# Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Moldavia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/moldova) › [Galați County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/galati) › [Galați](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/galati) > The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lower Danube, built between 1906 and 1917 to plans by Petre Antonescu: the largest religious building in Galați, Neo-Byzantine, with a main tower 42.5 m high. **At a glance:** Churches in Galați, Galați County. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** Neither the archdiocese nor the parish publishes visiting hours. As a working church it is open mainly during services and the liturgical programme; check on the spot. Around the patronal feast on 30 November (Saint Andrew) there are several days of religious events, with crowds around the cathedral. - **Ticket:** Free — entry to the church is free - **Visit duration:** 30 min — exterior and interior - **With kids:** Yes — modest dress and quiet - **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the streets in the centre - **Best season:** All year round — all year - **Address:** Strada Domnească 104, Galați, Galați County - **Coordinates:** 45.44717, 28.05454 - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gala%C8%9Bi_Cathedral - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18538756 - **Categories:** [Churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/churches) ## About Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați On Strada Domnească, in the heart of Galați, rises the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lower Danube, the largest place of worship in the city and one of its symbols. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Hierarch and to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the spiritual protector of Galați. The foundation stone was laid on 27 April 1906 by Prince Ferdinand and Queen Marie, in the presence of Bishop Pimen Georgescu, and the works, to plans by the architects Petre Antonescu and Ștefan Burcuș, were completed in 1917. The style is Neo-Byzantine, with Moldavian and Wallachian influences. The church has an open porch on paired columns and trefoil arches, a large tower over the nave and two smaller ones over the narthex, and its white facades are girdled by coffered bands and a twisted-rope band, with small niches under the cornice. It is 37 metres long and 42.5 metres high. ### What you can see The interior is painted in fresco and paved with white and red Carrara marble slabs. The pulpit is of the same marble, and the large chandeliers are of solid bronze. The painting covers the walls, vaults and dome, with biblical scenes on a dark blue ground. Around 30 November, when Galați celebrates its patron, the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle are brought for veneration to the esplanade in front of the cathedral. ### Good to know The earthquake of 1940 brought down the main tower, and the church was restored between 1950 and 1957, when it was reconsecrated. The 1977 earthquake and the rising water table then called for strengthening, followed by a restoration of the painting; on the 100th anniversary of the foundation stone, in 2006, the cathedral was reconsecrated once more. There is no information about works or closures in the past year, nor any published visiting hours. It is a working church: services take priority. ## Don't miss - The open porch on paired columns and trefoil arches, with white facades girdled by coffered bands. - The large tower over the nave, 42.5 m high, rebuilt after its collapse in the 1940 earthquake. - The fresco painting of the interior, on walls, vaults and dome. - The solid bronze chandeliers and the white and red Carrara marble floor. - The feast of Saint Andrew, from 30 November, with the relics brought to the esplanade in front of the cathedral. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** the cathedral is in the centre of Galați, at Strada Domnească 104. From Bucharest it is ~250 km (about 3 hours 30 minutes), on the DN2/E85 to Buzău and then the DN2B through Brăila. **Public transport:** Galați is linked to Bucharest, Iași and Brăila by intercity trains and buses, and the city has trams and buses; from the centre the cathedral is a few minutes' walk or a few stops away. ### Rules It is a working church: modest dress (shoulders and knees covered, men's heads uncovered), quiet inside, respect for services. Photograph inside discreetly and without flash, and ask permission during services. Do not touch the sacred objects. ## Details - **Construction period:** 1906–1917 - **Dedication:** Saint Nicholas the Hierarch and Saint Andrew the Apostle - **Denomination:** Orthodox - **Architectural style:** Neo-Byzantine ## Frequently asked questions about Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați **How much is a ticket to Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați?** Admission to Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați is free (entry to the church is free). **How long does a visit to Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați take?** A visit to Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați takes about 30 min (exterior and interior). **Can you visit Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați with kids?** Yes, Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet). **Where can I park at Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați?** There is paid parking at Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați (on the streets in the centre). **How do I get to Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați?** Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați is located at Strada Domnească 104, Galați, Galați County. More under “Getting there”. **When is the best time to visit Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați?** The best season for Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Galați: All year round (all year). ## Nearby attractions - [Cuza Vodă House in Galați](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cuza-voda-house-in-galati) — Museums and memorial houses · Galați, GL · 4 lei · 45 min · 1 km The house of Alexandru Ioan Cuza's parents, now the first house museum founded in Galați (1939), reopened in 2024 after restoration, with an exhibition on the ruler of the Union and on Galați between 1850 and 1930. - [Sfânta Precista Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sfanta-precista-fortified-church) — Churches · Galați, GL · Free · 30 min · 3 km The oldest building in Galați, a merchants' church consecrated in 1647, with walls up to 1.8 m thick, a bell tower and a fortified loft with 28 loopholes, on the bank of the Danube. - [Danube Promenade (Faleza Dunării)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/danube-promenade) — Parks and gardens · Galați, GL · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 4 km Galați's 3–4 km promenade, on two levels above the Danube, with metal sculptures from the 1976–1991 camps and restaurants on boats; under redevelopment since 2026. - [Galați Botanical Garden](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/galati-botanical-garden) — Parks and gardens · Galați, GL · 7 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 5 km The youngest botanical garden in Romania, on 18 hectares above the Danube: a rose garden with thousands of roses, a Japanese garden with a lake, a sensory garden and plant collections from five continents. - [Roman Fort of Tirighina-Barboși](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/roman-fort-of-tirighina-barbosi) — Monuments and historic sites · Galați, GL · 45 min · 9 km A Roman fort on the Tirighina promontory where the Siret meets the Danube, in the Barboși district of Galați, with a site museum built inside the grounds and remains almost 1,900 years old. - [Dinogetia Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/dinogetia-fortress) — Fortresses and fortifications · Garvăn, TL · ½ – 1 hours · 13 km The ruins of a Roman and Byzantine fortress near Garvăn, on a hillock in the Danube floodplain, its curtain wall and towers still standing, facing Galați across the river. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/archiepiscopal-cathedral-of-saint-nicholas-in-galati Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/catedrala-arhiepiscopala-galati.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/erzbischoefliche-kathedrale-heiliger-nikolaus-in-galati.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/cattedrale-arcivescovile-di-san-nicola-a-galati.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/cathedrale-archiepiscopale-saint-nicolas-de-galati.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/catedral-arzobispal-de-san-nicolas-de-galati.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/galaci-szent-miklos-erseki-szekesegyhaz.md Last updated: 10 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania