Dridu Monastery

<p>Dridu Monastery isn't famous. It's small, young (founded in 1994), sitting on the shore of Lake Dridu in the middle of the Bărăgan Plain. And for exactly those reasons, it has something special: it's among the few places in the Bărăgan where you can stop without noise, hearing wind through reeds and the church bell.</p><p>The church has new Byzantine-style painting, done by church painters from Cernica. Surprisingly rich decoratively for such a young settlement. There's a small museum of icons and ritual objects. Lake Dridu, beside the monastery, is a reservoir formed on the Ialomița Valley — good for a sunset walk.</p><p>Tip: come from Bucharest (60 km via A2 motorway). This is where the Bărăgan is really itself: flat 360° horizon, brutal sun in summer, wind in winter. Not a social-media visit, but one that stops you. Free, dress appropriately.</p><p>Nearby: Slobozia (20 km, has a lovely dendrological park), Coconilor Fortress (medieval ruins at the plain's edge). Or drive on toward Țăndărei and the Danube — the plain opens up.</p>