# Celic-Dere Monastery

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Dobruja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/dobrogea) › [Tulcea County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/tulcea) › [Frecăței](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/frecatei)

> A convent in the Tulcea hills, with a white church built in 1901–1932 reached by a monumental staircase, rose gardens and a wooden windmill listed as a historic monument.

**At a glance:** Monasteries in Frecăței, Tulcea County. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 28 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The monastery can be visited during the day, between services; service times are available on site.
- **Visit duration:** 45 min — church, paths and gardens
- **With kids:** Yes — modest dress and quiet
- **Best season:** All year round — all year
- **Address:** DJ229F, in the valley of the Celic-Dere stream, ~26 km from Tulcea, Frecăței, Tulcea County
- **Coordinates:** 45.1264, 28.5814
- **Phone:** +40 751 233 971
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83n%C4%83stirea_Celic-Dere
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18538833
- **Categories:** [Monasteries](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monasteries)

## About Celic-Dere Monastery

Celic-Dere Monastery lies in a valley in the Tulcea hills, in the commune of Frecăței, and takes its name from the Celic stream, which means “steel stream” in Turkish. It was founded in the first half of the 19th century by Archimandrite Athanasie Lisavenco, who had returned from Mount Athos; sources differ on the exact year (1835 or around 1840). It later became a convent, as it is today, and belongs to the Diocese of Tulcea.

The main church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, is a listed historic monument. Bishop Partenie Clinceni laid the foundation stone in 1901, work continued with interruptions in the early 20th century, and the church was painted in fresco, in the Neo-Byzantine style, by Gheorghe Eftimiu in 1926–1932 and consecrated in 1932. The iconostasis, carved in pear wood and gilded, is the work of Anghel Dima of Bucharest.

The monastery keeps icons regarded as miracle-working, among them the icon of the Saviour “that cleans itself” and an icon of the Mother of God, and it is a place of pilgrimage in northern Dobruja.

### What you can see

The white church, with a large octagonal tower and two smaller towers above the closed porch, stands on a terrace enclosed on three sides by a stone wall. It is reached by a monumental staircase with white balustrades, from a path paved with stone. Around it are the white buildings of the cells, with arcades and balconies, and rose gardens. The complex also includes a wooden windmill, brought here in 1953 and listed as a historic monument in 1977.

### Good to know

It is a working convent: enter in modest dress and keep quiet. The feast day, the Dormition of the Mother of God, is celebrated on 15 August.

## Don't miss

- The white church with octagonal towers, raised on a stone terrace and seen from afar along the entrance path.
- The monumental staircase with white balustrades leading up to the church.
- The gilded pear-wood iconostasis carved by Anghel Dima.
- The rose gardens and the stone-paved paths between the cells.
- The wooden windmill, a historic monument, part of the monastery complex.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the monastery is in the valley of the Celic-Dere stream, on the DJ229F, which you reach from the Tulcea–Constanța road (DN22). From Tulcea it is ~26 km (~30 minutes), and from Constanța ~133 km (~2 hours). It can be combined with the Saon and Cocoș monasteries in the same area.

**Public transport:** local buses on the Tulcea–Cataloi–Telița route stop in front of the monastery; check the timetable in advance.

### Rules

Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, women with their heads covered in the church. Keep quiet within the walls and switch phones off during services. Photos in the church only with the nuns' permission.

### Facilities

the monastery's museum collection · stone-paved paths with benches in the precinct

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1901–1932
- **Founder:** Athanasie Lisavenco
- **Dedication:** Dormition of the Mother of God
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** modern classical

## Frequently asked questions about Celic-Dere Monastery

**How long does a visit to Celic-Dere Monastery take?**

A visit to Celic-Dere Monastery takes about 45 min (church, paths and gardens).

**Can you visit Celic-Dere Monastery with kids?**

Yes, Celic-Dere Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).

**How do I get to Celic-Dere Monastery?**

Celic-Dere Monastery is located at DJ229F, in the valley of the Celic-Dere stream, ~26 km from Tulcea, Frecăței, Tulcea County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Celic-Dere Monastery?**

The best season for Celic-Dere Monastery: All year round (all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Saon Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saon-monastery) — Monasteries · Niculițel, TL · 45 min · 14 km
  A convent by Lake Saon with a white three-towered church built from 1909 and the old church of 1881, in the commune of Niculițel; a listed historic monument.
- [Cocoș Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cocos-monastery) — Monasteries · Niculițel, TL · 45 min · 21 km
  A monastery for monks hidden in a forest clearing in northern Dobruja, with a three-domed church, a 30 m bell tower and cells with timber balconies; it keeps the relics of the Niculițel martyrs.
- [Noviodunum Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/noviodunum-fortress) — Fortresses and fortifications · Isaccea, TL · 45 min · 23 km
  The ruins of the Roman and Byzantine fortress near Isaccea, main base of the Danube fleet Classis Flavia Moesica, with stone-and-brick walls uncovered on the banks of the Danube.
- [Danube Delta](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/danube-delta) — Deltas · Tulcea County · 5 lei/day · 7½ – 8 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 · 23 km
  Europe's largest wetland, a biosphere reserve and UNESCO site: channels, lakes, reed beds and 365 bird species, from pelicans to egrets; visited by boat from Tulcea.
- [Tulcea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/tulcea) — Deltas · Tulcea, TL · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 23 km
  The Danube port town where the ships to the Danube Delta leave from: the waterfront with the River Station, the Independence Monument on the hill, the Azizie Mosque and the aquarium.
- [Tulcea Aquarium (Danube Delta Eco-Tourism Museum Centre)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/tulcea-aquarium) — Zoos and aquariums · Tulcea, TL · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 24 km
  The Danube Delta Eco-Tourism Museum Centre, the public aquarium in central Tulcea, with fish from the Danube and the Black Sea, coral reef tanks and a tunnel among sturgeon, plus an exhibition on the Delta's wildlife.

## Featured in the guides

- [Things to do in Tulcea: what to see in the city and around it](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/things-to-do-in-tulcea) — Ecotourism Museum Centre (the aquarium, 30 lei), museums, waterfront, river station; Celic-Dere 26 km away, Cocoș, Saon, Enisala, Halmyris, Noviodunum.

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Last updated: 28 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania