Curtea de Argeș

The town of Curtea de Arges, 70 kilometres south-east of Sibiu, boasts an ancient history that continues to thrive thanks to its fourteenth-century buildings. The ruins of the Princess’s Court are well worth a visit, home to the Church of St Nicholas, adorned with enchanting frescoes dating from 1350.

Curtea, however, is most famous for its Monastery, built in Byzantine style between 1512 and 1517 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Crowned with two spiral towers and a dome, the monastery’s central structure is flanked by a second block topped with its own dome, which is both taller and broader than the central one.

Measuring 18 metres long, 10 metres wide and 25 metres high, the Curtea monastery structure has undergone various modifications over the centuries. Inside, you can admire the frescoes, the 12 columns representing the apostles, and the tombs of Romania’s first two kings and first two queens.

Some 50 kilometres west of Curtea de Arges lies the Horezu Monastery, the largest monastic settlement in Wallachia, a true masterpiece of Brancovan style founded in 1690. Bucharest is located 150 kilometres to the south-east, whilst Dracula’s Castle lies 30 kilometres to the north.

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