# Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila

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> The church raised between 1863 and 1872 by Brăila’s Greek community to plans by the architect Avraam Ioanidis: a Byzantine-style building with a clock tower, paintings by Tattarescu and Liochis, and the famous Healing Spring.

**At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Brăila, Brăila County. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** We found no visiting hours published by the parish or the Archdiocese of the Lower Danube. As a working church it is open mainly during services; check on the spot. The restoration of the interior painting was still under way in 2023, so access may be limited in places.
- **Ticket:** Free — entry to the church is free
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — interior and porch
- **With kids:** Yes — modest dress and quiet
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the streets in the centre
- **Best season:** All year round — all year
- **Address:** Calea Călărașilor 3, Brăila, Brăila County
- **Coordinates:** 45.2702, 27.97571
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Church,_Br%C4%83ila
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18537985
- **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici)

## About Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila

In the centre of Brăila, on Calea Călărașilor, stands the Greek Church, dedicated to the Annunciation, one of the largest churches in the city. The site was first occupied by a small wooden chapel, where Greek-descended Brăila residents and sailors arriving along the Danube prayed in Greek. In February 1863 a committee of 311 Greeks decided to found the Greek Community and build a proper church, with the approval of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The foundation stone was laid on 8 September 1863, and the work, directed by the architect Avraam Ioanidis of Bursa and carried out by Italian craftsmen, lasted nine years. The church was consecrated on 29 October 1872 by Bishop Melchisedec of the Lower Danube.

The building measures 43.40 m in length at the base and has a cross-shaped plan, with a central dome resting on four white marble columns. One enters through a porch with four columns, above which is a balcony with four more, and higher still rises the bell tower, with a Swiss clock. The style is Byzantine, with influences from Greek Antiquity and the Renaissance. Since 6 May 1974 it has been a parish church, and services are held in Romanian.

### What you can see

The interior has three altars: the central one, of the Annunciation, under a canopy with six carved columns, the southern one, of Saint Nicholas, and the northern one, of Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia. The painting was done in stages by Gheorghe Tattarescu (1880), the Greek painter Constantinos Livadas Liochis (1900–1902) and Belizarie (1945–1946). The gold-leaf iconostasis was made by craftsmen brought from Constantinople by the Greek community, and a large Murano crystal chandelier hangs at the entrance. Under one of the altars, 12 m down, is the Healing Spring, discovered, according to tradition, while the foundations were being dug; pilgrims come here especially during Bright Week.

### Good to know

In 2018–2021 the parish ran a European project to consolidate and restore the church, worth about 5 million euros; according to the Brăila Museum, in 2023 the restoration of the 3,000 sq m of painting was still under way. We found no visiting hours published by the parish (its website was not working when we checked), so check on the spot. It is a working church: services take priority.

## Don't miss

- The porch with four white marble columns, the balcony above it and the bell tower with a Swiss clock.
- The interior painting by Gheorghe Tattarescu, Constantinos Livadas Liochis and Belizarie, covering 3,000 sq m.
- The gold-leaf iconostasis, made by craftsmen from Constantinople, and the Murano crystal chandelier.
- The three altars, dedicated to the Annunciation, Saint Nicholas and Saint Gerasimos of Kefalonia.
- The Healing Spring beneath the altar, 12 m down, a place of pilgrimage during Bright Week.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the church is in the centre of Brăila, on Calea Călărașilor, a few minutes from Traian Square. From Bucharest it is ~200 km, on the DN2/E85 to Buzău and then the DN2B (about 3 hours).

**Public transport:** Brăila is linked to Bucharest, Galați and Constanța by intercity trains and buses; from the station you reach the centre by local transport, and from Traian Square the church is a short walk.

### 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:** 1863–1872
- **Founder:** the Greek community of Brăila
- **Dedication:** the Annunciation
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Byzantine
- **Pilgrim accommodation:** No

## Frequently asked questions about Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila

**How much is a ticket to Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila?**

Admission to Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila is free (entry to the church is free).

**How long does a visit to Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila take?**

A visit to Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila takes about 30 min (interior and porch).

**Can you visit Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila with kids?**

Yes, Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).

**Where can I park at Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila?**

There is paid parking at Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila (on the streets in the centre).

**How do I get to Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila?**

Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila is located at Calea Călărașilor 3, Brăila, Brăila County. By car: the church is in the centre of Brăila, on Calea Călărașilor, a few minutes from Traian Square. From Bucharest it is ~200 km, on the DN2/E85 to Buzău and then the DN2B (about 3 hours). Public transport: Brăila is linked to Bucharest, Galați and Constanța by intercity trains and buses; from the station you reach the centre by local transport, and from Traian Square the church is a short walk.

**When is the best time to visit Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila?**

The best season for Greek Church “Annunciation” in Brăila: All year round (all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Traian Square (Piața Traian)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-traian-braila) — Monuments and historic sites · Brăila, BR · Free · 45 min · 0 km
  The central square of old Brăila, from which the streets of the historic centre fan out, with the blue Public Clock of 1909, the Holy Archangels church, a former mosque, and the statue of Trajan.
- [Maria Filotti Theatre](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/teatrul-maria-filotti-braila) — Monuments and historic sites · Brăila, BR · 1½ – 2 hours · 0 km
  The former Rally Theatre, a heritage building in Brăila's historic centre, with a richly ornamented façade on Calea Regală, restored with EU funds and still a working repertory theatre.
- [Panait Istrati Memorial House](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/casa-memoriala-panait-istrati-braila) — Museums and memorial houses · Brăila, BR · 30 min · 1 km
  A red-brick house-museum in Brăila's Public Garden, with manuscripts, signed books and personal belongings of the writer Panait Istrati. It is not his birthplace but a former gardener's house.
- [Balta Mică a Brăilei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/balta-mica-a-brailei) — Deltas · Brăila, BR · 80 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 1 km
  The last stretch of free-flooding Danube floodplain between Giurgeni and Brăila: seven river islands, 52 lakes and over 200 bird species, reached only by boat.
- [Lacu Sărat Resort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacu-sarat) — Resorts and thermal baths · Lacu Sărat, BR · 2½ – 3 hours · 10 km
  A spa resort more than a century old, 5 km from Brăila, on the shore of a lake with hypertonic water and sapropelic mud. It has treatment centres, a historic park and a lakeside beach.
- [Roman Fort of Tirighina-Barboși](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-tirighina-barbosi) — Monuments and historic sites · Galați, GL · 45 min · 19 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.

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Last updated: 10 October 2026
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