The abbey at Cârța was established in 1205, or maybe next year by the Cistercian monks at the behest of Hungarian king Emerich, who was continuing a project of the Arpad dynasty of colonizing Transylvania. Prior to that, these monks, coming from Burgundy, a region in the east of France had established the first monastery […]

Surrounded by the highest peaks in Romania (the Făgăraș Mountains, part of the Carpathian chain), this monastery assures you that God can be found where is beauty. The beauty of the natural surroundings and the spiritual tradition of Sâmbăta de Sus work together to create one of the most special places you will ever encounter. […]

Some of the few tourist attractions offered by Târgoviște, a city 80 km NW of capital Bucharest, are found in Chindia Park. Here are grouped the ruins of the former royal residence, a watchtower, that is the emblem of the city, an Italian garden with a small lake and a modest zoo garden, that used […]

Moldavia (Moldova) is for the time being separated in two countries. The larger, eastern part, belongs to Romania, and the territory west of river Prut forms the independent republic of Moldova. As this historic region was split up shortly after the secret pact between the communists and the nazis in 1939, this makes Romania the […]

The birth of Serbia is tied to a royal family with religious inclinations, therefore some monasteries in the country are crucial not only from spiritual, but also from historic standpoint. The founder of Serbian dynasty was Stefan Nemanja, a warrior and ruler who abdicated to become a monk together with his wife (in different convents). […]

With a history of a thousand years, the monastery of Rila is a favorite pilgrimage place for Bulgarians and a tourist attraction for foreign visitors. Pope John Paul II visited this monastery during his stay in Bulgaria. It is located in the SW of the country, near Blagoevgrad, south the capital Sofia, in the beautiful […]

The tradition of monasticism comes from Egypt and Syria, with the patron of this reclusive lifestyle, St Anthony. In the most extreme form of abandoning the world and its temptations, monks would seek the most remote places, living in the wilderness only by the means provided by nature. The rocky hills of Meteora were ideal […]