Horezu/Hurezi Monastery

Situated near the town of Horezu, on the territory of Wallachia, the Horezu (or Hurezi) Monastery (a convent for nuns) was founded between 1690 and 1697 by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and it's considered a masterpiece of romanian Brancovan art (Brâncovenesc style - evolving from the Byzantine style, with Boroque, oriental and Renaissance elements). The same style can be found at Cozia Monastery and in other historical monuments from Bucharest.

The monastery was intended to be a burial ground for the royal family, but Constantine Brâncoveanu and his sons were decapitated in the Ottoman Empire by the sultan in 1714 and his body can be found in a monastery in today's Turkey, while the big church from Hurezi olds an empty sarcophagus.

Most of the original mural paintings of the churches (dating back to 1692-1702) were preserved.
The school of mural and icon painting established at the monastery in the 18th century was famous throughout the Balkan region. In the XVIII-the century the "Brâncovenesc" style became a national style, one of the greatest episodes of the romanian medieval art.

The Hurezi Monastery is part of UNESCO World Heritage, and its location is here. Some more info and photos can be found here. Some of my personal photos follow:

Women's Cave (Peştera Muierii)

Women's Cave (Peştera Muierii/Muierilor) is located in the village of Baia de Fier, near the gorges of the Galben (Yellow) Stream. The exact location is this. Made by the Galben River in the Mesozoic era, the cave gets its name from the fact that it used to shelter the women and children during wars. Almost 3600 meters long, the cave has four levels, but only an 800 meter section (with electricity) can be visited.

Inside the cave were discovered both human and animal remnants, among which is a well preserved cave bear skeleton. There are also interesting stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as bat colonies. Some of the main limestone/calcium formations are the Altar Chamber, Altar Gate, the Small Basins and the Large Basins, the Turk’s Chamber, the Chamber of Wonders, the Guano Chamber or the Bear's Gallery.

Regarding the actual visit, the entrance is different from the exit and the guide enters the cave hourly with groups of at least four persons. Be advised that it's actually a timed visit. You're rushed through the cave (even if you wanted to take pictures - a separate photo fee being paid) so that it takes around half an hour a visit. This is to be expected since that guy needs some time for himself too, doesn't he ?! Anyway it might depend on the guide person/time of the year/his other businesses. Fortunately that guy's hastiness (that made me angry) was compensated by the hospitality from Pensiunea Andreea (i'm not used to advertise, but this is indeed a very nice place to stay because of the accommodations and the hosts).

A few km away one can also visit the Polovragi cave (not opened for visits every day - and I couldn't enter on Thursday) and monastery, near the gorges of the Olteţ river.

More info and photos here and here while some of my photos follow:

Sculptural Ensemble in Târgu Jiu (Constantin Brâncuşi)

Constantin Brâncuşi is one of the greatest Romanian artists, pioneer for the XX-th century abstract sculpture. His pieces of art can be found in museums from Romania, France, U.S.A, Australia, of in some private collections.

The sculptural ensemble in Târgu Jiu was erected as a monument to the fallen Romanian heroes of the First World War. The sculptural elements are disposed on an axis 1,275 meters long, oriented from West to East, nowadays in two parks of the city. From the Jiu River in the West, one can see the Alley of Heroes (representing the time given to a human life), starting with the Table of Silence (Masa Tăcerii - symbolizing birth), boarded by the symbolic chairs (in the shape of hourglasses), passing through the Kissing Gate (Poarta Sărutului - symbol of marriage), and ending with the Endless Column (Coloana Fără Sfârşit/Coloana Infinitului).

The location on Google is this, while more information can be found on the Tg.Jiu City Hall official site, and on the website of the Romanian National Institute For Research & Development in Informatics.

Bellow are some of my personal photos: