The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Romania

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dominating the town, the Church of the Hill(biserica din Deal) was built in the ^15th century in Gothic style, on the site of a ^13th-century Romanesque church. Its ^15th-century interior paintings are of great value, and its Romanesque crypt is unique in the region. The old German cemetery opposite is a moving and pleasant place to visit. The top of the hill is reached by a surprising covered wooden staircase, built in the ^17th century for the pupils of the school next to the church. At the time, it had 300 steps, compared with 175 after restoration in 1849.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.