Țipova Monastery

Țipova Monastery tickets: which one to buy

The Țipova Monastery is a cave monastery carved into the limestone cliffs on the right bank of the Dniester river, near the village of Țipova in the Rezina District of northern-central Moldova, about a hundred kilometres north of Chișinău, and entry is free, with donations welcome. It is one of the largest cave monasteries in Eastern Europe, and its cells and churches, cut into the cliff high above the river, are reached by steep paths and stairs. A car or an organised tour from Chișinău is the most practical way to get there, and the drive takes about two hours.

Visitors often combine Țipova with the Saharna Monastery, a few kilometres away, with its own waterfalls and a rock with a footprint venerated as that of the Virgin, and with Orheiul Vechi, the famous cave monastery and archaeological complex in the Răut valley. The monastery is active, with a small community of monks, and visitors should dress modestly. The paths are steep and can be slippery, so wear good shoes. The views over the Dniester valley from the cliff are spectacular, and a stream with small waterfalls runs through the gorge beside the monastery.

Visiting Țipova Monastery: what to see

The origins of the cave monastery are not known precisely, and hermits may have lived in the cliffs from early medieval times, while the monastery developed as a community in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The complex has three main groups of caves at different levels of the cliff. The oldest part includes the Church of the Holy Cross, carved into the rock, and later sections include the Church of Saint Nicholas, from the eighteenth century, with cells, a refectory and passages cut through the limestone. The cells have small windows opening onto the river, and the chambers are simple, with niches for icons and lamps.

According to local legend, Stephen the Great, the Moldavian prince of the fifteenth century, was married at the monastery, and another legend links the gorge with the ancient poet Orpheus. The monastery was closed in the Soviet period, and its caves were abandoned and damaged, but it was revived after Moldova's independence, and monks returned. A newer church and residential buildings stand at the top of the cliff. The rock face, with its openings and balconies, looks dramatic from the river below. The gorge next to the monastery holds a series of waterfalls, the largest about sixteen metres high, which are fed by a small river.

Țipova Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open during the day, and it can be visited all year, although the paths are icy in winter. Spring, when the waterfalls are fullest and the valley is green, and early autumn are the best seasons. Summer is hot, and the climb is best done in the morning. Weekends bring Moldovan visitors and pilgrims. The Orthodox feasts, including Easter, bring special services. Allow about an hour and a half for the monastery and the waterfalls, and combine it with Saharna and Orheiul Vechi for a full day.