Vâlcea is a county in southern Romania where the Olt river cuts through the Carpathian foothills, creating a valley that has been a trade route and a place of retreat for centuries. The main draw is the painted monasteries of the Olt Valley — a string of Orthodox foundations that rival Bucovina's painted churches, though they are far less visited.
The star is Horezu Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1690, famous for its Brâncoveanu-style architecture and frescoes of extraordinary delicacy. The pottery tradition of Horezu — bold, geometric designs in white, brown, and terracotta — is alive and well in workshops around the town. Further south, Cozia Monastery sits dramatically in the Olt gorge, its 14th-century church one of the oldest surviving in Wallachia.
The county capital, Râmnicu Vâlcea, is a practical base without much character of its own, but the surrounding countryside of forested hills, thermal springs at Călimănești-Căciulata, and hilltop monasteries rewards slow exploration. The quiet Bistrița Monastery in the beech forests north of the capital is worth seeking out for those who want to see fewer other tourists.