Constantin Brâncoveanu, prince of Wallachia at the end of the seventeenth century, was a wealthy, cultured ruler who built churches, palaces and monasteries across his principality, and Horezu was his masterpiece. Founded in 1690, the monastery sits in a quiet valley in the foothills of the Căpățânii mountains, surrounded by walls, with a church at the centre of a courtyard lined with arcaded cells. It is the finest example of the Brâncovenesc style, a blend of Byzantine, Renaissance and Baroque, with carved stone, painted interiors and elegant porches, and it was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1993. In 1714, Brâncoveanu and his four sons were executed by the Ottomans in Istanbul; the Romanian Orthodox Church later canonised them as martyrs.
The church is richly painted inside, with portraits of the founder and his family, and the monastery is home to a community of nuns, so dress modestly and keep quiet.
The town of Horezu, a couple of kilometres away, is famous for its pottery, with red, brown and cream glazes decorated with roosters, fish, spirals and flowers. The craft of Horezu ceramics is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, and potters sell their work in workshops and roadside stalls. Horezu has fuel, shops and restaurants.
The region of northern Oltenia is excellent for riding. The road along the foothills, from Râmnicu Vâlcea to Târgu Jiu, passes through villages, orchards and forests, with monasteries along the way, such as Bistrița, Arnota and Polovragi. To the north, the mountains rise, and the Transalpina, one of the highest roads in Romania, starts at Novaci, not far to the west, climbing to over 2,100 metres. The Olt valley, to the east, offers a gorge road toward Sibiu. The Transalpina opens only in the warmer months, usually from early summer to mid autumn, so check before planning a crossing. Back in Horezu, a plate of sarmale, cabbage rolls with polenta and sour cream, makes a fine end to the day, eaten off a local plate if the restaurant has any sense.