# Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Ialomița County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/ialomita) › [Slobozia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/slobozia)

> The oldest monastery in the Bărăgan, founded by the Grand Postelnic Ianache Caragea and rebuilt by Matei Basarab, with a 17th-century brick enclosure wall and a bell tower you enter through.

**At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Slobozia, Ialomița County. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** We found no official visiting hours (the monastery's website no longer works and the Diocese does not publish any). As a working monastery it is usually visited during the day, between services; call ahead for hours or for group visits.
- **Ticket:** Free
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — church and courtyard; estimate
- **With kids:** Yes — quiet place, no play area
- **Best season:** All year round — the patronal feast, on 8 November
- **Address:** Aleea Mănăstirii nr. 2, Slobozia, Ialomița County
- **Coordinates:** 44.56174, 27.37661
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sfin%C8%9Bii_Voievozi_Monastery
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12736281
- **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia

The monastery is the oldest monastic settlement in the Bărăgan and, in fact, the place around which the town grew. In 1614 Prince Radu Mihnea gave the Grand Postelnic Ianache Caragea the right to found a "slobozia", a settlement exempt from taxes, on the estate of the village of Vaideei, and Caragea raised a monastery here, recorded in documents from 1615. The present name of the town comes from "Slobozia lui Ianache".

After a Tatar attack damaged it in 1623, the monastery was taken under the care of the crown. Matei Basarab rebuilt it in 1633–1634 and surrounded it with defensive walls, and tradition says it was consecrated by the Patriarch of Constantinople, in 1634 or 1636 depending on the source. An earthquake and 19th-century works changed the buildings a great deal: the bell tower bears the date 1836 and the name of Archimandrite Gavriil Smirneanul, regarded as the second founder, while today's church was rebuilt from the foundations in the 20th century. Under the communist regime the place served as a parish church, and in the 1990s, with the founding of the Diocese of Slobozia and Călărași, it became a monastery again.

### What you can see

You enter through a bell tower of white stone, with an arch above the gate and the 1836 inscription, and then reach the monastery courtyard, ringed by the brick wall raised in the time of Matei Basarab. The church, dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, has a large dome, and it kept from the old church a cross, two icons above the iconostasis and four large royal icons. The monastery also keeps relics, among them, according to the local press, a silver reliquary with relics of saints and a fragment of the True Cross.

### Good to know

This is a working monastery, next to DN 2A in the south of the town, a little over a kilometre from the centre. The town's episcopal cathedral is a different one, the "Ascension of the Lord" Cathedral; do not confuse them. The patronal feast is celebrated on 8 November, with a hierarchical liturgy and processions. We found no announcements of closures or works for 2025–2026.

## Don't miss

- The bell tower with the 1836 inscription and the gate you enter through.
- The brick enclosure wall, raised in the time of Matei Basarab.
- The Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, with the icons kept from the old church.
- The patronal feast on 8 November, with a hierarchical liturgy and processions.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Slobozia is ~120 km from Bucharest on the A2 and DN 2A, ~35 km from Fetești and ~60 km from Călărași. The monastery is in the south of the town, next to DN 2A, a little over 1 km from the centre; the address on maps is Aleea Mănăstirii.

**Public transport:** Slobozia has connections to Bucharest and the surrounding towns by bus, minibus and train. From the centre you can walk to the monastery in 15–20 minutes, or take a short taxi ride.

### Fees & discounts

Entry to the courtyard and the church is free. Candles and donations are made at the monastery.

### Rules

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

### Facilities

church and courtyard open to visitors · church shop with candles · cafés, restaurants and toilets in the town centre, ~1 km away

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1615–1636
- **Founder:** Ianache Caragea, Matei Basarab
- **Dedication:** the Archangels Michael and Gabriel
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Historical period:** Middle Ages

## Frequently asked questions about Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia

**How much is a ticket to Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia?**

Admission to Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia is free. Entry to the courtyard and the church is free. Candles and donations are made at the monastery.

**How long does a visit to Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia take?**

A visit to Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia takes about 30 min (church and courtyard; estimate).

**Can you visit Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia with kids?**

Yes, Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia is suitable for children (quiet place, no play area).

**How do I get to Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia?**

Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia is located at Aleea Mănăstirii nr. 2, Slobozia, Ialomița County. By car: Slobozia is ~120 km from Bucharest on the A2 and DN 2A, ~35 km from Fetești and ~60 km from Călărași. The monastery is in the south of the town, next to DN 2A, a little over 1 km from the centre; the address on maps is Aleea Mănăstirii. Public transport: Slobozia has connections to Bucharest and the surrounding towns by bus, minibus and train. From the centre you can walk to the monastery in 15–20 minutes, or take a short taxi ride.

**When is the best time to visit Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia?**

The best season for Sfinții Voievozi Monastery, Slobozia: All year round (the patronal feast, on 8 November).

## Nearby attractions

- [Amara Resort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/amara) — Resorts and thermal baths · Amara, IL · 3½ – 4 hours · 8 km
  A spa resort on the Bărăgan plain, on the shore of Lake Amara, sought out for more than a century for its sapropelic mud, used to treat rheumatism. It has treatment centres in its hotels, lakeside beaches and an arboretum.
- [Anghel Saligny Bridge at Fetești](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/podul-saligny-fetesti) — Monuments and historic sites · Fetești, IL · Free · 20 min · 56 km
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- [Church of St Demetrius and St Nestor, Mânăstirea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sf-dumitru-si-sf-nestor-manastirea) — Monasteries and churches · Mânăstirea, CL · Free · 30 min · 70 km
  A 1648 foundation of Matei Basarab and Lady Elina, a historic monument of national importance, in the village named after an old monastery: a brick church with an octagonal tower and interior painting.
- [Negoiești Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-negoiesti) — Monasteries and churches · Negoești, CL · 45 min · 102 km
  A foundation of 1648–1649 by Matei Basarab and Lady Elina on the bank of the Argeș: a three-towered church with 19th-century frescoes, restored with EU funds and reconsecrated in 2016.

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Last updated: 10 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania