Brasov - Gura Humorului, Bucovina (Through the Oituz Passage) - Moldovita-Sucevita

Humor Monastery - Humor Monastery stands as one of Bucovina’s religious masterpieces, a region renowned for its numerous churches and monasteries. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with the painted churches of Voronet, Sucevita, and Moldovita, Humor Monastery is nearly 500 years old. Its Byzantine frescoes remain rare and precious to this day. Constructed in 1530 on the site of an older church, Humor Monastery has unique features that set it apart from other painted churches, such as its smaller size and the absence of a steeple on its cross-shaped roof. These distinctive elements reflect the status of its founder, a wealthy high-ranking court official, but not a prince.

Nevertheless, the name of Prince Petru Rares appears alongside the founder, Toader Bubuiog, on the inscription above the church entrance. This indicates princely support for local aristocratic initiatives to build new churches. During a time when political power was closely linked to a strong religious position, being a protector of churches and monasteries was essential for a successful reign.

Humor Monastery maintained its religious function until Bucovina became part of the Habsburg Empire at the end of the 18th century. The Austrian authorities ended monastic life at Humor, allowing only the church to continue its religious functions. The monastery was restored over 200 years later, in 1991. Built as a triconch church, the architecture combines Gothic elements, visible in the shape of doors and windows, with local elements previously used in Bucovina’s painted churches.

In addition to its dimensions and roof shape, the church features an open porch with arcades marking the entrance to the narthex. Inspired by local architecture and possibly the Italian Renaissance loggia, the open porch at Humor Monastery is a first in the region. Another novel element is a secret space above the burial area inside the church, where precious objects were stored in case of attacks.

Voronet Monastery - A visit to Voronet Monastery is enjoyable even for those who are not very religious, as it is the most famous of Bucovina’s painted churches. Now included on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with six other churches from the region, this religious monument symbolizes how local medieval princes demonstrated their strong support for the Orthodox faith during a time when its existence was threatened by the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. Voronet Monastery is part of our Active Tour in Cultural Bucovina and Painted Monasteries of Bucovina Tour.

Known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’ due to its magnificent frescoes, the church of Voronet Monastery was built in just a few months in 1488 by Stephen the Great, Moldavia’s most popular prince, following one of his victories against the Ottoman armies. This was a common practice of the prince, who promoted an architectural style known as the Moldavian style. Many churches built in this style are still preserved today in Moldavia and Bucovina.

With small but well-balanced proportions, the church of Voronet Monastery is representative of the Moldavian style, incorporating Gothic and Byzantine-inspired elements. From the beginning, it was more than a religious edifice. Its frescoes illustrated moral stories from the Bible for the illiterate villagers of the time, encouraging them to follow Christian norms.

The frescoes of Voronet are exquisite testimonies to the painters’ talent, preserving a centuries-old secret. The distinct ‘Voronet blue’ color is unique worldwide, and its composition is nearly impossible to replicate today.

The 15th and 16th-century frescoes are the church’s main attraction, a masterpiece of Byzantine art. The interior paintings date from the time of the founder, Prince Stephen the Great, depicted in the nave with his family. Major Biblical scenes, focusing on the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, fill the nave, while the narthex presents the story of Saint George and the Orthodox calendar in small, vivid scenes of Byzantine inspiration.

However, the exterior frescoes added in 1547 remain the most impressive. The largest of all is on the western wall, depicting the ‘Last Judgment’ in a unique representation for Eastern Christianity. An extensive story of the last day and its tragic or happy ending, the scene should be read from the lower part, where the image of heaven contrasts with the river of fire and a very happy Satan greeting the sinners. Coincidentally or not, among the sinners are also the non-Christians of the time, the Jews and the Turks. Angels Michael and Peter play key roles, one opening the gates of heaven while the other pushes sinners to hell. A rare image is the ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ painted across from Moses leading the non-Christians to judgment. In the upper scene, next to the Throne of Judgment, groups of saints who have already reached heaven sit close to Jesus portrayed as the Great Judge. A rare representation of God and the angels folding a scroll with zodiacal signs, a symbol for the end of time as we know it, occupies the last two registers.

To make it more representative of the local community, the painters added symbols of local culture, including musical instruments, traditional clothing, and nearby landscapes. Many more symbolic characters, including Adam and Eve or Greek philosophers, are painted on other exterior walls of the monastery.

Monastic life at Voronet was interrupted at the end of the 18th century after Bucovina was conquered by the Habsburg Empire, resuming only in 1991. Today, Voronet Monastery is one of Romania’s must-see attractions, and during summers, it is one of the most popular destinations in the scenic land of Bucovina.

Moldovita Monastery - Moldovita Monastery is one of the eight painted churches included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art from the 15th and 16th centuries. Their distinctive feature – external walls covered with frescoes representing complete religious cycles – makes them unique among the myriad of churches built worldwide during that time.

Continuing his father’s work, Petru Rares founded Moldovita Monastery in 1532, near where his great-grandfather had built a church over a century earlier. Surrounded by fortification walls with four corner towers and a solid gate tower, the monastery combined religious and defensive elements, a common practice during a time of frequent enemy attacks.

Built on the typical triconch plan, using the Moldavian vaulting system, the church at Moldovita also features a burial room between the narthex and the nave and a small hidden niche for storage in case of an attack, elements previously seen at Humor Monastery. The paintings at Moldovita Monastery are among the most impressive of the eight UNESCO churches. The dominant colors are red, yellow, and green, while the background is mainly white and dark blue. The multitude of religious characters is precisely and skillfully painted, conveying both their emotion and importance, with the main purpose being moral and religious education. Its external and interior walls are covered with frescoes representing extensive cycles like the ‘Tree of Jesse,’ the ‘Akathystos Hymn,’ the ‘Last Judgment,’ and the ‘Great Prayer of All Saints.’

Several elements make the paintings at Moldovita stand out. Above the altar, Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus is surrounded by her parents in a scene otherwise dominated by archangels, while in the Cycle of Passions from the nave, Jesus and Pontius Pilate appear discussing casually. Additionally, the scene of the Siege of Constantinople, a central theme for all the painted churches, is best-preserved here.

Bucovina - Brasov through the Cheile Bicazului Gorges and Red Lake

Sucevita Monastery - Few religious monuments are as inspirational and mesmerizing as Sucevita Monastery, one of the eight painted churches from Bucovina included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. A masterpiece and ‘a testament of Moldavian art,’ Sucevita Monastery marks the end of an era, a time when medieval religious art reached new levels of innovation and creativity in this part of Romania. The history of the monastery begins with the story of the Movila brothers, the great-grandsons of Moldavia’s most beloved prince: Stephen the Great. One of them, Gheorghe, converted to monastic life and eventually became the Metropolitan of Moldavia, while the other two, Simeon and Ieremia, became princes of the same historical region.

Built and painted with the financial and cultural support of the three brothers in the last two decades of the 16th century, this is the last church with painted exterior walls from the region. At first glance, the monastery resembles a medieval stronghold. During a time when the Ottoman Empire ordered the Moldavian state to destroy its fortresses, local princes fortified monasteries to use them as a safe retreat in the darkest times.

Similar to the nearby Moldovita, Sucevita Monastery also preserves its original strong precincts, a massive square rectangle of walls six meters tall and three meters thick, with five towers equipped with firing holes. Even a princely palace that today hosts the monastery’s museum was included in the original fortification walls, highlighting the potential defensive role of the religious monument.

Like all major churches from Moldavia in the 15th and 16th centuries, the painted church at Sucevita Monastery has a triconch layout, with a special novelty being the two open porches inspired by the architecture of churches from Southern Romania. Particular elements, also present at Moldovita and Humor Churches, include the burial room with the marble-carved tombs of Ieremia and Simion Movila and a secret space above them where the church’s most valuable goods were hidden.

Truly unique is the way its paintings surpass all the highlights of the remarkable religious paintings done in the region over the previous hundred years. Its rich and monumental external murals are the best conserved and most impressive of all the painted churches in Bucovina. Even its northern façade murals, usually the most damaged by weather conditions, remain almost intact.

Created by a local team of artists in the last years of the 16th century, the paintings illustrate traditional themes but also present new ones, including 40 detailed scenes from Moses’ life, seen above the burial room.

The largest of all Moldavian wall paintings is also found here, the Prayer of all Saints, covering seven registers equivalent to the entire height of the Eastern façade with detailed religious hierarchies done with vivid colors, almost perfectly preserved over time.

The Northern wall has its own masterpiece, one of the most important in all Romanian medieval art: The Ladder of John Climax or The Ladder of Virtues, a theme inspired by Mount Athos traditions. This dazzling composition offers two perspectives of the monastic afterlife, heaven for the most dedicated monks and hell with all its devils for those who disobeyed the rules. It served as a practical lesson and warning for the monks serving the monastery.

On the same wall, you’ll see the classical theme of Genesis with Adam, Eve, Abel, and Cain and their well-known series of Biblical mistakes. The interior paintings are equally rich in detail, alternating traditional and innovative themes, using the same dominant emerald green color.

A priceless monument of art, Sucevita Monastery is inspirational for the contemporary traveler in search of authenticity. One of the most beautiful and remarkable attractions in Bucovina, this UNESCO World Heritage monument is a must-see, regardless of one’s beliefs.

Black Ceramics of Marginea - A visit to the Black Ceramics of Marginea includes exploring the workshops where ceramic objects are crafted. Visitors can admire the craftsmanship of local artisans and even try their hand at this traditional craft.

Arbore Monastery - Arbore Monastery was constructed between April 2 and August 29, 1503, by Luca Arbore in the village of Soloca, which he owned. He was a significant boyar of Stefan cel Mare, serving as the gatekeeper of Suceava since 1486. He bravely defended the Suceava Fortress in 1497 against Polish attacks. Five months later, he erected the monastery next to his private residence, intended as a family chapel and cemetery. Luca never saw the completion of his monastery’s paintings, as he was beheaded along with two of his sons, having been falsely accused of treachery. The monument was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.

The monastery, with its rectangular shape, was built of brick and stone extracted from local quarries. It is smaller than other painted churches and perhaps less spectacular. There is no steeple, as it was built by a landowner, not a ruling prince. A semicircular arcade doubling the outside west wall of the pronaos was designed to house the bells, which now have a separate bell tower above the churchyard entrance.

It features remarkable fresco paintings against a predominantly green background, unlike Voronet, where blue is the dominant color. The green appears in five shades and 47 hues, combined with red, blue, yellow, pink, and ochre. Unfortunately, the secret of combining colors held by the painters of Arbore is now lost. However, scientists have identified thirty substances, including animal size, vinegar, egg, gall, and honey. Restorers can now only stabilize what remains of the frescoes. The interior paintings were severely damaged in the 17th-18th centuries when the church was left without its roof. The paintings were created by a team led by Dragos Coman from Iasi. The artist proves to be a genius: a widely-traveled man, he innovates, has a new vision different from his predecessors, and succeeds in making a bold synthesis of oriental and western elements, well integrated into tradition. Most of the paintings depict scenes from Genesis and the Saints’ lives. They are delicate and vivid, with houses drawn in perspective. The best-preserved frescoes are found on the relatively sheltered south and west walls. Among the most valuable scenes are The Hymn of the Prayers to the Virgin, The Siege of Constantinople, The Last Judgment, The Prodigal Son, and many others. The Siege of Constantinople is a syncretic representation of the attacks of Persians, Avars, and Slavs upon Constantinople in 617. The Journey of the Magi, the Holy Virgin, and other scenes show the painter’s inclination towards rocky landscapes against a predominantly green background, as in the Last Judgment, where he finds his own solutions to render the characters’ movement fluid. In the Prayer of All Saints on the apse, Christopher, the defender against death, with Baby Jesus on his shoulder, is also among the martyr saints, a unique and unusual image for Moldavia, influenced by mural painting in Catholic countries.

On the west wall, in the niche beside which services for the dead are usually celebrated, Dragos painted a series of vivid “miniatures” like a large version of an illuminated manuscript. The top register shows The Holy Family on the flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents. Below these are scenes from the Life of the Virgin, followed lower down by episodes from Moses’s story. The lowest bands contain the Siege of Constantinople, updated to reflect contemporary fears about the Turks, rather than the Persians who were the original aggressors. The south wall contains eight registers devoted to scenes from Genesis and the Lives of the Saints. The Last Judgment is badly damaged, but it must have been a strong and imaginative composition: what remains is of excellent quality, and in the raking light, you can see some of the incised underdrawings made before the paint was applied. Worth noticing are the parcels containing souls being weighed in the balance and the lush vegetation in the Paradise Garden.

Inside the monastery, an ethnographic museum with a rich display of the region’s most valuable assets is worth visiting. The monastery was restored between 1909-1914 and 1936-1937 and appears on the UNESCO list of monuments.

• 1-night accommodation in Sucevita village
• Maps for guidance
• Dinner provided
• Breakfast included
• Entrance Tickets to attractions
• Professional guide service
• Air-conditioned car transport

• The lunch on first and second day

Distinctive Artworks and Historical Epochs - journey to five of the most aesthetically appealing and symbolic painted churches in Bucovina. These monasteries can be found in areas of exceptional beauty, nestled amidst serene hills. Neighboring these monuments are traditional Romanian communities, boasting quaint ancient houses and warm, welcoming locals.

Our accommodation will be a charming countryside dwelling, complete with a delectable dinner and a wholesome breakfast.

This tour promises to leave you with enchanting memories that we are excited to offer you.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.