Râmeț Monastery
About Râmeț Monastery
Râmeț Monastery is a convent in the village of Valea Mănăstirii, in the commune of Râmeț, at the foot of the Trascău Mountains, at the mouth of the Râmeț Gorge. The place began as a hermitage, and the name Râmeț is said to come from "eremit", a hermit: hermits withdrew into the rocks around it. The oldest written record is an inscription from 1377, discovered in 1966 on a layer of paint in the old church.
The settlement was struck by the imperial army on 20 August 1762, by the cannon of General Buccow, and again on 23 December 1785, after the uprising of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan. The church was rebuilt in 1792, and monastic life stopped until 1940. It has been a convent since 1955; in 1959 the communist regime dissolved it and turned it into a tourist centre, and since 1972 it has worked again as a monastery.
What you can see
The old church, a historic monument, is built of stone, with a rectangular nave, a barrel vault, a porch to the west and a massive bell tower. The restorations of 1987–1989 brought to light layers of mural painting from several periods, the oldest from around 1300, and in 1988 the church was raised by 2.08 m to lift it out of the damp and the silt that had buried it.
Beside it stands the new church, of brick and cross-shaped, built in 1982–1986 to the plans of the priest-engineer Ioan Grecea and consecrated in 1992; it is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God and to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and has an open porch on stone pillars and fresco paintings. It holds the relics of St Dometie the Merciful, the monastery's spiritual father in the second half of the 20th century. The courtyard is lined with cells with wooden porches, and the cliffs of the gorge rise above it.
Good to know
It is a working convent: enter in modest dress and keep quiet. The building of the monastery's museum (the former school) and that of the chapel are the subject of a restoration project by the National Investment Company.
Information verified on 29 October 2026.
- The old stone church, with its massive bell tower and layers of mural painting going back to around 1300.
- The old church, raised in 1988 by 2.08 m above the silt that had buried it.
- The new cross-shaped church, with its open porch on stone pillars.
- The relics of St Dometie the Merciful, kept in the large church.
- The courtyard with cells with wooden porches, beneath the cliffs of the Râmeț Gorge.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the monastery is ~20 km and ~30 minutes from Teiuș, ~29 km (~35 minutes) from Aiud and ~40 km (~50 minutes) from Alba Iulia. From the DN1 the road passes through Stremț and Geoagiu de Sus and continues towards Valea Mănăstirii, the last stretch on the DJ750C. From Cluj-Napoca it is ~100 km (~1 hour 40 minutes), and from Sibiu ~105 km (~1 hour 50 minutes), on the A10 and DN1 to the Teiuș area.
Public transport: the village has no railway station; the nearest is Teiuș, ~20 km away, from where you need a taxi or a car.
- Rules
Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, women with their heads covered in the church. Keep quiet within the grounds and switch phones off during services. Photographs inside the churches are taken only with the nuns' permission.
- Facilities
monastic workshops (carpet weaving, embroidery)
Frequently asked questions about Râmeț Monastery
How long does a visit to Râmeț Monastery take?
A visit to Râmeț Monastery takes about ½ – 1 hours (with the two churches and the courtyard).
Can you visit Râmeț Monastery with kids?
Yes, Râmeț Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).
How do I get to Râmeț Monastery?
Râmeț Monastery is located at Valea Mănăstirii village, on the DJ750C, at the mouth of the Râmeț Gorge, Râmeț, Alba County. More under “Getting there”
When is the best time to visit Râmeț Monastery?
The best season for Râmeț Monastery: April – October (summer and autumn).
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