- The most beautiful monasteries
- Arbore Monastery
- Why visit Arbore Monastery?
- Sucevita Monastery
- Why visit Sucevița Monastery?
- Humor Monastery
- Why visit Humor Monastery?
- Voronet Monastery
- Why visit Voroneț Monastery?
- Moldovita Monastery
- Why visit Moldovita Monastery?
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- How to Get Around
- When to Go
The most beautiful monasteries
Arbore Monastery
Location: Arbore, Suceava County
In 1503, Luca Arbore, the Suceava porter, ascends to a church with the help of his lord in the village that bears his name today.
Why visit Arbore Monastery?
- UNESCO – World Heritage Site – One of the Painted Churches of Moldavia.
- The green is in five shadows and 47 hues combined with red, blue, yellow, pink, and ochre.
- The frescoes depict religious and historical scenes: The Hymn of the Prayers to the Virgin, The Siege of Constantinople, The Last Judgment, The Prodigal Son, and many others.
Sucevita Monastery
Location: DN17A 169, Sucevita 727510, Romania
High walls and heavily buttressed defensive towers surround the great monastic complex of Sucevita, giving it the appearance of a fortress.
Why visit Sucevița Monastery?
- UNESCO – World Heritage Site – One of the Painted Churches of Moldavia.
- The most outstanding fresco is the Ladder of Virtue.
- The frescoes are in brilliant reds and blues against a ground of emerald green and must have been magnificent when freshly painted.
- The largest and most precious collection of medieval art in Moldova can be found at the Museum of the Sucevita Monastery.
- The road to Sucevita Monastery is one of the most beautiful roads from Bucovina.
- Don’t miss to visit Marginea village where the black color of pottery is obtained without adding anything to the clay paste, located 10 kilometers from the monastery.
Humor Monastery
Location: Manastirea Humorului, Suceava County, Romania
Humor was one of the first of Moldavia’s painted monasteries and, along with Voronet, is probably the best-preserved.
Why visit Humor Monastery?
- UNESCO – World Heritage Site – One of the Painted Churches of Moldavia.
- The frescos at Humor were painted in 535 by Toma Zugravul and are dominated by reds (the color of red brick).
- In 1641 a protective tower was built, with a thick wall of stone, and characteristic of the fortified churches in Transylvania, it has a coronation balcony.
Voronet Monastery
Location: Voronet, Gura Humorului, Suceava County, Romania
Voronet azure blue is the dominant color, made with crushed azurite mixed with a mysterious substance that makes the hue lighter, and more vivid. Anyway, the color composition remained a mystery until thorough lab tests were done.
Why visit Voroneț Monastery?
- UNESCO – World Heritage Site – One of the Painted Churches of Moldavia.
- To see the famous Voronet azure blue color
- Often known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East”, the frescoes at Voroneț feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as “Voroneț blue”
Moldovita Monastery
Location: Vatra Moldovitei, Suceava County
The Moldovita Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldovitei, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania.
Why visit Moldovita Monastery?
- The museum of the monastery preserves today manuscripts from the 15th century, which refers to the way of organizing the monastery school and to the cultural activity in general.
- Moldovita’s frescoes represent biblical stories like the Tree of Jesse, the Akathystos Hymn, the Last Judgment, and the Great Prayer of All Saints.
- Go to the Painted Eggs Museum Lucia Condrea, located just a few minutes from the monastery.
Where to stay
Valentina Chalet, Manastirea Humor – Built mainly of wood, the chalet has a warm and cozy appearance. The chalet is located 7 km away from the center of Gura Humorului town, in a small village, and 2 km away from Humorului Monastery. The area where the pension is located is quiet and offers an extremely beautiful view of the rustic landscape. There is a restaurant on site.
Hilde’s Residence, Gura Humorului – A BOUTIQUE HOTEL located 500 m from downtown Gura Humorului. There is a restaurant on site.
Best Western Bucovina, Gura Humorului – In the center of Gura Humorului, Best Western Bucovina Club de Munte offers 2 restaurants, a terrace, and a spa area.
Cabana Sura Getilor Arinis, Voronet – Located in Voronet, 3.4 km from Voronet Monastery, Cabana Sura Getilor Arinis provides accommodations with a restaurant, free private parking, a fitness center, and a shared lounge.
Where to eat
- Potter’s House, Marginea – Romanian Cuisine. You can eat there when you go to visit Sucevita Monastery.
- Hilde’s Residence Restaurant, Gura Humorului – Opened Daily, 8:00 AM – 10 PM.
- Best Western Bucovina, Gura Humorului – 2 restaurants and a terrace
- Popas Turistic Bucovina Sucevita Restaurant, Sucevita – European, Eastern European, Romanian Cuisine
- Q’usine, Campulung Moldovenesc – Modern European, European Cuisine · Wine Bar
How to get around
The best bet to get around and visit Painted Monasteries of Moldova is to rent a car, as public transport is lacking in these areas. It will allow you to explore the different monasteries easily: in 3 days you can enjoy every place properly and relax.
The road distance between Bucharest and Moldova is 435 km.
The quickest flight from Bucharest Otopeni Airport to Suceava Airport is the direct flight which takes 1h 10m.
When to go
Summer is the most popular season to visit, when the weather is warm and dry.
In the winter can be cold and snowy, but while the weather may not be perfect, the monasteries area is lovely in the winter.
Folk customs and traditions represent an important part of Bukovina’s tourist ethnographic resources, being formed and preserved in the rural areas of the country.
