Snagov Monastery lies about 30 km. North of Bucharest. The lake and forest in Snagov make up a natural reserve of 1700 ha. The monastery was established in the 14th century and, among the rulers that contributed to its building and development were Mircea the Old, Vladislav the 2nd and Vlad the Impaler. In 1517-1521 Neagoe Basarab replaces the old dwellings and had the compound enlarged. Of them, only the big church survived, as the other two churches (one from 1431 and one from 1588) have meanwhile disappeared. Of those two, one can see a double sculpted door on display at the National Gallery of Art (in the Royal Palace, the Romanian Art Wing). The monastery used to host a printing house, also sheltering many landlords in the time of war. There are several graves in the narthex; the local legend has it that a nameless tombstone covers the grave of Vlad the Impaler, but archaeological research could not confirm this. Even though heavily smoked (due to the candle lighting tradition), the interior frescoes are original, dating from 1563. Other than the monastery - and legend for that matter -, the place is very pleasant and worth a visit.

The monastery is best accessible by car or bicycle via Snagov Park or by minibus via Siliștea Snagovului. From the Snagov Park, walk to the “Debarcader” on the small beach to the right (the place for renting boats), rent a boat and row it to the right and then straight to the small island the monastery lies on. Alternatively, easily but less picturesquely, the access can be done from Siliștea Snagovului Village, across a pedestrian bridge. To get to Siliștea Snagovului, take minibus #443 from a lane next to the terminal stop of tramway #41 at the Piața Presei Libere; minibuses depart every hour.

GPS - N44 43.770 E26 10.544