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Arnota Monastery

Arnota Monastery, dedicated to the "Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel", was founded by Matthew Basarab in 1633. According to a legend, Matthew Basarab built the monastery here because, before he became lord, he had found escape in these places, hiding in some reeds, being chased by the Turks.

This beautiful nunnery, through its painting, architecture and sculpture, can be considered one of the most representative historical and religious art monuments in the country.

Atractii turistice

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Bistrita Monastery

The foundation of the Craiova boyars The Bistrita Monastery, dedicated to the "Assumption of the Mother of God" dates from around 1490. From the foundation of the Craiova people today the church of Bolnita (1520-1521) is still preserved. With an impressive interior fresco from the late Paleological tradition when artistic elements used by Cretan iconographers began to penetrate the Balkans, the church is dedicated to the "Change of Face".

Horezu Monastery

Hurezi Monastery or Horezu Monastery, the most important foundation of the martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu ( 1688 - 1714 ), a synthesis of the Romanian art of that time, was built between 1690 and 1693 .

Inside the church there is the invaluable iconostasis carved in wood, the royal chair also carved in wood, bearing the coat of arms of the Cantacuzinos, the pews and a rich polychrome.

Polovragi Monastery

Polovragi Monastery is located at the foot of Piatra Polovragilor Mountain on Tg. Jiu - Rm. Valcea near Polovragi Cave and Oltet Gorges.

The monastery is built in the Byzantine style and dates from 1505. Here you can admire the traditional Byzantine painting made in fresco during the time of Constantin Brancoveanu, a rich collection of icons on wood and glass, from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. and the old book depository containing over 3000 volumes in Romanian, Slavonic and Greek

A Wooden Monastery

It is located 12 km north of Babeni, in the commune of Francesti. The local tradition says that it was built in the 16th century using the wood of a single oak.

The icon of the Mother of God, in honor of which the church was built, is still in the stone church of the monastery. The wooden church is made of thick beams and has a total length of 13 m, width of 5.50 m and a height of about 4 m.

Patrunsa Hermitage

The Patrunsa hermitage is an orthodox monastic place of special beauty. Perhaps due to the fact that it cannot be reached by car, a 4-kilometer path climbs gently to the secluded hermitage. being located in the Buila-Vanturarita National Park, the place offers such a peaceful peace to the development of a special inner life.

The hermitage, with groups of monks, is located at a distance of only 7 kilometers from Barbatesti commune, in Valcea county.

Pahonie Hermitage

To​ Pahomie Hermitage is located in Barbatesti commune, near Baile Olanesti. The last part of the route is a forest road accessible by car, to Izvorul Frumos.

The church dedicated to the "Holy Prophet Elijah", in the shape of a nave, is built under the rock, which covers 70% of it and has only an altar and a nave.

Polovragi Cave

To​ Polovragi Cave is located on the territory of Polovragi commune, between Horezu and Baia de Fier localities, Gorj county, Oltenia, Romania.

Access to the cave is from Polovragi Monastery, on a forest road of about 1 km. The entrance to the cave is in the Olteţ Gorges, above the river that separates the Căpăţâna Mountains from the Parâng Mountains.

The cave has a length (so far researched) of 11 km. The visitable route for tourists is approx. 800 m. This route is partially illuminated.

Woman's Cave

To​ The Muierii Cave was carved in the Mesozoic limestones on the southern edge of the Parâng Massif, by the Galbenul River. With a very rich history, the cave in ancient times sheltered during the wars, when men went to battle, many children and women, whence its name. It is the first electrified cave in Romania.

The real attractions of the cave are the Small Dome, which has a Gothic dome-like appearance formed by the millennial precipitation of calcite. In the 17 m high dome we find a colony of bats

Bats' Cave

To​ Bat Cave or Gregory the Decapolis Cave, is located 250 m from Bistrita Monastery, on the right side of Bistrita Gorges, at an altitude of 850 m and 60 m from the valley, is first mentioned in 1929 by Emil Racovita and it is 250 m long, arranged and electrified, on several levels, having a rich cave fauna, with several species of bats and invertebrates, under the guano layer being discovered in 1952 fossil remains of Ursus spaeleus The cave was known and inhabited by hermits in the Middle Ages. Inside there are two churches from the seventeenth century partially carved into the rock (Church of Ovid and St. Archangels).

Bears Cave

To​ The Bear Cave is located on the western slope of the Bistrita Gorges, approximately 1 km from the Bistrita Monastery. The cave is not electrified or fully explored, being accessible on a length of 600-700m with adequate equipment.

A few different species of bats take refuge in the Bear Cave, but there are no hibernating colonies. The name comes from the cave bear fossils (Ursus Spelaeus) found inside. There were also found in the interior historical vestiges dating from the Neolithic, the Cucuteni culture and the Dacian, Roman and medieval periods.

Culele Duca and Greceanu

To​ Culele are fortified boyar houses. The name comes from the Turkish kule which means tower. Culele Duca and Greceanu are located in Maldaresti commune. Also here is the IG Duca memorial house.
The ground floor of the Greceanu cul-de-sac has been used in film productions such as: "Fearless", "Bone Road", "Iancu Jianu - The Outlaw".

Trovant Museum

To​ Trovants or growing stones can be found in the village of Costesti. In the "Museum of Troubadours" there are some huge stones, with dimensions between 6 and 10 meters. The locals called them "growing stones". The finds can also be found along the Gresarea brook near the village of Otesani.

Horezu pottery

The Horezu area is known as an old center of folk pottery. Horezu pottery is made using traditional means: potter's wheel, horizontal wood ovens, traditional finishing objects.

Among the objects made are pots, pans, jugs, plates, musical instruments, toys and more.

Buila-Vânturariţa National Park

The park includes the linear limestone ridge of the Buila-Vânturariţa Massif, with a length of about 14 km, from the west of the Bistriţa Gorges Valley, to the east of the Olăneşti Gorges (Folea), a ridge dominated by the two peaks that give the massif its name: Buila Peak (1849 m) and Vânturariţa Mare Peak (1885 m).

An additional element of attraction and value of the park is the existence in its perimeter or in the immediate vicinity of many cultural and historical objectives: the monasteries Arnota, Bistriţa, Horezu, Frăsinei, the hermitages Pătrunsa, Pahomie, Iezer, Bradu, Jgheaburi, the churches of the former hermitages 44 Izvoare, Păpuşa, Peri, the cave churches from the Bat Cave, the churches from the localities in the area, as well as the traditions, customs and traditional architecture from the villages at the foot of the mountain.

Bistritei Gorges

Bistriţa Gorges (1200m long) is located near Costesti and are the narrowest limestone gorges in Romania being declared a nature reserve. The forest road through the Bistriţa gorges climbs to the Bistriţa springs in the Căpăţânii Mountains below the Zmeuratului peak with a height of 1938 m.

The access to the gorges is made near the Bistrita Monastery, on the Costesti-Bistrita county road. Besides the relief dug by the river in the limestones of the Arnota mountains, a point of attraction is the 22 caves, of which the best known are the Bear Cave and the Bat Cave.

Oltetului Gorges

The Olteţ Gorges are located within the commune of Polovragi, in Gorj County, and extend over a distance of two kilometers. At the entrance is the Cheile Olteţului Nature Reserve, which was declared, by a law in 2000, a protected natural area of national interest. The area of the nature reserve is 150 hectares, which also includes the Polovragi Cave, also a protected natural area of national interest.

  Mountain bike trails

There are many mountain trails, Horezu being located 16km from the Roman peak, 60km from Ranca, 30km from Balota and many more.

   Trekking and hiking trails

For those who prefer hiking, the Horezu area offers various hiking trails.

  Off road routes  - intended for tourism enthusiasts with off-road vehicles or motorcycles.

 

  Fairs and festivals

 

  The "Spring of Healing" fair is organized on the Romani plateau every year on the day of the spring of healing.

  The fair of the Romanian folk ceramics "Cocosul de Hurez" is organized every year in the first week of June.

  The "golden honeycombs", the national holiday of beekeepers, takes place in the second week of June and lasts for two days in Tomsani commune.

  The " shepherd's dream" shepherd's song festival and folk costume parade, takes place every year in the third week of June in Vaideeni commune and lasts three days.

  "Braul de aur" sitting and creative contest, is organized on St. Elijah's Day on July 20 in the village of Barbatesti.

    The international gypsy fair takes place on September 8 in Bistrita village, Costesti commune

   The Eco-Ethno-Folk-Film Festival is organized at the beginning of September at the "Dinu Sararu" House of Culture in Slatioara and short film productions on ecological, ethnological and folkloric themes are awarded.

    The city days are organized at the beginning of September in the city center

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