Manastirea Șinca Veche
Manastirea Șinca Veche
4.5
What people are saying
Tiberiu_Baranyi
By Tiberiu_Baranyi
Tranquility and serenity ... a place of spirituality .
4.0 of 5 bubblesJul 2022
Starting with a clarification! This place is not in Suceava county!! - location is not accurate ... tried and edit , still shows up wrongly as being in Suceava! - it is NOT ... it is Sinca Veche in BRASOV county - just between the cities of Fagaras and Brasov! So travelers be aware ... NOT Suceava - but Brasov County. Now about the church ... it is a cave church ... it was carved in the stone of the hill enlarging a natural cave , when it became a church it is a debate ... but most likely between the 9th and the 11th century (based on some personal research about the archeological digs that were done here) - near it - if you care to walk a bit on the hills is a "modern" monastery established more recently there. Getting back to the church - I was visiting in a weekday - the parking lot outside is big enough so no issue to park the car - and is free of charge. From the gate - where you have the sign explaining the "Don'ts's" after a very short uphill hike you get to the canvas covered (protection against the elements) entrance - right there there is a panel with some explanation about the place itself (only in Romanian language , for the time being at least). Once you enter there are 2 churches linked together and as depicted on the panel (see A, B, C ... etc marking the separation between the rooms) you could see the interiors - no decorations - the monks carving out the stone did not paint the walls or the painting had faded during the centuries it was abandoned ... who knows... (lost in the eons of time). However, the "spartan" looks and the austere site, for me it is one of the most interesting orthodox place of worship (in the "genuine" orthodox churches/cathedrals is too much bling, too much gold and too many clerics of modern times depicted on the walls ... ) ... yes, it is still a place of worship that has a certain spirituality and tranquility to it. So when you are in the area it is worth a visit - especially since the entrance is free of charge - be polite, don't disturb those praying ... and enjoy a truly special place.

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4.5 of 5 bubbles33 reviews
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Tiberiu_Baranyi
Timisoara, Romania17,107 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Starting with a clarification!
This place is not in Suceava county!! - location is not accurate ... tried and edit , still shows up wrongly as being in Suceava! - it is NOT ... it is Sinca Veche in BRASOV county - just between the cities of Fagaras and Brasov!
So travelers be aware ... NOT Suceava - but Brasov County.
Now about the church ... it is a cave church ... it was carved in the stone of the hill enlarging a natural cave , when it became a church it is a debate ... but most likely between the 9th and the 11th century (based on some personal research about the archeological digs that were done here) - near it - if you care to walk a bit on the hills is a "modern" monastery established more recently there.
Getting back to the church - I was visiting in a weekday - the parking lot outside is big enough so no issue to park the car - and is free of charge. From the gate - where you have the sign explaining the "Don'ts's" after a very short uphill hike you get to the canvas covered (protection against the elements) entrance - right there there is a panel with some explanation about the place itself (only in Romanian language , for the time being at least).
Once you enter there are 2 churches linked together and as depicted on the panel (see A, B, C ... etc marking the separation between the rooms) you could see the interiors - no decorations - the monks carving out the stone did not paint the walls or the painting had faded during the centuries it was abandoned ... who knows... (lost in the eons of time).
However, the "spartan" looks and the austere site, for me it is one of the most interesting orthodox place of worship (in the "genuine" orthodox churches/cathedrals is too much bling, too much gold and too many clerics of modern times depicted on the walls ... ) ... yes, it is still a place of worship that has a certain spirituality and tranquility to it.
So when you are in the area it is worth a visit - especially since the entrance is free of charge - be polite, don't disturb those praying ... and enjoy a truly special place.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

1506Andrei_T
257 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I red about this place among other strange places in Romania and decided to see it. Today it happened.
The cave is carved into the hill and has two chambers with drawings on walls.
You can feel the energy when entering the cave. And, by the way, it is free entrance, between 9 and 20 in summer and 9 to 18 from october! So you can go inside and pray or sit outside on a bench and meditate. Nearby is a spring with cristal clear water which will ease your thirst!
I spent over 2 hours there. It was amazing. I plan to go again tomorrow, on my way to Bucharest!
For all of you who want to sit quietly in a holly place and think about what should we do with our life, I say go to Cave in Sinca Veche!
Written 7 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paula
Bucharest, Romania74 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Friends
An ancient cave church (about 7000 years old) which is believed that has great spiritual power surrounded by nature with a little traditional monastery on top of the hill.
Old people say that can change your destiny three days in an year if you go here.
I saw here a nice spiritual space, beautiful monastery house, great place to take photos.
You can explore this online at http://sincaveche.ro/tur/ or http://translate.google.ro/translate?sl=ro&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://sincaveche.ro/&act=url&authuser=0 - Romanian language website translated with Google Translate.
It's such a great place to visit!
Written 28 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura N
Bucharest, Romania611 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Couples
Based on its naming I was expecting to see wall paintings and engravings, but this was not the case. There are like 4 areas, that are refered to as indivudual churches. The hill and the surroundings are worth visiting, but it is really crowded. For sure there are better things to do around, i prefer the great plains.
Written 15 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura L
Chicago, IL327 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Solo
Quite an event finding it when you are driving alone but part of the fun getting directions! Not a lot of visitors so you have peace and quite - nice. Make sure you take time to walk all around to the old cave monestery, paths/ trails, grotto, new monastery
Written 10 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NobodySeesTheShow
Victoria, Canada175 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Solo
Very interesting spot in the Transylvanian countryside. The interior of the cave is small and largely fenced off but a worthwhile visit for any history lovers. Beautiful green space outside with a small church up a short ascent. Very good place for reflection - I visited mid-morning with a guide and there were virtually no tourists.
Written 27 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Florian G
Bucharest, Romania4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Couples
Lovely place, the silence helps you meditate on your worries. The stories behind the history of the place will fascinate you.
Written 5 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diana B
Rapperswil, Switzerland90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Friends
A quiet, beautiful and relaxing place, far away from any kind of stress. Zen, peace, inner stillness. Couldn’t believe there still exist such places.
Written 28 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fulger19
Bucharest, Romania594 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Family
We were here on a day trip. We also had a guide who told us about the history of the village and of the monastery. It was very interesting. We were able to visit the old monastery and the new one, buy some souvenirs. The view from up, where the new church is, it is absolutely beautiful.
Written 30 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

248NathalieG
Bucharest, Romania302 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Solo
Sinca Veche, also called Romanians Stonehenge, situated in the Brasov region at the foot of the Fagaras Mountains. Is a cave or temple cut out of chalk. Before it was consecrated by Christians it was a prehistoric temple which is around 7.000 years old with even earlier Dacian origins. You enter it through a tunnel cut from the chalk and the light enters from above through a hole in the chalk. The Star of David is carved on the wall and inside it has the yin and yang symbols and many other symbols. The temple is also known as ’’The Temple of Fulfillement, Wishes, Fate etc.''
The place is totally worth to go to…the place is filled with extraordinary peace, sense of spirituality, mystery and a lot of powerful energy. I loved it and I really recommend it!
Written 16 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MANASTIREA ȘINCA VECHE (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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