Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus
Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County · Transylvania
About Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus
At a glance: Monasteries and churches in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 8 October 2026.
Brâncoveanu Monastery, sometimes called Sâmbăta Monastery, lies at the foot of the Făgăraș Mountains, in the valley of the Sâmbăta river, at over 600 m above sea level. The estate passed in 1654 to the boyar Preda Brâncoveanu, who built a small wooden church here. His grandson, Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia, replaced it with a stone monastery (between 1696 and 1698, according to the official source), as a stronghold of Romanian Orthodoxy in a Transylvania that had come under Habsburg rule. The patron feast is the Dormition of the Mother of God, on 15 August.
In 1785, on orders from the court in Vienna, General Preiss had the monastery pulled down: the cells vanished entirely and the church was left in ruins. What you see today is therefore not the original building. Metropolitan Nicolae Bălan rebuilt the church on its old foundations between 1926 and 1946, keeping the old interior paintings (the porch has new paintings); King Michael I, whose votive portrait is in the church, is counted as the second founder. The precinct with its cells, refectory and library was raised from the foundations from 1985 under Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală, in the Brâncovenesc style, and the whole ensemble was consecrated on 15 August 1993.
What you can see
The white church, with an octagonal tower and a porch with carved pillars and openwork stone panels, stands in the middle of the quadrangular courtyard, surrounded by two-storey arcades and three stone loggias. Inside are the votive painting of the Brâncoveanu founders, the frescoes and the iconostasis. You can also see the Brâncovenesc chapel of carved oak, the "Healing Spring" fountain, documented since the 16th century, the carved wooden gate and the "Antonie Plămădeală" museum, with glass and wooden icons, manuscripts and vestments, housed in the attic of the south wing. In the forest above the monastery is an open-air altar where services are held in summer.
Good to know
It is a working monastery of monks, and the service schedule comes first. Do not confuse it with the Sâmbăta Tourist Complex higher up the valley, with the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs Monastery (a different place) or with the Brâncoveanu manor in the village of Sâmbăta de Sus. The Sâmbăta Academy, the conference and guest centre next to the precinct, belongs to the monastery.
- The church in the quadrangular courtyard, rebuilt in 1926–1946 on the foundations of the Brâncoveanu one, with an openwork stone porch and an octagonal tower.
- The carved wooden gate at the entrance and the Brâncovenesc chapel of carved oak.
- The "Antonie Plămădeală" museum, with glass and wooden icons, manuscripts and liturgical vestments.
- The "Healing Spring" fountain, the oldest piece in the precinct, documented since the 16th century.
- The votive portrait of King Michael I in the church, covered with whitewash in the early communist years and uncovered again after 1989.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from the DN1 (Brașov–Sibiu) turn off at Voila, ~25 km from Făgăraș, and follow the county road DJ105B through Sâmbăta de Sus for another ~15 km to the monastery gate (distances are estimates; from Brașov it is ~100 km, from Sibiu ~75 km). The road continues to the Sâmbăta Tourist Complex, further up the valley.
Public transport: I found no confirmed regular service to the monastery. The simplest option is the train or bus to Făgăraș or the Voila area, then a taxi.
- Where to park
The monastery has a car park outside the precinct, plus a covered one for guests of the Sâmbăta Academy. The website does not say whether parking is paid; you enter the precinct on foot, through the wooden gate.
- Fees & discounts
The monastery's website does not publish prices for visiting or for the museum; visitors report that no entrance ticket is charged. Accommodation at the Sâmbăta Academy is paid: the rates on the site (undated) start from 200 lei per double room per night.
- Rules
Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, and women with their heads covered in the church. Keep quiet within the walls and switch phones off during services. Enter the church during services only quietly and do not take photos without the fathers' permission. Fishing in the precinct's ponds is not allowed.
- Facilities
museum of icons and church objects · library (over 65,000 volumes, for the community and researchers) · accommodation and meals at the Sâmbăta Academy · open-air altar in the forest, used in summer · the courtyard is paved, with steps at some buildings
Frequently asked questions about Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus
- How long does a visit to Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus take?
- A visit to Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus takes about 1 – 1½ hours (with the museum and the fountain).
- Can you visit Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus with kids?
- Yes, Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).
- How do I get to Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus?
- Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus is located at Zona Turistică no. 1, on the DJ105B, at the foot of the Făgăraș Mountains, Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County. By car: from the DN1 (Brașov–Sibiu) turn off at Voila, ~25 km from Făgăraș, and follow the county road DJ105B through Sâmbăta de Sus for another ~15 km to the monastery gate (distances are estimates; from Brașov it is ~100 km, from Sibiu ~75 km). The road continues to the Sâmbăta Tourist Complex, further up the valley. Public transport: I found no confirmed regular service to the monastery. The simplest option is the train or bus to Făgăraș or the Voila area, then a taxi.
- When is the best time to visit Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus?
- The best season for Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus: All year round (especially summer and autumn).
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