Mănăstirea Cârța

Cârța Monastery, near Făgăraș at the foot of the mountains that share its name, is one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in the Romanian lands, founded in the 13th century by monks who came from the West. Today, impressive ruins survive from the old Gothic abbey, including the church choir, some arches and fragments of walls that evoke the refinement of Cistercian architecture, a style rarely found in this part of Europe. Beside the ruins stands an Evangelical church used by the local Saxon community.

The quiet setting, with grass growing among the old stones and the Făgăraș mountains rising in the background, gives the place a melancholy and photogenic atmosphere. Cârța Monastery is of great value to those interested in medieval history, Gothic architecture and the encounter between Western civilisation and the Transylvanian world. Located near the road leading to the Transfăgărășan, it makes an ideal cultural stop on the way to the mountains.