Manastirea Cetatuia (Cetatuia Monastery), Iasi (must see)

The Cetatuia Monastery, situated atop Cetatuia Hill in the southern part of Iasi, was built by Prince Gheorghe Duca in the 17th century. The name Cetatuia translates from Romanian as “citadel". Indeed, the monastery is fortified with a thick stone wall, nearly 1.40 m wide and 7 m high, with watch towers on corners, which used to provide refuge to its inhabitants from numerous enemy attacks in the past. In 1682, Cetatuia also began to print religious books. Legend has it that inside the monastery there is a tunnel linking the Holy Table of the altar to the Iasi Royal Palace. Among other attractions here is a gothic hall “Lady Anastasia”, a museum of medieval art, and the “Pilgrim’s Dinner” tower offering visitors a picturesque panorama of Iasi, as well as wine cellars storing wines made of grapes harvested in the monastery's vineyard. Another key attraction here is the lodging of the prince, a fortified building renowned for its 17th century kitchen and Turkish bath.