You don't have to travel very far through Moldova before a monastery suddenly shows up.
Sometimes it stands beside a village, or maybe sometimes behind trees at the end of a small road.
Some are found right inside a city or town, surrounded by everyday life, while others stand beside rivers, beneath cliffs or in places where you begin to wonder why anybody chose to build there in the first place.
But they did and many have survived and remained for centuries.
Moldova's monasteries are part of the country's religious history, but they are also part of its landscape and the natural everyday life.
People still come here to pray, light candles, attend services or simply spend some time away from everything else.
For a visitor, each monastery can feel different.
At Orheiul Vechi, the monastery and caves are connected directly to the limestone cliffs above the Răut.
At Țipova, paths descend towards the Dniester and a complex of rock-cut monastic cells, while at Saharna, monastery buildings, forest paths, rocks and waterfalls are all found within the same area.
Others are quieter and less known outside Moldova.
Some are carefully restored, some are still changing and some have large churches and courtyards, while others are places you may spend considerably more time reaching than actually walking around.
That is part of exploring them, are far more than old buildings, and the history of Moldova's monasteries has not always been peaceful.
They survived through changing rulers, wars, periods of foreign control and the Soviet era, when religious communities across the region faced
closures, restrictions and confiscation of property.
Some monasteries disappeared for decades, while others survived in different forms.
After Moldova became independent in 1991, a number of monasteries and churches were reopened or restored, and monastic life returned to places where it had been absent for years.
Today, they are again active religious communities as well as important parts of Moldova's cultural heritage.
Pășește înăuntru, iar domnitorii Moldovei nu mai par să aparțină
doar cărților de istorie. Lumea lor a fost aici.
Credința, luptele și deciziile lor au trecut prin locuri ca acestea.
Uneori, istoria pare surprinzător de aproape.
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Step inside, and Moldova's rulers no longer belong only to history books.
Their world was here their faith, their struggles and their decisions passed through places like these.
Sometimes, history feels remarkably close.
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When you visit.
You don't need to be religious to visit a monastery in Moldova, but remember that you are entering a place that may still be someone's home and place of worship.
Dress respectfully, keep your voice down around services and churches, and ask before photographing monks, nuns or people praying.
Then take your time.
Walk around the grounds, take a look inside the church when it is appropriate.
Notice the gardens, old walls, bells, icons and surrounding landscape and don't be surprised if the road getting there becomes part of the experience.
Choose one of the monasteries below and see where it takes you.
