Photo Gallery: Autumn in 5 spiritual places in Bucharest

This year’s mild autumn has urged us to look for some places in Bucharest where one can enjoy the beauty of the season, but which also give us a time of respite and prayer.

Darvari Skete

The Darvari Skete is located in the centre of Bucharest, near Gradina Icoanei (Icon’s Garden) Park. Protected by the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the small monastic settlement is distinguished by the contrast between the quietness within its walls and the bustle of the streets of Bucharest.

The entrance to the monastery. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The main church. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
In the shadow of the quince tree in the skete’s courtyard. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

The Darvari Skete attracts through the beauty of its garden, the cells with flower-decorated porches, the benches placed in the shadow of a tall quince tree and it calms the soul coming to venerate the holy relics and the icon of the Prodromitissa Mother of God kept in the church.

Father Nicolae Steinhardt said about the Darvari Skete:

It’s impossible not to attract you through its hidden grace, smallness and tranquility.

Autumn flowers in the skete’s garden. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The main dome of the neighbouring Icoanei Church as seen from the Darvari Skete’s courtyard. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The last rays of light. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Even if it is rush hour in Bucharest, one can hear Vespers in the courtyard of the hermitage. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

‘Dimitrie Gusti’ National Village Museum

The Village Museum in Bucharest has been the most visited museum in Romania in recent years and attracts Bucharesters in search of peace, simplicity and beauty every week.

The wooden church from Dragomiresti, Maramureș, was brought to the Village Museum in 1936. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
One of the permanent ‘dweller’ of the museum. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
King Michael I Park (former Herastrau Park) and the Village Museum, on both sides of the lake. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Detail: tower of Dragomirești Church. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

In autumn, the ‘village in the heart of the city’ acquires a special charm due to the rich and colorful vegetation, the contrast between the yellow of the trees and the blue of several houses, the alleys loaded with leaves.

One of the museum’s alleys. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

The museum, whose patron saint is the Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Gusher, preserves elements of Orthodox spirituality: four churches from Maramureș, Gorj, Neamț and Cluj and two memorial crosses from Valcea and Sibiu.

Detail: wooden cross next to the Dragomirești Church. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Leaves fallen on twig fence. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
A cat rests on the fence of a household from Alba. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

In the church brought from Turea (Cluj) there are occasional services and the fair of St. Demetrios is organized annually as an event with tradition in the history of the museum.

View to King Michael I Park from Jurilovca Fish House. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

Stavropoleos Monastery

The Church of Stravropoleos Monastery is located in Bucharest’s Old Town and is one of the best preserved monuments of Brancovenesque architecture in Romania.

Stavropoleos Monastery was re-established on March 26, 2008 as a women’s monastery and is dedicated to the Holy Archangels and to Saint Justin the Martyr and Philosopher. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

In 1724, Archimandrite Ioannikios Stratonikeas built the place of worship and an inn. At present, only the old church is preserved, the rest of the monastery complex was built in the 19th century.

Exterior painting of the church of Stavropoleos Monastery. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

The monastery attracts by its architectural style, by the antiquity of the icons in the church, but also by the beauty and tranquility of the inner courtyard.

Inner courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery covered with yellow leaves. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Funerary art kept in the monastery’s courtyard. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

Silver Knife Church and Carol Park

The Carol Park, opened in 1906 to celebrate 40 years of the reign of Romania’s King Carol I, is home to several monuments and historical buildings such as the Vlad Țepeș Castle, the Cantacuzino Fountain or the Roman Arenas.

Alley in Carol Park heading to one of the statues of the ‘Giants’ ensemble. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Tower of Silver Knife Church as seen from Carol Park. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
Vegetation at Carol Park. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

On the western side of the park there is the Silver Knife Church (Parish of Bărbătescu Nou) with access from the homonymous street.

Alley leading to the church. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

The beautiful place of worship was built on the Hill of Filaret in 1906 by King Carol I, following the model of the princely church of St. Nicholas in Iași, in order to strengthen the links between the Romanian Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia.

View to the main facade of the church. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

The church, which is a historical monument, was saved from demolition during the communist regime, but the original painting of the artist Costin Petrescu was destroyed.

One of the explanations for the name of the church is that, in the past, at a hermitage that stood before in this place, a prayer for health was read and during it believers were touched with the spear (liturgical object in the form of a spear, used by the priest during Proskomide to cut the portions of the prosphora that are placed on the paten). © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The church’s graveyard. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

St Nicholas – Tabacu Church and Nicolae Iorga Park

You can take a break from the bustle on Calea Victoriei in the Church of St. Nicholas Tabacu, located across the road from the Romanian Academy.

St Nicholas – Tabacu Churchas seen from Victoriei Ave. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
First sun rays entering the church’s yard. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The church’s garden with flowers. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

Built in 1864 on the site of an old wooden church, the place of worship dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker draws believers by the fact that here is a particle of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, donated by the Patriarch of Moscow in 2017.

Detail: church tower. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

Also, right next to the church is the Nicolae Iorga Park, one of the few green spaces in this crowded area of the capital.

Tree shadows in the early hours of the morning in Nicolae Iorga Park. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
The church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and Saint John Jacob the New Chosebite of Neamt. © Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene

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