Hotel Central Râmnicu Vâlcea

Transalpina (Pasul Urdele)

The Transalpina is the highest road in Romania, a spectacular route that crosses the Parâng massif of the Southern Carpathians, linking Oltenia to Transylvania over alpine ridges. The Urdele Pass, the highest point of the road, sits at over 2100 metres, offering broad views over the bare summits, the deep valleys and the alpine meadows that stretch as far as the eye can see. The road, with historical origins lost in antiquity and modernised in recent times, climbs in switchbacks above the tree line, through a wild, bare landscape often swept by wind and shrouded in mist. Flocks of sheep graze on either side of the highway, and in the warm season the slopes are covered with flowers. Because of the altitude, the road is passable only in the warm months, being closed in winter due to heavy snow. The route is prized by motorcyclists, cyclists and lovers of mountain scenery, offering one of the most memorable driving experiences in the country, with many stops for photographs.

Mănăstirea Dintr-un Lemn

The Monastery from a Single Tree is located in Valcea county, near the town of Ramnicu Valcea, in a quiet natural setting surrounded by forests. The unusual name of the monastery comes from a legend according to which the first church here was carved from a single old oak, on the spot where a monk is said to have found an icon of the Mother of God. The old wooden church, preserved to this day, is one of the most valuable buildings of its kind in Oltenia. Beside it rises a larger masonry church, founded in the seventeenth century, adorned with paintings and precious liturgical objects. The monastic complex, with its cells and old walls, conveys an atmosphere of contemplation and continuity. Set not far from other renowned monasteries of Valcea, the Monastery from a Single Tree is a precious stop on the pilgrimage route of northern Oltenia, in a landscape of wooded hills.

Mănăstirea Turnu

Turnu Monastery lies in Valcea county, near Ramnicu Valcea and the Cozia resort, at the foot of the Cozia Mountains, in a particularly beautiful landscape on the bank of the Olt river. The settlement has old origins, linked to the hermits who withdrew into the caves and cells carved into the mountain rock for a life of prayer and asceticism. The name of the monastery comes from the old ruins of a Roman tower nearby, a testimony to the ancient presence in the area. The church and the monastery buildings rise in an isolated natural setting, surrounded by forests and the cliffs of the Cozia massif. Visitors can climb paths towards the old rock-hewn cells, in an excursion both spiritual and into nature. Set close to Cozia Monastery and the Olt valley, Turnu Monastery is a quiet and picturesque stop for pilgrims and for those crossing the gorge between the mountains.

Restaurant Cozia Râmnicu Vâlcea