Монастырский комплекс Сахарна

Saharna is a village in Rezina district, Moldova. Together with the villages of Saharna Nouă and Bucușca, it forms part of the commune of Saharna Nouă. Saharna Monastery Complex The village is located about 110 km north of Chișinău, on the right bank of the Dniester River, at an altitude of 28 metres above sea level. The village of Saharna is famous for its cave monastery and the active men's Holy Trinity Monastery. This monastery is one of the largest pilgrimage centres in Moldova. The relics of the saint, Venerable Macarie, are kept here. On one of the rocks there is a trace which, according to legend, was left by the Mother of God. The legend says that Schihieromonk Bartholomew, abbot of the old rock monastery, saw a radiant image of the Mother of God appear on one of the rocks. Reaching this rock, the monks discovered a footprint in the stone, a sign they took as a divine message and as evidence of the "divine purity" of the place. Later, closer to the gorge, a new wooden church was erected and the Holy Trinity Monastery was founded (1777). Then, on the site of the wooden church, a stone church in the old Moldavian style, richly decorated with wall frescoes, was built. Today the monastery is open to visitors every day. The surroundings of Saharna are known for their beautiful landscapes: the rocky, forest-covered gorge of the Saharna River, more than 16 km long, in which rise more than 30 rapids and cascades. One of the most beautiful waterfalls is located very close to the monastery. Its height is 10 metres. The water forms a deep chasm called "Gypsy's Pit". Here too is an important archaeological site with remains from the Iron Age and a Geto-Dacian fortress on a high promontory.