In Gorj county there is a hermitage where women are not allowed to enter. The place of worship is built in the “Defileul Jiului” National Park and is the only ancient rite hermitage in the county, where only men are allowed.
The hermitage was built at Bumbești-Jiu, in the location known as plai. Access is made next to UM Sadu, on a forest road that can be driven on foot or with off-road vehicles. The place of worship is a few kilometers from the main road, at elevation 971 in Vârful Trântor.
The hermitage “Saint John the Baptist” is a hermitage of monks with community life, founded in 2006, rebuilt between 2015-2018. “I don’t know much about this Christian settlement, I know that it is an old rite hermitage built many years ago, which at some point caught fire and was rebuilt from donations. It is a hermitage of monks,” declared the mayor of Bumbești-Jiu, Constantin Bobaru.
Even the locals of Bumbești-Jiu do not know much about this hermitage, but the landscape of the area makes it very special. “Women are not allowed here at the hermitage. It is a little further from the eyes of passers-by. You can reach the hermitage on a forest road, and from there on a path through the forest. Many call it a Russian hermitage, others say that those monks came from Moldova, but I can tell you that it is heaven on earth there. From the hermitage you can see Pârângul, and the landscapes take your breath away”, says a local resident.
