St Daniel the Hermit Monastery, Putna

St Daniel the Hermit Monastery lies in a clearing in the Obcina Mare mountains, within Putna commune, not far from the border with Ukraine. Access is from the village of Putna, along a mountain road that passes Putna Monastery and Sihăstria Putnei. On foot, the climb from Sihăstria Putnei takes about two hours. In January 2009 a fire destroyed half of the monks' cells, but the main church was untouched. The monks live a communal life and follow the Athonite rule, with services held at night. According to the description on the CrestinOrtodox.ro portal, the monastery does not admit women. The monastery is dedicated to St Daniel the Hermit, canonised by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1992 and commemorated on 18 December. Daniel the Hermit lived in the fifteenth century and dwelt as a hermit in the rock-cut cell in the valley of the Vițău stream, about 1 km from Putna Monastery, before withdrawing to Voroneț. The cell is a separate site and a historic monument (LMI code SV-II-m-B-05593).