Prislop Monastery

The monastic ensemble dedicated to the "Holy Three Hierarchs" was founded in 2003, on the site where centuries ago the "Recea Monastery" was founded. The harmonious proportions, the imposing tower and the beauty of the ornaments place this monument of the church tradition in the top of the most appreciated holy wooden places of worship in Maramureș County.

Habra Monastery is located on the border of Groşi township and is dedicated to the "Resurrection of the Lord". Documented for the first time in 1604, the monastery closed its doors a decade later due to the support that the Romanian clergy gave to the ruler Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul). After centuries of believers perpetuating the legends born around the monastery, in 1990 the custom of Easter pilgrimage was resumed on the site of the former settlement, and then it was decided to rebuild the monastery. The architecture of the edifice was inspired by the model of Cozia Monastery, but with more modest dimensions.

The foundation stone of the settlement was laid in 1995, the church dedicated to the "Birth of the Virgin Mary" being completed three years later. The small cross-shaped place of worship was built of brick, the Byzantine-style interior painting being completed between 2000-2001. Over time, the ensemble was expanded with various other constructions. In 2015 the church was enlarged by adding a narthex and a Brâncovenesc-style porch. This blessed edifice, built by overcoming countless challenges, represents a veritable bridge to divinity.

The construction of the monastery dedicated to "Saint Anne" began in 1923, the founding priest Nicolae Gherman building it in memory of his daughter, who passed away at the age of 10. Initially, the church was modest in size, but in 1996 the construction of a new and imposing church began. The cross-shaped monastery has a single dome tower that stands out through its Moldovian elements. However, the height of 48 meters of the church is specific to the architecture of Maramureș. In the chapel of the monastery there is an icon that is said to be a miracle worker. 

The monastery dedicated to the "Transfiguration" from  Botiza is a monastic settlement of nuns, built in the shape of a cross, whose construction started in the early 90's. The complex was built of fir wood on a concrete foundation and has specific Maramureș decorations. Although it was originally covered with tin, today the monastery has a shingled roof. The church within the settlement was consecrated in 2007 and has a beautiful interior decorated with biblical scenes, painted in neo-Byzantine style. The monastery also houses an icon that is said to be a miracle worker. 

The monastery dedicated to "Saints Michael and Gabriel" was founded in 1997, the ensemble being built mainly of oak and fir wood. The church of the monastery is surprising in size, with a height of 78 meters, a figure that places it in the top of the tallest wooden buildings in Europe. At the same time, it stands out because of its special architecture, with a pentagonal porch, a basement and a 3-storey floor. The cross of the church, which is seven meters high, was gold-plated, using four kilograms of gold.

The complex of the Ruoaia Monastery, dedicated to the "Birth of the Virgin Mary" and whose erection began in 1995, includes a Maramureș-style church, a chapel, a summer altar and cells. The church tradition of the place goes back to 1315, when there would have been another monastic ensemble here, which was destroyed more than three centuries later. In the monastic ensemble one can visit the Lăpuş Village Museum Collection, consisting of objects, traditional tools and clothing, which bear the ethnographic style of this area.

The monastery dedicated to the "Council of Saints of the 12 Apostles" is one of the most beloved attractions of Maramureș. This magnificent place brings the sky closer to the earth and the people closer to divinity, being an endless source of inner peace and serenity.  Although there are documents that refer to the Bârsana Monastery dating back to 1390, the current ensemble of this monastery was built in 1993, on the location of an older one, currently included in the UNESCO World Heritage and relocated on the Jbârului Bridges (Podurile Jbârului). The Bârsana Monastery ensemble currently includes: the Maramureș-style wooden church, the Summer Altar, the Holy Water room (Aghiasmatarul), the Abbot’s House (Stăreția), the Voivodal House, the Nuns’ House, the Artist's House, the Priest's House, the Xenodochium (Arhondaricul), the Mess hall (Prăznicarul cu trapeza), the Bell Tower, the Maramureș-style Gate, the Funerary Monument, wooden crosses, the pond, the footbridge over the pond, alleys leading to various objectives and more.  The wooden church erected in 1993 is an imposing one, measuring 57 meters in height, 23 meters in lenght and 12.5 meters in width, dimensions that place it in the top of the tallest wooden constructions in Europe. The building comprises two levels, namely the basement, where the large chapel of the monastery is located and the ground floor, which houses the church itself. The building with a trefoil layout and two polygonal apses consists of an altar, a nave, a narthex and a wooden porch, decorated with Maramureș motifs. Above the narthex rises the tower with turret and long spire. The walls of the basement are covered in frescoes, made by the painter Ioan Botiș, but so far the walls of the church itself have not been painted. The roof of the church has double eaves and is covered with fir wood shingles.