# Golia Monastery

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Moldavia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/moldova) › [Iași County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/iasi) › [Iași](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/iasi)

> A fortified monastery in the centre of Iași, with Vasile Lupu's church, unique in Moldavia for its classical facades and seven towers, and a tower almost 30 m high with views over the city.

**At a glance:** Monasteries in Iași, Iași County. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 21 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The monastery's official sources do not publish visiting hours. Services are held daily from 5:30 in the morning (from 7:30 on Sundays) and from 16:00, with a vigil at 18:00 on Saturday evenings. Climbing the tower and visiting the Creangă House depend on the monastery's schedule; ask at the entrance.
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — church, grounds and tower
- **With kids:** Yes — 120 steps in the tower
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — in the centre, on nearby streets
- **Best season:** All year round — a clear day for the panorama
- **Address:** Strada Cuza Vodă 51, Iași, Iași County
- **Coordinates:** 47.165, 27.5892
- **Phone:** +40 232 216 693
- **Website:** https://golia.mmb.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golia_Monastery
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5580705
- **Categories:** [Monasteries](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Golia Monastery

Golia Monastery takes its name from the great logothete Ioan Golia, who built the first stone church here in the 16th century. In 1650 Prince Vasile Lupu decided to rebuild the ruined foundation from scratch, and the work was completed in 1660 by his son, Ștefăniță Lupu; the church is dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The enclosure feels like a medieval fortress: walls about 9 m high, with corner towers added by Gheorghe Duca in 1667–1668, and a massive bell tower above the entrance.

The church resembles no other church in Moldavia. Outside it is a classical-style building of stone blocks, with Corinthian pilasters over 12 m tall and a Baroque cornice, above which rise seven towers, all different. Inside, the plan remains the traditional one, with narthex, nave and sanctuary, and the narthex holds the votive portraits of the Golia family and of Vasile Lupu's family. Closed between 1900 and 1947 and then a parish church, Golia became a monastery for monks again in 1992. The 2008–2015 restoration, which saved the church from collapse, received the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage (Europa Nostra) in 2012.

Between 1866 and 1871 Ion Creangă was a deacon at Golia and lived with his family in a house within the enclosure, where a memorial room has now been arranged.

### What you can see

The church, with its stone facades and towers best seen from the garden in front of it, and the interior with the founders' portraits. The Golia Tower, about 30 m high, with a 5 m square base and 120 steps up to the terrace, from which you see a panorama of Iași; it once also served as a fire lookout. Next to the tower stands the water house with the fountain built by Alexandru Moruzi in 1803, the city's first free source of water, and within the enclosure is the Creangă House, with the deacon's room furnished as a peasant interior from the Neamț area.

### Good to know

The monastery is active, with a community of monks and daily services. The official sources do not publish visiting hours for the tower and the Creangă House; access to the tower depends on the monastery's schedule, so ask at the entrance.

## Don't miss

- The church's seven towers, all different, above facades lined with Corinthian pilasters.
- The panorama of Iași from the terrace of the Golia Tower, after 120 steps.
- The votive portraits of the Golia and Vasile Lupu families in the church narthex.
- The house where Ion Creangă lived while he was a deacon at Golia, between 1866 and 1871.
- The lion fountain in Alexandru Moruzi's water house, next to the tower.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the monastery is in the centre of Iași, between Strada Cuza Vodă and Bulevardul Independenței, about 1.2 km north of the Palace of Culture; traffic in the centre is heavy.

**Public transport:** the tram line runs along Strada Cuza Vodă, past the front of the monastery; from Piața Unirii it is about a 15-minute walk.

### Where to park

Paid spaces on the surrounding streets and in a car park on Bulevardul Independenței, north of the monastery; at busy times they are hard to find.

### Fees & discounts

According to the official sources, there is no fee to enter the grounds and the church. The official sources do not publish prices for climbing the tower or for the Creangă House; ask at the entrance.

### Rules

Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, hats off inside. Quiet in the church, especially during services, when visiting and photography are not allowed. Ask at the entrance whether photography is allowed inside. The tower stairs are narrow and steep.

### Facilities

Creangă House, a memorial room within the grounds · cafés, restaurants and shops in the centre of Iași, a few steps away

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1650–1660
- **Founder:** Vasile Lupu
- **Dedication:** Ascension of the Lord
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Baroque and Byzantine
- **Historical period:** 17th century

## Frequently asked questions about Golia Monastery

**How long does a visit to Golia Monastery take?**

A visit to Golia Monastery takes about ½ – 1 hours (church, grounds and tower).

**Can you visit Golia Monastery with kids?**

Yes, Golia Monastery is suitable for children (120 steps in the tower).

**Where can I park at Golia Monastery?**

There is paid parking at Golia Monastery (in the centre, on nearby streets). Paid spaces on the surrounding streets and in a car park on Bulevardul Independenței, north of the monastery; at busy times they are hard to find.

**How do I get to Golia Monastery?**

Golia Monastery is located at Strada Cuza Vodă 51, Iași, Iași County. By car: the monastery is in the centre of Iași, between Strada Cuza Vodă and Bulevardul Independenței, about 1.2 km north of the Palace of Culture; traffic in the centre is heavy. Public transport: the tram line runs along Strada Cuza Vodă, past the front of the monastery; from Piața Unirii it is about a 15-minute walk.

**When is the best time to visit Golia Monastery?**

The best season for Golia Monastery: All year round (a clear day for the panorama).

## Nearby attractions

- [Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-mitropolitana-iasi) — Churches · Iași, IS · Free · 45 min · 1 km
  The cathedral of the Metropolis of Moldavia, consecrated in 1887 in the centre of Iași and home to the relics of Saint Parascheva, which draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every October.
- [Trei Ierarhi Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-trei-ierarhi-iasi) — Monasteries · Iași, IS · 45 min · 1 km
  Vasile Lupu's foundation of 1639 in the centre of Iași, its facades covered in lace-like stone carving; the tombs of Cuza and Cantemir are here.
- [Palace of Culture in Iași](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-culturii-iasi) — Castles and palaces · Iași, IS · 30 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 · 1 km
  The Neo-Gothic palace with a clock tower and carillon in the centre of Iași, built in 1906–1925 as a Palace of Justice; today it houses four national museums of art, history, ethnography and science.
- [Ion Creangă's Bojdeuca (Ion Creangă Memorial House)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bojdeuca-lui-ion-creanga) — Museums and memorial houses · Iași, IS · 16 lei · 45 min · 2 km
  The two-room cottage in Țicău where Ion Creangă lived from 1872 until his death and wrote “Memories of My Boyhood”. Opened as a museum in 1918, it is Romania's first literary memorial museum.
- [Copou Park (Grădina Copou)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcul-copou) — Parks and gardens · Iași, IS · Free · 1 – 1¼ hours · 3 km
  The oldest public park in Iași, laid out from 1834 on Copou hill, with the Lions' Obelisk, Eminescu's Linden Tree, the busts of the Junimea writers and the "Mihai Eminescu" Museum.
- [“Anastasie Fătu” Botanical Garden, Iași](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-botanica-iasi) — Parks and gardens · Iași, IS · 2 – 2½ hours · 5 km
  The first botanical garden in Romania, run by “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University: almost 90 hectares on Copou Hill, with a rose garden, a greenhouse complex, a lake and annual chrysanthemum shows.

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Last updated: 21 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania