Mănăstirea Cocoș

Cocoș Monastery lies in northern Dobruja, near Niculițel, in an area of wooded hills in the Măcin Mountains, the oldest mountain formations in Romania. It was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century by monks who came from Mount Athos and the Balkans, and the legendary name is said to derive from the crow of a wild rooster heard by the founders. The present complex, rebuilt at the start of the twentieth century, includes an imposing church with tall spires, cells, and a museum of religious art. Here are kept relics of early Christian martyrs discovered nearby at Niculițel, witnesses to the antiquity of Christianity in this part of the country.

The place is valued for its quiet and for the remarkable natural setting of the Măcin range. Visitors can combine the pilgrimage with hikes in the nearby reserves. It is advisable to respect the silence and the monastic rules during the visit.