What to visit from Albota

The only Cistercian monastery in Romania, built in the 13th century. It impresses with its blend of Romanesque and early Gothic.

• The abbey ruins — the walls of the former dormitories and library, with Gothic windows and Romanesque arches
• The parish house — the oldest inhabited building in Transylvania
• The heroes’ cemetery — graves of German soldiers from the First World War
• The Evangelical church — an organ more than 200 years old, a Baroque altar, Sunday services
• The teacher’s house — a Saxon house set up as an ethnographic museum and information centre

Founded in 1657 by Preda Brâncoveanu as a wooden church, and continued in stone from 1696 by the ruling prince Constantin Brâncoveanu. Destroyed in 1785, it was restored between 1926 and 1946 by Metropolitan Nicolae Bălan. From 1940 to 1944, its abbot was Father Arsenie Boca.

• The church in Brâncoveanu style, with regular services
• The glass icon painting workshop — the most important school of its kind in the country
• The museum, with icons painted on glass from the 18th–19th centuries
• The “Life-Giving Spring” fountain, the oldest feature within the monastery grounds
• The altar and spring of Father Arsenie Boca, in the surrounding forest

Sâmbăta de Sus commune, Brașov County, Zona Turistică no. 1 · 0770 314 635 · manastireabrancoveanu.ro

736 hectares on the northern slope of the Făgăraș Mountains, between Arpașu de Jos and Cârțișoara. This is home to the largest chamois population in the Făgăraș Mountains — about 80% of the total.

Alongside them live marmots, bears and wild boar, and among the birds of prey the golden eagle is the dominant species. It is the best place in the area for wildlife watching and photography.

European Capital of Culture in 2007, with more than 800 years of history: medieval architecture, cobbled streets and well-preserved fortifications.

• The Large Square, with the Renaissance-style city hall
• The Evangelical Church, dating from the 14th century
• The Bridge of Lies, from 1859
• The Brukenthal Museum, with extensive collections of European art
• The Council Tower, with a panoramic view over the city
• The ASTRA Open-Air Museum, with traditional houses from all over the country

“Holy Apostles Peter and Paul”, first recorded around 1400 under Mircea the Elder. Destroyed by the Austrian imperial troops, re-established in 1990.

The best-known sights in the area, on the Transfăgărășan. We have written about them in detail in three separate articles:

• The Transfăgărășan: when it opens and how to plan your trip
• Bâlea Lake: how to get there and what to see, in every season
• Vânătoarea lui Buteanu Peak: the trail from Bâlea Lake