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Saint Constantin Brāncoveanu Pilgrimage Center of the Rāmnic Diocese
presents
Rāmnic Archdiocese Faith, beauty and tranquility
Situated in the center of Romania,
guarded by the Carpathian Mountains to the north,
and by the river Olt to the east,
Vālcea, the oldest county of Wallachia,
is home to Oltenia's most beautiful monasteries and sketes.
On peaks with spiral paths,
close to streams and rivers,
or beneath the mountains' cliffs,
churches, monasteries and sketes rise like pearls
true cathedrals of culture,
of Orthodox Christian spirituality and Romanian civilisation.
Situated on the spectacular realms of the ancient river Alutus,
less than three hours distance from the capital Bucharest
and about one hour distance from Sibiu,
Rāmnicul, "the city of my lordship", as Mircea the Elder named it,
reveals its crown of jewels to pilgrims.
The spa resorts that crown the area,
Cćlimćneŗti-Cćciulata, Bćile-Govora,
Ocnele Mari and Bćile Olćneŗti
provide, through their thermal springs,
the richest mineral resources in Romania
and even in Europe,
in treating various kidney, respiratory and digestive problems.
There are many options for accomodation in Rāmnic.
At the Eparchial Center of the Rāmnic Archdiocese,
near a lime and beech forest,
the "Saint Hierarch Calinic" Pastoral-Cultural Centre,
located in a special natural area, surrounded by orchards,
is an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city.
Also, the Cozia, Bistriža, Dintr-un Lemn and Arnota abbeys
offer accommodation and meals to pilgrims and visitors.
These are ideal places
for those who are seeking a quiet and pleasant environment,
in a comfortable ambiance,
where the elegance of wide spaces
pleasantly blends with the warmth and intimacy of rustic landscapes.
The variety of traditional dishes, cooked with natural products,
accompanied by the famous Drćgćŗani wines
and the Horezu žuicć,
the different types of cheese, with unique taste
prepared in the sheepfolds of shepherds by ancient methods
together with doina songs and merry folk dances,
enrich the holiday atmosphere of these legendary areas.
In the hands of the inhabitants of these areas,
clay, modeled according to secret methods,
takes unexpected and unique shapes,
offering to the world the famous "Horezu pottery".
High mountains, covered by vast pine and hardwood forests,
where bears, wolves, foxes, and deers live;
hills covered with orchards and vineyards;
plains covered by cereal crops;
the beautiful Olt valley;
glacial, artificial and salt water lakes;
caves and old salt mines.
We can rightfully say that God has blessed this part of Europe,
by turning it into a small "Garden of the Mother of God".
where you can feel like in Heaven.
Mircea the Elder, one of the greatest Romanian princes
is buried at the Cozia monastery, his foundation.
Mirrored in the waters of Olt river, the abbey awaits her guests,
in the same wonderful landscape unchanged throughout the centuries.
At the foot of Mount Cozia, near the Olt river,
one can find the Turnu Monastery.
In this area, at the foot of peak Turneanu of Mount Cozia,
there were several hermitages, cells dug in stone,
some of which are still preserved.
The Frćsinei Monastery, nicknamed "the Romanian Athos,"
is a landmark of hesychasm.
It was rebuilt by Saint Calinic of Cernica, the bishop of Rāmnic,
and it symbolises the monastic tradition of the area.
After Saint Calinic took the seat of Bishop of Rāmnic,
the monastery was reorganized and the monastic rules of Mount Athos
were introduced.
Built from one single oak, as its name says,
the Dintr-un Lemn - One Wood - Monastery
hosts one of the world's oldest icons of the Mother of God.
The legend says that Radu, a shepherd, discovered, after dreaming of it,
an icon in the trunk of an oak from which he later built the church.
On the banks of the Bistriža river, at the foot of peak Mćgura,
the Bistriža Monastery hosts the relics of Saint Gregory the Decapolite.
Painted in Renaissance style by painter Gheorghe Tattarescu,
the Saint is looking at us from the western corner of the church.
Inside the workshops of the monastery, nuns are painting icons of saints
and biblical scenes, according to Byzantine tradition.
In the cliff behind the monastery lies the Bats' Cave,
also known as Saint Gregory's Cave,
as this is the place where his relics were hidden from the Turks.
Situated in the picturesque setting of the Cćpćžānii Mountains,
at an altitude of 840 meters,
the Arnota Monastery, founded by Matei Basarab,
is a bastion of Orthodoxy.
According to a legend, the Voivode built the monastery here
because he found refuge here, after a fierce battle with the Turks,
by hiding in reed.
Situated at the foot of Mount Bulia, guarded by the forest,
in a solitary and enchanted place, whose tranquility is broken only by owls,
Hurezi Monastery is considered to be, together with its sketes,
the most representative work of Brāncovenesc architecture.
The Great Lavra of Hurezi
is the biggest ensemble of Medieval Wallachian architecture still preserved.
It is comprised of the monastery, the hospital church,
the Holy Apostles skete and the Saint Stephen skete.
On the road from Europe to Vālcea,
pilgrims can pass through three Romanian cities:
Bucharest, Craiova or Sibiu.
For those who prefer Sibiu,
we offer the chance to visit historical, spiritual and cultural sights
of this old stronghold of guilds.
An old centre of European culture and spirituality,
also known as Hermanstadt,
Sibiu is an important city of Transylvania,
placed on Pan-European Corridor 4, and has an international airport.
European Cultural Capital in 2007,
Sibiu offers a wide range of tourist attractions:
the historic centre,
the "Holy Trinity" Metropolitan Cathedral,
the Bruckental Museum, the Astra Park,
the Dumbrava Forest
and other vestiges of the former Medieval stronghold.
The "St. Constantin Brāncoveanu" Pilgrimage Centre
of the Rāmnic Archdiocese
invites you to discover
the "strongholds of faith" guarding the land of Vālcea:
Orthodox monasteries, sketes and churches.
Come and embark
on the most interesting journey of your life.
You will travel by coach and receive comfortable accommodation
at the St. Hierarch Calinic Pastoral-Cultural Centre
of the Eparchial Centre,
or at one of the monasteries in the Archdiocese.
Monks and nuns from the Vālcea monasteries
will show to you their artistic skills
received through prayer and perseverance
in painting, embroidery, tailoring, weaving and sculpture workshops
at the Arnota, Bistriža, Hurezi and Ostrov monasteries,
or in carpenter, painting and sculpture workshops
at the Cozia, Frćsinei and Turnu monasteries.
You will be carried to unique tourist attractions
on the banks of the old Alutus:
the Ocnele Mari salt mine and lake,
the Arutella Roman castrum and the spa at Cćlimćneŗti-Cćciulata,
the Vālcea Village Museum,
the Mćldćreŗti kule and the Zćvoi Park.
You will be able to create pottery aided by craftsmen
in pottery workshops at Horezu.
In a religious, cultural and artistic environment,
you will be able to learn the songs, the tradition and the customs
of the "Heavens of Olt".
The Vālcea pilgrimage offer comes in a 1, 2, 3 or 7 days pack.
Come and join this interesting pilgrimage for your soul.
We await you with great joy in the Rāmnic Archdiocese.
Contact information