art, housed in a small house, boasts one of the country's richest collections of medieval art. It contains superb ^15th-16th century wood and stone carvings, paintings and manuscripts donated to the monastery by the founders and their descendants. In particular, you'll see superb embroidery in gold, silver, silk and pearls, including precious embroidered portraits of the brothers Ieremia and Simion Movilă, who ruled Moldavia.

It lies 6 km north of Gura Humorului, in the village of Mănăstirea Humorului. Built in the ^16th century, this monastery is renowned for its frescoes attributed to Toma de Suceava, where red and gold dominate. The church, modest in size, is in classic Moldavian style. Its carved and gilded wooden iconostasis is an exceptional piece; the four icons in the first register date from the time of Petru Rareș. Interiors (superb superimposed arches) and exteriors (Moldavia's first open veranda) of the building are decorated with traditional Orthodox paintings, in Byzantine style. The interior paintings are among the finest in Moldavia.
The main themes of the exterior paintings are the Tree of Jesse, the Prodigal Son and the Siege of Constantinople (on the south façade, which is very well preserved). The frescoes on the north and west walls, on the other hand, are badly damaged. Near the entrance, the twenty-four stanzas of the hymn to the Virgin still retain their vivid colors and fine drawing.

The site was once fortified, but since its destruction by the Austrians in 1785, all that remains are a few sections of the surrounding walls and an imposing, pointed watchtower (1641), later transformed into a bell tower.

At the time of its foundation, the monastery was occupied by monks. In 1785, when Bucovina was annexed to the Habsburg Empire, it was dismantled, like most of the monasteries in the region, and only regained its function as a monastery in 1992, becoming a convent for nuns.

The country's largest Gothic church, it was built between 1385 and 1447, alongside an earlier one destroyed by the Tatars. In the fire that ravaged the city in 1689, part of the church was destroyed and its walls turned black, hence its name. Restored, it has been remodeled many times. Its 4,000-pipe organ dates from 1839. The stained glass windows are superb, as are the 119 oriental carpets (15th-18th centuries), statues and paintings in the Italian Renaissance style. Concerts are held here on a regular basis; see the website.

It's one of the region's most beautiful and best-preserved churches. It dates back to the ^12th century, before the Saxons settled in the region. Rebuilt and enlarged by new German settlers in the ^13th century, it was fortified in the ^16th and ^17th centuries to protect it from Ottoman invasions. The surrounding walls house an interesting ethnographic exhibition on Saxon customs, with a rich collection of period objects and photos, documents, painted furniture, costumes, craftsmen's tools and more.

This imposing brick edifice, on the corner of strada Luterană and strada General Berthelot, was inaugurated in 1884. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest, a religion claimed by over 800,000 people in Romania, including a majority of Hungarians. The church, mainly Romanesque in style, includes a few Gothic elements. The entrance is surmounted by a large rose window. The interior, dark and elegant, features an impressive organ.

Wedged between blocks of flats at the entrance to Place de la Révolution, this red-brick, Brâncovenesc-style church was built in 1722 on the initiative of boyar Iordache Crețulescu (or Kretzulescu), Prince Brâncoveanu's son-in-law. The interior frescoes, dating from 1860, are by Tattarescu. The church underwent numerous alterations in the ^20th century. Threatened with demolition by the Communist regime, it was finally preserved. Damaged during the 1989 revolution, it was restored between 1990 and 2000.

On a tiny island to the north of the lake lies this monastery, founded around the beginning of the ^15th century by the Wallachian prince Mircea the Elder (Mircea cel Bătrân). The monastery church, a handsome brick edifice, is in the Byzantine style. Its interiors are covered with frescoes. Vlad Țepeș, the voivode who inspired the character of Dracula, had defensive walls, a bridge and a prison built here. Legend even has it that he was buried there, but to date no evidence has confirmed this. The island can be reached by footbridge or by boat.

Stop in his charming 1386-year-old Monastère monastery. At the foot of a cliff, this building has the particularity of being partially carved in a rock.

The icon in its midst is, it seems, miraculous. A few minutes walk is necessary to access it, but the site is worth a visit.

A late 1969 th-century church (renovations in) richly decorated (paintings, sculptures).

South of Mediaş. Beautiful and beautiful fortified church of the th century built on a height.

Accessible from the main square via a small covered passageway, the fortified Evangelical church of Sainte-Marguerite was built in the ^15th century. It is Gothic in style. Of its six original towers, only four remain. Known as the "Tour des Trompettes", its impressive sloping bell tower, almost 70 m high, was used to observe and warn of danger. Inside, you'll be impressed by the church's ^{14th-15th-century} murals, organ and oriental carpets on the walls, as well as the altar (1485), a magnificent example of Saxon medieval art.

The Solca monastery dates back to 1614. Abandoned during the Austro-Hungarian period, it is now open to the public. You can appreciate the extensive fortification work carried out shortly after its construction. The church still stands proudly, with its classic Moldavian octagonal bell tower. Buses running between Rădăuți and Gura Humorului pass through here.
Poieni Solca, between Solca and Cacica, is a much more charming and picturesque village, home to many animals (barnyard, cows, cats...).

Built in 1140, then rebuilt in the ^14th century, this superb church is surrounded by massive fortifications, added in the ^15th century to protect the town from Turkish assaults. The church is large, with three naves, towers of varying heights and an imposing bell tower. It's a compact structure that seems to magnetize the houses in the village, which it dominates. After the erection of a third wall, this work of sacred and defensive architecture became impregnable. You can climb to the top of the tower to contemplate the surroundings.

The Unesco-listed monastery of St. John the New(mănăstirea Sfântul Ioan cel Nou) dates back to 1522. The interior paintings of its imposing Saint-Georges church date from the same period, while those on the exterior have largely disappeared, except on the south façade. Note the aurochs' head, Moldavia's emblem, above the porch. The complex houses the relics of St. John the New, an Orthodox martyr, to whom a pilgrimage is dedicated every year on June 24.

In the village of Pătrăuți, 10 km northwest of Suceava, this 1487 church is one of the very first built by voivode Ștefan cel Mare, and the oldest preserved. It is therefore considered a blueprint for his future constructions. Listed by Unesco, the building is admittedly simpler than those that were to succeed it, but the paintings are already remarkable and will serve as a model for the Moldavian school. The interior frescoes have recently been restored. The dominant color is golden ochre, the "yellow of Pătrăuți".

Close to the ruins of the princely court, of which it was once a part, the Church of St. John the Baptist(biserica sfântul Ioan Botezătorul) was built around 1498. In traditional Moldavian style, very compact and beautifully decorated, it is one of the few churches from this period to have retained its original form. The bell tower, or Ștefan cel Mare tower, was added a year later, a few meters further on. At 19 meters high, it is the symbol of the town.

Located 10 kilometers west of the city, in a pretty hilly landscape, this monastery was erected in 1402 by Alexandru cel Bun, Prince of Moldavia, and rebuilt by Ștefan cel Mare, who added a tower in 1498. The buildings you'll see date in part from 1554, during the reign of Prince Alexandru Lăpușneanu. The monastery was a well-known cultural center (calligraphy, illumination) where important religious works were written in the Middle Ages. It houses a rich museum of feudal art (icons, books) and the tomb of its founder, Alexander the Good.

To the northeast of the town center, between the citadel and the ruins of the princely residence(Curtea domnească), stands the Mirăuți church, dedicated to St. George. Built between 1375 and 1391 by order of voivode Petru II Mușat, it is the oldest church in the town. In the early ^15th century, it became the first cathedral of the Moldavian bishopric. It was used for the coronation of the princes of Moldavia. Falling into ruin over the centuries, it was used as a warehouse for a time, before being restored at the end of the ^19th century and again in the 1990s.

On the north-western edge of the town, this walled complex comprises a church, a bell tower and a building with a chapel, which marked the entrance to the monastery. The tower, built in 1606, is well preserved, with its pointed roof, square base and sculpted façade. The surrounding walls were built by the Polish army in 1690 to resist Turkish attacks. It was the most important religious edifice built by the Armenian refugee community in Suceava.

This all-white monastery was built in 1602 by the boyar Nestor Ureche and rebuilt in 1825 after a fire. The Church of St. John the Baptist is distinguished by the addition of Wallachian elements, a style accentuated by ^19th-century renovations. At that time, a veranda was also added and the enclosure reinforced. The site has been beautifully renovated, and you'll want to visit all the little monastic cells lining the flower-filled wooden balconies. Good news: you can even sleep in them! The museum exhibits embroidery, religious objects, carpets and old books.

The "beautiful" monastery was built in 1586, restored between 1726 and 1733 by Prince Gheorghe Ghica II and rebuilt again between 1836 and 1839. It was one of the richest monasteries in Moldova until secularization in 1863, after which it served as a parish church, but also as barracks, prison and nursing school. Reinstated in 2002, it is now occupied by nuns. Its church has Ukrainian-style bulbs and a classical façade, with a high Doric portico supported by four columns.

25 km south of Târgu Neamț, in the direction of Piatra Neamț, this pretty monastery of monks is located in a secluded and superb spot, in the heart of the forest. The complex was founded in the 18th^century but extensively restored in 1867. Its imposing church features a blend of Byzantine, Moldavian and Transylvanian styles. Take a path through the forest and after 1.5 km you'll come to the Horaicioara hermitage and Lake Cuejdel, one of the country's largest natural dam lakes, formed a few decades ago by successive landslides.

This richly decorated monastery, which combines traditional Moldavian architecture and Renaissance style, was built by Vasile Lupu between 1650 and 1653. Its church contains remarkable Byzantine-inspired frescoes. The fortifications date from 1668. Destroyed by fire and earthquake in 1735 and 1738, the monastery was rebuilt in 1754. Gradually falling into ruin, it was not restored until 1947. Its imposing 30-metre-high tower offers a fine panoramic view. At the entrance, a small museum is dedicated to the writer Ion Creangă, who was a deacon here.

Completed in 1671, it is the country's oldest synagogue still in use. Now surrounded by apartment buildings, it was once located in the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Târgu Cucului, where several other synagogues were located. In the 1930s, there were over a hundred synagogues in the whole city, and Jews made up a third of the population. Today, there are just a few hundred. A small obelisk commemorating the victims of the Iași pogroms of June 1941 stands in front of the recently renovated building.

For its size and influence, it is nicknamed "the mother of Moldavian churches". This imposing monument, the largest Orthodox building in the country (not counting the new cathedral in Bucharest), was built in two stages, between 1839 and 1886, in a Baroque and Neoclassical style. It features 4 towers and a columned façade. The interior paintings are by Tattarescu (1887). It houses the relics of Saint Paraschève, which attract many pilgrims.

This church, unique in the country, never fails to amaze, with its finely chiselled exterior walls, like stone embroidery, once gold-plated and largely preserved in its original form. The motifs are inspired by Romanian tradition, but also borrow from Turkish, Arab, Georgian, Armenian and Persian cultures. The Church of the Three Hierarchs(biserica Trei Ierarhi) was built between 1637 and 1649 by Vasile Lupu, prince of Moldavia and lover of the arts and the Christian faith. Damaged by Tatars and earthquakes, it was renovated at the end of the ^19th century by the French architect Lecomte du Nouÿ, who restored many religious buildings in the country. Inside, you'll find the tombs of princes Vasile Lupu, Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723) and Alexandru Ion Cuza (1820-1873). The Carrara marble iconostasis, decorated with mosaics and enamels, dates from the late ^19th century. In the ^17th century, the monastery housed a printing press and an educational institution. It was also here that the relics of Saint Parasceva were first collected, donated by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to Vasile Lupu in gratitude for his financial support. They were later transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Closed in the 1970s, the monastery was revived in 1994. The adjoining Gothic hall houses a museum dedicated to the arts and ecclesiastical history.

The Armenian church (biserica armenească Sfânta Născătoare) is said to be the oldest in the city. It dates from 1395 according to an inscription found during major renovations carried out in 1803. It is considered that this inscription represents the date of birth of the town and proof of the presence of an important Armenian community, which had sufficient means to build a church. Right next to it is the church of St. Sava (strada Costache Negri 44). Dating from 1583, it has an unusual silhouette with its domes and massive appearance.

Perched atop the hill of the same name, surrounded by an almost round enclosure, it was erected at the end of the ^16th century by Prince Petru Şchiopul (Peter the Limping). Its name derives from the eponymous Istanbul district, Galata meaning "gate" in Turkish: it was here that Moldavian princes lodged on their way to the seat of the Ottoman sultanate to receive their decree of appointment. The church combines Wallachian, Moldavian and Byzantine architectural styles. Its frescoes were destroyed by fire in 1762. The monastery now houses a convent.

This wooden monastery lies on the road between the villages of Lepșa and Soveja. Pretty and flowery in summer, it offers a magnificent view over the beautiful green hills of the surrounding area. Quite new, it dates from the 1930s and was built in place of an older church dating from the ^18th century. It's even possible to rent rooms here in summer. The road between Lepșa and Soveja can be rough in places, but you'll pass through some beautiful woodland. Each village has its own small timber mill, the region's main industry.

This church on the northern outskirts of the town was founded in 1496 by the voivode Ştefan cel Mare, who regularly visited Botoșani. Its architecture is representative of the Moldavian style, a mixture of Byzantine and Gothic elements. The interior paintings, partly original, are of great artistic value. The decorations on the façade are also remarkable. The site became a monastery in the 18th century, initially housing Greek monks.

Renowned for its paintings and sculptures, it was founded in 1552 by Elena, the wife of voivode Petru Rareș, on the model of that of Popăuți. It was rebuilt in 1725 by voivode Mihai Racoviță, then restored on numerous occasions, notably after the great fires that struck the city in 1810 and 1887 and severely damaged the building. The classical-style bell tower dates back to 1819. For those who come to Botoșani to follow in Mihai Eminescu's footsteps, it's worth noting that he was baptized in this church in January 1850.

Not far from Aiud and Teiuș, in the pretty Geoagiu valley, this ^14th-century monastery, surrounded by the Trascău mountains, is worth a short detour, as much for the scenery as for the building itself. It takes its name from the spring of drinking water that gushes beneath the altar and is called the "source of healing". Healing or not, the precious interior frescoes had to be restored in the 1980s, and the church had to be raised by 2 m to protect them. 5 km further west lie the impressive Râmeț gorges, very narrow in places.

The Orthodox church of Feleacu has a singular appearance: it is Gothic in style (especially its vaults and portal) and almost entirely white. Inside it has wall paintings and icons from the 18th century. Built in 1516, it was completely restored in 1925 and has been listed as a historic monument since 2010. The adjoining monastery is also worth a visit, with its impressive architecture and beautiful paintings and gilding inside.

The imposing Armenian Church of the Holy Trinity(Sfânta Treime) was built between 1748 and 1804, at a time when Gherla was one of the most important centers of the Armenian community in Eastern Europe. All white, in Transylvanian Baroque style, with three towers, it houses ^14th-century gospels, including one written in Cyprus in 1316. Also on display is a painting attributed to Rubens, The Descent from the Cross. The high altar and secondary altars are decorated with typically Baroque paintings and statues.

Built by the Dominicans in the 13th century, following Gothic plans, its present appearance dates from the alterations carried out at the beginning of the 16th century. When the Saxons converted to Lutheranism in 1556, they made it their cathedral. Damaged in the fire of 1676, it underwent further modifications, including the addition of two buttresses. The frame of the decorated stone main door is typical of the Transylvanian Renaissance style. The interior, with its 16th century oriental carpets and Baroque altar, is particularly dark and overcrowded.