Located partway between Bucharest and Brașov, Moroeni is a tiny commune in Romania’s Dâmbovița County. It’s home to a beautifully decorated monastery and serves as a base for exploring the caves and rock formations of Bucegi Natural Park.
One of Moroeni’s most important religious landmarks is the Saint John Jacob Monastery, which was built in the late 1990s at the request of a local woman. It now houses a community of Orthodox Christian nuns who welcome visitors into the grounds to enjoy a moment of silence or meditation.
Sprawling north of Moroeni is Bucegi Natural Park, a mountainous area renowned for its distinctive rock formations. It encompasses beech forests, limestone grasslands and hay meadows that provide a habitat for black chamois, deer and endangered lynx. Explore the Rata and Ialomita caves and marvel at the Urlatoarea Waterfall before photographing the Sphinx of Bucegi.
Getting there
Moroeni is around 1.5 hours’ drive from Brașov and two hours from Bucharest and Henri Coandă International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe and the Middle East. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to Moroeni and the village is small enough to explore on foot.