Located on a peninsula within the lake, the monastery was set like a real fortress, with thick enclosing walls and rather narrow windows. There is a fine arcade-lined way running all along the inner side of the enclosing walls. The building to the right past the entrance arcade hosts a cellar which was used for a while by Matei Basarab as his throne hall. The cellar nowadays hosts the Thesaurus, where religious items are kept. The end of the 17th and the early 18th century saw the monastery turn into an important cultural centre, as it hosted a rich library and a renowned book copying workshop. A painting school was established at the monastery in the 18th century and it was followed by a notable printing house in 1834; one of the greatest Romanian painters, Nicolae Grigorescu, attended the local painting school in 1854-1855 and seven of the icons he painted then can nowadays be seen in the monastery museum located to the back of the church (charges apply). King Charles the 1st restored the church in 1911.
Apart from the monastery proper, there are a few interesting 19th and early 20th century dwellings around it, as well as a small graveyard just off the Northern enclosure wall. The graveyard chapel was built by two brothers, Toma and Constantin Crețulescu in 1804; it is a fine sight by itself, with some interesting Baroque pattern-adorned frescoes on the outside, of which a well preserved one depicting Thomas the Apostle in respect for one of the founders (pictured here above). The location of the monastery and the forest nearby make it for a nice visit other than the religious settlement itself. More info on the monastery can be found here.
'Ay, why hurry?' Andronic softly asked her. 'Here, with us, days go quickly, and so do moments. Once you get here, there is no turning back. And it is so much better here, isn't it?'
Access to the monastery is sometimes (rarely though) charged an admission fee (RON 3) and access to the museum is always charged. The monastery is reachable by minibus #448 from a lane next to the Piața Presei Libere terminus of tramway #41. Get off about 1 km. after exiting Moara Vlăsiei Village, at the Căldărușani fork. Then walk Northwards along the Căldărușani road for about 20-25 minutes until, past a lake and a short climb, you see a signpost towards the monastery (to the right); about half the way between the fork and the monastery there is a fine viewpoint to the lake and the Căldărușani (view pictured here above). Minibuses run more or less hourly.
GPS - N44 40.552 E26 16.021
