Bistrița Monastery, Orthodox monastery in Bistrița, Romania

Bistrița Monastery is a walled Orthodox complex 8 km west of Piatra Neamț, entered through a bell tower with a chapel on its upper floor. The main church has a steep dark grey roof, a tall tower with a conical spire, pale grey walls with a row of blind arches under the eaves, and tall narrow arched windows. A 15th-century carved entrance door and interior frescoes survive.

The monastery was founded in 1401 and became one of the major religious centers of medieval Moldova. Over the centuries, it served as a crucial place for preserving Orthodox traditions and knowledge in the region.

The monastery holds the icon of Saint Anne, given to Lady Ana, wife of Alexandru cel Bun, around 1407–1408; tradition says it came from Empress Jelena in Constantinople. In 1853 it was placed in a carved and gilded wooden iconostasis section. The monastery was also a centre for calligraphers, miniaturists and chroniclers, and its museum keeps a collection of medieval art.

The grounds are accessible daily, with morning services occurring early and evening prayers held later in the day. Visitors should dress respectfully and be mindful of active worship times, as this is a working place for practicing believers.

The monastery's museum holds a collection of medieval art, and the monastery was a centre for calligraphers, miniaturists and chroniclers. Here was created the Pomelnicul de la Bistrița, one of the oldest monuments of Romanian medieval culture, a commemorative list offering the earliest data on Moldavian voivodal and church history.