It is the most visited place in the Iza valley, holding 4.9 on Google from more than 23,000 reviews.
About the place
The monastery stands at the exit from Bârsana towards Strâmtura, about 24 km from Sighetu Marmației. The foundation stone was blessed in 1993, and the church is dedicated to the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles, celebrated on 30 June. Built of wood in the local tradition under the architect Dorel Cordoș, the complex has a Maramureș gate, a bell tower, the 57-metre church, an open-air summer altar, the nuns' cells, a chapel, the craftsmen's house and the artists' house.
In the south-east corner, next to the bell tower, is the Gavril de Bârsana Museum of Icons and Old Books, opened in 2005, with manuscripts and books from the 16th to the 19th century, old icons and folk art. In the museum's basement the nuns weave and paint icons. It holds 4.9 on Google from about 23,600 reviews.
Good to know
- On weekdays the morning service starts at 7:00 and the evening service at 19:00; on Sundays and feast days at 9:30 and 17:00.
- The icon museum has a separate ticket, according to reviews, and there is a small café at the entrance.
- The UNESCO-listed old wooden church of Bârsana is about 5 km away, at the other end of the village.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.