Fodor's Expert Review Comana Monastery

In the commune of Comana, 45 minutes' drive from Giurgiu, this Romanian Orthodox monastery has a long history. The original building, from the mid-15th century, was built by Vlad the Impaler as both a fortress and a place of worship, and he's believed to be buried here. In the late 16th century, when the monastery was falling apart, the future prince of Wallachia (Romania), Radu Serban, built a new monastery, which was later restored and is what you see today. The monastery is still in use, and is in fairly good condition, its facade a crisp white and its interior frescoes still relatively vibrant. There's a little museum within and, in the back, a small garden.