A tiny island at the northern end of Snagov Lake is home to Snagov Monastery (and Vlad Ţepeş), a small stone church dating from 15th century with a lovely interior.
There’s been a church here since at least the 11th century, when Mircea cel Bătrân first built a wooden structure. The monastery was added in the late 14th century during the reign of King Dan I (r 1383–86), and in 1453 the wooden church was replaced by a stone edifice that later sank into the lake. The present church came after that.
Vlad Ţepeş’ alleged grave is located inside the church, at the centre towards the back. The interior is small and the grave marker and portrait of Vlad are the main highlights. As with many aspects of the ‘Dracula’ story, there is some debate as to whether the body buried here actually belongs to Ţepeş. The bloodthirsty prince died in 1476 battling the Turks near Bucharest. His head was famously lopped off and carried back to Istanbul, where it was paraded on a stick. What happened to the rest of the body was never made clear.
Whether or not he’s actually buried here, Vlad Ţepeş apparently had strong connections to Snagov. In 1456 he built fortifications around the monastery. He also built a bridge from the lake to the mainland, a bell tower, a new church, an escape tunnel and a prison and torture chamber. The remains of the prison (behind the present-day church) can still be seen.
Snagov Island is accessible by boat from Snagov village or various resorts along the shore. You can hire a rowboat from Complex Astoria (about 20 lei per hour) and row here yourself, or make a deal with one of the motorboat owners along the shore. Expect to pay around 100 lei for a ride out and back for up to four persons, allowing about 30 minutes on the island.
