I visited this WHS in 2023 as a half day trip together with the 2 nearby culas (tWHS). Knowing that the site was free of charge, I obeyed the sign stating that no authorised vehicles should enter beyond the sign, meaning an extra kilometre or so of walking from the main gate to the walls surrounding the monastery. On my way back, being the only tourist around, I noticed that practically all the locals disregarded this sign and parked just before the gate giving direct access to the monastery.

The monastery is still an active one, and apart from the usual daily activities done by the nuns, such as praying, washing clothes, gardening, cleaning, etc, I also witnessed them milking the few cows grazing around the monastery perimeter as well as the selling (and subsequent slaughtering) of a lamb for the nun's next dinner or lunch. During lunch time, most nuns seemed very busy so I could walk around freely both next to the church facade and inside the church proper to take photos without flash, even though strictly speaking this is not allowed.

The Horezu or Hurezi Monastery was founded in 1690 by Prince Constantin Brancoveanu in the small town bearing its name in Wallachia, Romania. It is considered to be a masterpiece of the "Brancovenesc style", known for its architectural purity and balance, the richness of its sculpted detail, the way religious compositions are treated, its votive portraits, and its painted decorative works. Having visited several monasteries and churches around Romania, I must say that although I enjoyed the contrast between the serene environment and the simple white-washed exterior, to me the absolute highlight of the monastery were its paintings on the church's facade and its interior as well as on those of the small chapel next to the cemetery. A lot of the paintings have been restored to their former glory and this can be noticed on the larger cycles by comparing the brighter looking paintings with the duller ones. If you manage to visit other monasteries around Romania (and in the wider region) with less protection and international recognition, you'll notice that the use of candles is still common practice, which over time leads to most of the paintings turning black with soot.

The Horezu Monastery is home to collections of frescoes and icons from the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, when the Hurezi School of mural and icon painting settled inside the convent. The iconic paintings are still used to impress locals and whenever groups of elderly locals from all over Romania visit the monastery, one of the nuns tells them to gather in front of the facade and explains the literal and figurative meaning to them. The village itself is also known for its ceramics, also included on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, a unique craftsmanship created by talented artisans in the local workshops nearby and still on display by some vendors where you're supposed to park your car.

The most impressive mural art of the church's facade is undoubtedly the one of the Last Judgement, with very visual and striking examples of damned souls tortured by demons in a whirlpool of flames being swallowed by a hellish creature, and groups of others with a better fate each with their own halo, collectively escorted towards heaven. Although this will be quite a recurring image, if you visit other monasteries and churches in Romania, the one in Horezu is supposedly one of the most elaborate and complete. Inside the church, my favourite fresco was that of Constantin Brancoveanu with his wife and children, in golden luxurious attire offering the Horezu Monastery Church, just opposite the lovely wooden iconostasis. Make sure to wander around the monastery courtyard and don't miss the small refectory or dining hall to get a glimpse of how heavenly dining there would seem, when every inch of the walls is covered with scores of saints.

Last but not least, before leaving the monastery and heading back to your car, make sure not to skip the small chapel next to the cemetery with possibly the best frescoes inside and out albeit on a smaller scale than that of the main church. Overall, I really like the Horezu monastery and it is on par with other monasteries in Romania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia. Just next to both gates giving access to the monastery grounds and the main courtyard, there is a UNESCO WHS inscription sign.