Frăsinei Monastery
About Frăsinei Monastery
Frăsinei Monastery, in Muereasca commune, is a monastery for monks set in a clearing surrounded by wooded hills north-west of Râmnicu Vâlcea. The site began as a hermitage: in 1710 the monks Ilarion and Ștefan built a wooden church here, rebuilt in stone in 1762–1763 by the brothers Cârstea and Damian Iovipali. Abandoned in 1787, during the Russo-Turkish war, the hermitage was restored in 1848 by the monk Acachie, who came from Cernica.
Today's monastery is the foundation of St Calinic of Cernica, then Bishop of Râmnic: between 1860 and 1863 he built the great church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, the cells around it and the bell tower, for a community of monks. The church was consecrated on 12 May 1863 and painted in oils by the Transylvanian painter Mișu Pop. Life here follows the rule of Mount Athos: meat is never eaten, services last through the night until dawn, and women do not enter the monastery. The monastery escaped the secularisation of monastic estates under Alexandru Ioan Cuza and kept its land.
What you can see
The precinct is enclosed by long ranges of white cells with metal roofs, from the middle of which rises the bell tower, with a green dome and a wooden door at its base. Inside stand St Calinic's great church and the chapel dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs, built in 1910–1911 by Bishop Gherasim Safirim. In the monks' cemetery stands the old church of the hermitage, dedicated to the Nativity of St John the Baptist, which keeps the frescoes painted in 1763 by Teodor Zugravul. The monastery museum keeps the covenant stone set up by St Calinic in 1867, with his decision written in Cyrillic letters.
Good to know
Women are not allowed into the monastery. The lower church was built for them in the village of Andreiești, ~2 km down the road before the monastery, on the spot where St Calinic set up the covenant stone in 1867; beyond it only men go up. Since 2023, by decision of the Metropolis of Oltenia, the monks serve only in the monastery church and no longer at the lower church.
Information verified on 2 November 2026.
- The great church built by St Calinic in 1860–1863, with oil paintings by Mișu Pop.
- The old church of the hermitage, rebuilt in stone in 1762–1763, with frescoes by Teodor Zugravul, in the monks' cemetery.
- The covenant stone of 1867, with St Calinic's decision written in Cyrillic letters, kept in the monastery museum.
- The chapel of the Three Holy Hierarchs, built in 1910–1911 by Bishop Gherasim Safirim.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Râmnicu Vâlcea it is ~23 km (~35 min): north on the DN7 for ~6 km, then along the DJ658 through Muereasca and Andreiești to the monastery. From Sibiu it is ~100 km (~2 hours), on the A1 and the DN7 through the Olt Valley and Călimănești, then on the DJ658. From Băile Olănești it is ~7 km (~15 min). The lower church, where women stop, is on the same road, ~2 km before the monastery.
- Rules
Entry to the monastery is for men and boys only; women stop at the lower church, ~2 km down the road before the monastery. Modest dress: long trousers and covered shoulders. Keep quiet within the walls; photos in the church only with the monks' permission.
Frequently asked questions about Frăsinei Monastery
How long does a visit to Frăsinei Monastery take?
A visit to Frăsinei Monastery takes about ½ – 1 hours (precinct and old church).
Can you visit Frăsinei Monastery with kids?
Yes, Frăsinei Monastery is suitable for children (boys only).
How do I get to Frăsinei Monastery?
Frăsinei Monastery is located at Strada Frăsinei (DJ658), Andreiești village, Muereasca, Vâlcea County. More under “Getting there”
When is the best time to visit Frăsinei Monastery?
The best season for Frăsinei Monastery: All year round (all year).
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