Agapia Monastery

Description:

The Agapia Monastery (named also as The New Agapia Monastery) is a Romanian monastery situated on Agapia river valley in Neamt County, 9 km from Targu Neamt. It was built from 1642 to 1647. The church architecture has no specific style. The most important value is the frescoes painted by Nicolae Grigorescu,the famous Romanian painter, from 1858 to 1861.

How you get there?  

From Varatec you can reach Agapia Monastery, either on the shortcut in the woods to the north, passing Filioara, either coming back on the national road, because after 4 km you will head for west on county road 155 D, or on a forest road. As far as Piatra Neamt city is concerned, the monastery distances 43 km.  Targu Neamt city is very close to Agapia Monastery, i.e. only 9 km.

Why is it so special? 

Agapia Monastery is one of the best known and most valued monuments in this part of the country, searched for a large number of visitors eager to see an ancient place of faith and culture but also a priceless art treasure, unique in its ability to reveal the specificity and originality of the Romanian spirituality.

But few know that the beginnings of the famous monastic settlement that seems to appear from the magnificent landscape offered by Mount Muncelu, Dealu Mare and Dealu Crucii, are closely related to the existence of a hermitage that has lasted until today, at a distance of about 2 km, in a meadow that invites you to stop on the trail over the mountains that links the valley of Agapia river to that of Secu river.

When can you visit Agapia Monastery? 

Monasteries are considered sacred places so it has no fixed schedule, they are opened at sunrise to sunset. Here, in the case of Agapia Monastery,  you don't have to pay for a ticket.