Moldavia & Bukovina

The painted monasteries of Bukovina are among the most significant works of Christian art — and have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1993. What makes them unique: Not the interiors are painted (as can be found elsewhere), but the exterior walls. Large-scale frescoes cover the facades from top to bottom — glowing in blue, red, green, and gold, over 500 years old and still astonishingly vibrant.

The monasteries were built in the 15th and 16th centuries under the Moldavian princes Ștefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) and his son Petru Rareș. The exterior frescoes served as a "Bible for the illiterate": biblical scenes, lives of saints, and the famous "Last Judgment" in a wealth of detail that takes one's breath away.

The Most Important Monasteries

• Voroneț — The "Sistine Chapel of the East". Famous for the unique Voroneț Blue (albastrul de Voroneț) — a shade whose exact composition remains a mystery to this day. The fresco of the "Last Judgment" on the west wall is the most famous work of Moldavian art. Founded by Ștefan cel Mare in 1488. Admission: 10 RON.
• Sucevița — The largest and best-preserved of the painted monasteries, surrounded by a mighty defensive wall. The frescoes cover the entire exterior masonry — including the famous "Ladder to Heaven" with angels and demons. In the courtyard: a picturesque garden. Admission: 10 RON.
• Moldovița — Known for the depiction of the "Siege of Constantinople" on the south wall — a masterpiece of war painting in church format. The colors are particularly well-preserved here. Admission: 10 RON.
• Humor — The smallest of the UNESCO monasteries, but with particularly finely crafted frescoes. The dominant red gives the depictions an intense, almost dramatic effect. Admission: 10 RON.
• Arbore — Actually a cemetery church, not a monastery church. The frescoes are partially faded, but the site has a special, melancholic charm. UNESCO World Heritage.

Plan 2–3 days for the monastery route. Starting points: Suceava or Gura Humorului. Best with a rental car — the monasteries are scattered in a hilly landscape, and the journey between them is as beautiful as the destination.

Maramureș (pronounced: "Mara-Muresh") in the far north of Romania is Europe's last living medieval village. Here, rural culture is not a museum but everyday life: horse-drawn carts on the streets, haymaking by hand, women in traditional dress, carved wooden gates of monumental beauty, and wooden churches with needle-sharp spires reaching into the sky.

The Wooden Churches of Maramureș

Eight of the wooden churches are UNESCO World Heritage sites — masterpieces of carpentry, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, entirely from wood, without a single nail. The tallest church spires reach over 50 meters. Inside: naive paintings with biblical scenes, created under the influence of Gothic and Baroque art, but in a distinctly folk style. The most important: Bârsana, Budești, Desești, Ieud, and Șurdești (with the tallest wooden tower: 54 m).

The Wooden Gates of Maramureș

The carved entrance gates (porți maramureșene) are a trademark of the region: massive oak gates with intricate carvings — rope patterns, sun wheels, trees of life, birds. Each gate tells something about the owner: the profession, the status, the wishes. The most impressive gates are found in Breb, Vadu Izei, and Oncești.

The Merry Cemetery of Săpânța

The Cimitirul Vesel (Merry Cemetery) is unique in the world: Instead of mournful tombstones, there are over 800 brightly painted wooden crosses with humorous, ironic, and sometimes coarse verses about the life and death of the deceased. Founded by woodcarver Stan Ioan Pătraș, who began designing the crosses in 1935. A place that turns mourning into art and celebrates life. Admission: 10 RON.

Villages and Everyday Life

The villages of Breb, Botiza, and Ieud are the most authentic: horse-drawn carts, flocks of sheep, fruit distilleries, and guesthouses where the host family sits with you at the table in the evening and serves Țuică. Maramureș is not experienced in museums but with the people. Plan at least 2–3 days, preferably with an overnight stay in a village guesthouse.

Iași (pronounced: "Yash") is the cultural capital of Romania and the largest city in the Moldavia region. With the country's oldest university (1860), magnificent churches, and a vibrant student scene, Iași is a city with intellectual flair and far fewer tourists than Brașov or Sibiu.

Sights in Iași

• Palace of Culture (Palatul Culturii) — A neo-Gothic monumental building (1925) at Piața Unirii, housing four museums under one roof: history, art, ethnography, and science. The facade is impressive, the interiors opulent. Admission: 25 RON (combined ticket).
• Monastery of the Three Hierarchs (Mănăstirea Trei Ierarhi) — The facade of this church (1639) is a masterpiece of stone carving: completely covered with geometric patterns of oriental delicacy. Unique worldwide. Free of charge.
• Copou Park & Eminescu's Linden Tree — The oldest public park in Romania. Under the famous linden tree, Mihai Eminescu, Romania's national poet, wrote his poems. A peaceful place in the midst of the student city.
• Metropolitan Cathedral — The largest Orthodox church in Romania (1886) with the relic of Saint Parascheva, to which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock each October.

The Moldavia Region

The historical Moldavia (Moldova) — not to be confused with the Republic of Moldova (Moldavia) — is Romania's quietest, least visited region. Gentle hills, vineyards (the wine region Cotnari produces excellent Grasa white wine), monasteries, and a landscape reminiscent of Tuscany — without the tourists. From Iași, the Bukovina monasteries can be reached in 2–3 hours drive westward.