Travel to Romania

Day 5 Gura Humorului - Voroneț - Humor - Sucevita - Arbore - Dragormina - Suceava - Gura Humorului (211 Km.)

The painted churches of Bukovina, located in the northeastern region of Romania, are a collection of wooden and stone churches known for their impressive exterior frescoes. These churches are famous for their colourful wall paintings depicting religious scenes and biblical events. The region of Bukovina is home to several of these monuments, many of which are considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The painted churches of Bukovina were mainly built between the 15th and 16th centuries, during the period of the Orthodox Church's domination of the region. These buildings were erected as spiritual and cultural centres for the local communities. The previous day we visited the Moldovita monastery church. This day we will visit most of the most important ones.

(5 Km. away) Voroneț: The Voroneț Monastery is part of the group of painted churches in Moldova, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The Voroneț Monastery is also known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East" due to the intensity and richness of its exterior frescoes. It was founded in 1488 by Stephen the Great, a Moldavian prince. The architecture is Moldavian in style, with a tall, slender tower rising above the building. The church is built of stone, and its exterior is painted in a characteristic blue colour called 'Voroneț blue', which is distinctive for this monastery. Its exterior wall paintings date from 1547 and depict biblical scenes and religious events. The most famous painting is the "Last Judgement" on the west wall, which depicts threatening skies and dramatic figures. Other highlights include scenes from the Creation, the Annunciation and other religious narratives. The monastery is still an active place of worship and is an important destination for pilgrimages.

(11 Km. away) Humor: Like the Voroneț Monastery, the Humor Monastery is known for its exterior wall paintings. The Humor Monastery was founded at the end of the 15th century, in 1530, by the Moldavian prince Petru Rareș. The paintings of the Humor Monastery feature intense colours, such as blues, greens, reds and yellows, which have endured over time. The paintings, dating from 1535, depict biblical scenes and religious events in vibrant colours. The subjects of Humor's frescoes include the Siege of Constantinople and the Last Judgement, common on the exterior of painted monasteries in Bukovina. The main church of the monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Assumption). The architecture is in the Moldavian style, with a bell tower and a compact design.

(38 Km. away) Sucevita: The Sucevița Monastery was founded at the end of the 16th century, around 1585, by the Movilă family, Romanian nobles. The main church of the monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The architecture of the Sucevița Monastery features typical elements of the Moldavian style, with a bell tower and a fortified church structure. The church is built of stone, and its design reflects both religious and defensive purposes. Sucevița Monastery is also famous for its exterior frescoes, which cover a large part of the building's walls. The architecture combines elements of Byzantine and Gothic art, as well as architectural elements from the old wooden churches of Moldavia. The interior and exterior mural, dating from the early 17th century, is of great artistic value, being an extensive biblical narrative from the Old and New Testaments. One of the most prominent depictions in the exterior murals is that of the Last Judgement. The murals include scenes from the life cycle of the Virgin Mary, from her birth to her assumption into heaven. In addition to the biblical scenes, the exterior murals depict a cycle of saints and martyrs venerated in the Orthodox tradition.

(22 Km. away) Arbore: The Arbore Monastery, officially known as the Monastery of St John the Baptist, was founded in the late 15th century, around 1503, by Luca Arbore, a Moldavian nobleman. Its exterior wall paintings, dating from around 1541, are notable for their vivid colour palette, which includes blues, reds, greens and yellows. The paintings at Arbore depict scenes from the Last Judgement, the Creation, the life of Jesus Christ and other biblical stories. Compared to earlier monasteries, this one had rather deteriorated paintings. Scenes on the south façade include the Hymn of Akathist painted on the left and above the entrance door, the Siege of Constantinople. The decoration on the west façade includes the biblical episode of the creation of the world (Genesis). There are several tombs in the narthex of the church. The founder's tomb is located to the right of the entrance door.

(31 Km. away) Pătrăuți: The Holy Rood Church in Pătrăuţi was founded in 1487 by the Moldavian ruler Stefan cel Mare. It is considered to be the oldest church founded by Stephen the Great that is still preserved in its original form today. In 1993, UNESCO included the Holy Rood Church in Patrauti, along with seven other churches in northern Moldova (Arbore, Humor, Moldovita, Probota, St. John the New in Suceava, Voronet and Sucevita), on the World Cultural Heritage List, in the group of Painted Churches of Northern Moldova. It is a triconic construction with a tower in the nave. The interior of the church is divided into three rooms: narthex, nave and altar. The walls of the nave are painted with the Passion of Jesus. On the dome of the spire is Jesus Pantocrator, and on the pendants are the four Evangelists. The fresco with the theme "The Resurrection" is considered one of the oldest murals in Romania. The scene depicted on the west wall of the church is the Last Judgement. Among the murals decorating the interior walls are the votive painting and the "Ride of the Holy Cross", an allusion to the anti-Ottoman struggles of the period of Stephen the Great. Separated from the church is a single-storey wooden bell tower, built in 1725, with Maramureş influences.

(6 Km. away) Dragomirna: The history of the monastery began in 1602, when the small church in the cemetery dedicated to Saints Enoch, Elijah and John the Theologian was built. In 1609 the larger church was dedicated to the "Descent of the Holy Spirit". The church is mostly built of raw unpolished stone, except for the pillars, which are finished with buttresses made of polished stone. The very tall and slender church tower is decorated on all sides, with the vertical one standing out. The total height up to the cross is 42 metres. The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is unique in Romania for its unusual proportions. It is by far the tallest and narrowest church ever built. Its walls are not painted, but decorated with stone carvings. The ratio between the width, length and height of the church is very unusual. The church is nine metres wide, which is an average width, but the height of more than 40 metres above the lantern tower makes it appear extremely narrow. The church gives the impression of a ship, the ancient symbol of the Christian Church.

(15 Km. away) Suceava: We are going to visit the seventh of the painted churches in Bukovina included in the UNESCO heritage list, but it was under construction. We did not visit the eighth church (Probota) because it was too far off our route. The monastery is dedicated to St. John the New of Suceava, a Moldavian monk who preached during the Turkish occupation and was later martyred. In addition to the monumental church, built between 1514 and 1522, the monastery complex includes a bell tower built in 1589 during the reign of Peter the Lame of Moldavia, a chapel founded by the cleric Anastasie Crimca in 1626-1629, former cells for monks (built in the 19th century), a house for the abbot (built between 1894 and 1896) and the surrounding walls. The church is dedicated to St. George and has frescoes painted on the exterior, typical of the region.

(37 Km. away) Gura Humorului: We return to our accommodation.