Comana Monastery

About Comana Monastery

At a glance: Monasteries and churches in Comana, Giurgiu County. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

Comana Monastery stands on a former island in the Neajlov marshes, ~35 km south of Bucharest. The first foundation, from 1461, belongs to Vlad the Impaler: a timber church on brick foundations with cells around it, raised in a place that was hard to attack. It fell into ruin towards the end of the 16th century. In 1588 the boyar Radu Șerban, later Prince of Wallachia, pulled down what was left and built a new monastery, a true lowland fortress: an enclosure of about 61 × 55 m, thick walls and defensive towers. It was rebuilt between 1699 and 1703 by the high steward Șerban Cantacuzino, Radu Șerban's great-grandson, who raised the walls and added the elegant loggia on the north side, with ten stone columns. The church of St Nicholas, in the form you see today, was rebuilt from its foundations starting in 1854.

For a long time the church was the resting place of Radu Șerban's family and of the Cantacuzinos. There is no firm evidence that Vlad the Impaler is buried here. The historian Constantin Rezachevici, in a text published on the website of the Diocese of Giurgiu itself, considers it the most probable hypothesis that the prince, killed in 1476–1477 on the Bucharest–Giurgiu road, was buried in his foundation at Comana, in a grave that vanished when the timber church was demolished in 1588. Other versions, Snagov among them, remain open.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: Comana is ~35–40 km south of Bucharest, about 50–60 minutes: on the DN5 towards Giurgiu, then on county roads towards Comana; the monastery is on Strada Radu Șerban. From Giurgiu it is ~40 km.

Public transport: minibuses to Comana leave from near Eroii Revoluției metro station and from near Progresu railway station; check the timetable before you go.

Fees & discounts

We found no official admission prices. Do not confuse the 5 lei fee of Comana Natural Park (for the marsh area) with entry to the monastery.

Rules

This is a working monastery of monks: modest dress (shoulders and knees covered, men bareheaded in the church), quiet, no food or drink in the church. Do not take photos during services and do not use a flash; ask if you are unsure. On the building site follow the markings and instructions.

Facilities

courtyard with loggia and cells · church shop with candles · exhibition of objects from the collection · toilets in the courtyard · good mobile signal