Bucovina Painted Monasteries

The old capital of Moldavia, surrounded by valleys scattered with World Heritage monasteries painted all over their outer walls – Voroneț's 'Voroneț blue' is famous across Europe.

Suceava, in northeastern Romania, was the capital of the medieval Principality of Moldavia and is the gateway to the painted monasteries of Bucovina. In the 15th–16th centuries, Stephen the Great, Petru Rareș and other princes built churches in the surrounding valleys whose outer walls are entirely covered in paintings – frescoes such as The Last Judgement and The Siege of Constantinople that told Bible stories to illiterate peasants. Eight of them are inscribed as a World Heritage Site under the name Churches of Moldavia. The main sightseeing falls into three areas: the city of Suceava (the Princely Citadel, the Village Museum and the Monastery of Saint John the New); the area around Gura Humorului (Voroneț, Humor and the Cacica Salt Mine); and the northwestern valley route (Moldovița, the Ciumârna Pass, Sucevița, Marginea black pottery and Putna). To the south, Neamț Citadel and Agapia Monastery make an easy day trip. May–Oct is best, when summer is lush and the forest railway runs; in winter the monasteries in the snow have their own charm, but mountain roads call for caution. Getting there: Suceava's airport has flights to Bucharest and elsewhere, and there are trains too. The monasteries are spread out, so drive yourself or hire a car with driver; staying at a farm guesthouse in Gura Humorului makes it easier to link them up. Allow 2–3 days. Dress modestly to visit the monasteries; admission is about 10 lei, photography often costs extra, and photos are usually not allowed inside the churches.

Top sights

• Voroneț Monastery – Built in 1488 by Prince Stephen the Great, its west-wall Last Judgment fresco and the “Voroneț blue” are celebrated across Europe.
• Humor Monastery – A painted monastery completed in 1530, known for its reddish-brown frescoes and the “Siege of Constantinople” scene.
• Moldovița Monastery – A fortified monastery built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, with exceptionally well-preserved golden-toned frescoes.
• Sucevița Monastery – The largest of the painted monasteries and the one with the most complete frescoes, with the north wall's “Ladder to Paradise” the most fam…
• Putna Monastery – Founded by Stephen the Great in 1466, where he lies buried. It is a spiritual sanctuary in the hearts of Romanians.
• Arbore Church – A small church built in 1503 by the nobleman Luca Arbore. Its western-wall paintings are renowned for their green tones, and it is a World…
• Church of the Holy Cross, Pătrăuți – Built by Stephen the Great in 1487, it is the oldest surviving church from Stephen's era and a World Heritage Site.
• Probota Monastery – Built by Petru Rareș in 1530 and used as the family burial monastery. Its exterior murals were restored with funding from UNESCO.
• Dragomirna Monastery – A soaring, fortified monastery built in the early 17th century. Its church is slender in proportion, and the stone rope-pattern carvings on…
• Seat Fortress of Suceava – The royal fortress of the former capital of the Principality of Moldavia, where Stephen the Great once withstood the Ottoman army.
• Bukovina Village Museum – An open-air folk museum beside the royal fortress, showcasing traditional Bukovinian wooden houses, workshops and wooden churches.
• Monastery of St. John the New – Seat of the Suceava Metropolitan Cathedral, preserving the relics of St. John the New. Traces of paintings also remain on the church's exte…
• Mirăuți Church – Suceava's oldest church, traditionally the site where early Moldavian princes were crowned.
• St. Demetrius Church, Suceava – Town-centre church built in 1535 by Petru Rareș, known for its glazed ceramic decoration and freestanding bell tower.
• Zamca Monastery – Fortified 17th-century monastery built by Armenians, on a northwest hill above Suceava, and rarely crowded.
• Bukovina National Museum – Regional history museum in Suceava, where the 'Throne Hall' recreates the court of Stephen the Great.
• Princely Inn Ethnographic Museum – Ethnographic museum in a 17th-century princely inn, displaying Bukovinian costumes, embroidery and painted eggs.
• Bogdana Monastery – 14th-century monastery in Rădăuți, home to Moldavia's oldest surviving stone church.
• Marginea Black Pottery – A village in Bukovina known for unglazed black pottery, where visitors can watch traditional kiln firing and buy pieces on site.
• Cacica Salt Mine – Ancient salt mine, operating since the late 18th century, with an underground salt-carved chapel, a salt lake and a 'ballroom'.
• Slatina Monastery – Fortified monastery founded in the 1550s by Prince Alexandru Lăpușneanu, set in a peaceful valley.
• Rarău Massif & Pietrele Doamnei – Bukovina's most scenic mountain landscape, with limestone pillars called Pietrele Doamnei rising on the ridge above.
• Moldovița Forest Railway (Mocănița Hutulca) – Steam-powered narrow-gauge forest train winding through the valley woods, a popular choice for families and nostalgia lovers in Bukovina.
• Ciumârna Pass – Mountain pass between Moldovița and Sucevița with winding roads and views over the Bukovina highlands.
• Painted Egg Museum, Vama – Painted egg museum founded by folk artist Lucia Condrea, with thousands of eggs from around the world.
• Wood Art Museum, Câmpulung Moldovenesc – Museum showcasing woodworking, carving and folk tools from Bukovina's mountain communities, a great place to learn about wood culture.
• Neamț Citadel – Hilltop fortress reinforced under Stephen the Great, with a wooden bridge leading to the gate, and views over Târgu Neamț.
• Neamț Monastery – One of Romania's oldest and most important monasteries, once a centre of manuscript copying and culture in Moldavia.
• Agapia Monastery – Large women's monastery in a valley, with church murals painted by the young artist Nicolae Grigorescu.

Where to eat

• Eker Restaurant – One of Suceava's top-rated restaurants, where smoked ribs are served under a glass cloche and the modern European menu…
• Bucovina Restaurant at MyContinental Hotel – A Bucovinian restaurant inside a downtown hotel, serving Rădăuți-style chicken soup, porcini polenta and blueberry chee…
• Latino Italian Restaurant – An Italian restaurant that has operated in Suceava for nearly twenty years, famous for its pizza and wine list, close t…
• Mosaik Restaurant – An Alpine-style restaurant inside the Sonnenhof Hotel, serving refined Central European dishes and a wine list of over…
• Haiducilor Estate Bucovina – A wooden farmhouse-style restaurant on the outskirts of Suceava, focused on Bucovinian farmhouse soups and meat platter…
• Eden Garden Restaurant – A garden restaurant near Zamca Monastery with scattered gazebos and a children's playground; grilled pork ribs are the…

Itineraries

• Romania Grand Circle Road Trip – Drive through the Southern Carpathians, Bucovina, Maramureș, and Transylvania to see all the major World Heritage Sites…
• Moldova to Bucovina Cross-Border Journey – Travel from Chisinau across the border to Iași, then visit the painted monasteries of Bucovina, ending in Suceava.
• Maramureș & Bucovina – Cross northern Romania from Cluj-Napoca to Iași, taking in wooden churches, a steam forest railway, and painted monaste…