Free entryUNESCO
🏰 Attraction
Tismana Orthodox Monastery
- Today
- Open 24 hours
- Ticket
- Free entry
- Area
- Târgu Jiu
- Google rating
- 4.7(3,523)out of 5 on Google
The story
The oldest monastic foundation in Wallachia that still stands and still functions — a narrower and more defensible claim than "the oldest monastery in Romania", and the correct one.
Begun by Saint Nicodim in the 1370s. Nicodim came from the Balkans and is the figure credited with organising Wallachian monasticism as an institution rather than a scatter of hermitages; he founded Vodița first and Tismana after it, and his relics are here.
The setting is what you will remember: a rock shelf above the Tismana gorge, with a waterfall falling behind and beside the church — not a landscaped feature but the reason the site was chosen, in the way medieval foundations were sited on defensible rock with water.
And the story nothing on site tells at length: in 1944, with the front approaching, Romania's national gold reserve and the archives of the Romanian Academy were moved here and concealed. A monastery on a rock in a Gorj gorge with one narrow road in was defensible, obscure and not a military target. It worked; the gold came through the war.
Free, and a working monastery — dress modestly, and the liturgical schedule takes precedence. The last stretch of road up is narrow. It is 20 km beyond Târgu Jiu, which makes the two a genuinely full day; the full guide has the arithmetic.
Where to stay nearby
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
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Tickets & tours
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Hear the story on the spotA century of Belle Epoque money built the facades along Calea Unirii, and almost none of what happened behind them is written on the outside.See walking tours →Brâncuși, both ends in one dayThe student work is here; the ensemble he laid out in 1937–38 is 110 km north at Târgu Jiu, UNESCO-listed since 2024. A driver turns two days into one.Compare day trips →Where to sleep nearbyCompare hotels, apartments and guesthouses across the booking sites in one search.Compare stays →
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Frequently asked
What are the opening hours at Tismana Orthodox Monastery?
The hours published on Google are: Monday: 00:00–23:59; Tuesday: 00:00–23:59; Wednesday: 00:00–23:59; Thursday: 00:00–23:59; Friday: 00:00–23:59; Saturday: 00:00–23:59; Sunday: 00:00–23:59. Check the venue's own site before a special trip — holiday and seasonal hours often differ.
Where is Tismana Orthodox Monastery?
The address is Strada Mănăstirii 290, 217495 Tismana, in Târgu Jiu — outside Craiova itself, so allow for the drive.
How old is Tismana Orthodox Monastery?
It is the oldest surviving monastic foundation in Wallachia — begun by Saint Nicodim in the 1370s, on a rock above the Tismana gorge, with the waterfall behind the church. During the Second World War the national treasury and the Romanian Academy's archives were hidden in it. Free to enter; the drive up from Craiova is about 2 h 3 min and the last stretch is narrow.
Is there an entry fee at Tismana Orthodox Monastery?
No — entry is free. Temporary exhibitions or specific areas may still be charged separately.
Is Tismana Orthodox Monastery worth visiting?
It holds 4.7 out of 5 from 3,523 Google reviews — a strong score for a attraction around Craiova. Treat the rating as a starting point, not a verdict, and read a few recent reviews too.
