Classic – Bucovina Painted Monasteries Tour

Classic – Bucovina Painted Monasteries Tour

Availability - All year round

Time - 8 hours

Distance - 190 km (round trip)

Group size - from 1 to 7 or private

Price range - 45 - 80 Euro/ person

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Itinerary:

Suceava

With an estimated population of 100,000 Suceava is the largest city and the seat of Suceava County. Once the capital of Moldavia, for nearly 200 years the city of Suceava was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia and the main residence of the Moldavian princes (namely between 1388 and 1565). Today is an excellen starting point to visit the north of Romania, specially the painted monasteries of Bucovina but not only. The town has some noteworthy attractions of its own, Saint George's Church (the monastery of St. John the New of Suceava), a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Bucovina village museum (open air museum), with its valuable old woodend bucovinean houses and traditional items exhibits, and Suceava's main tourist site, is the 14th-century citadel.

Marginea black pottery workshop

The Black Ceramics of Marginea – Marginea Ceramics is already a well-known brand. Historians date the beginning of pottery at Marginea in 1500. Pottery appeared due to the necessity of storing food. The pottery had its role in primitive society development because it made possible the storage of food. Imagine your kitchen without these ordinary objects. Due to its geographical position, Marginea commune is surrounded by forestes, its soil is argellaceous and it is crossed by the Sucevita river. All these features are fundamental for the craft born from the magical triangel of clay, water and fire. Before the communist oppression in Marginea there were at least 60 families of potters as declared an old potter who reached Munich to present his craft.

Sucevita

Situated in the village with the same name, on the valley of Sucevita brook, at a distance of 18km South-West from Radauti town, Sucevita Monastery was built in the last decades of the 16th century, on the expense of the entire boyar Movila family, Ieremia being the ruler of Moldavia between the years 1595-1606. The outside painting of Sucevita Monastery is the best kept from the group of Moldavian churches with exterior painting, the only one that keeps the Northern side, where the ,,Virtues lather” scene is represented, being the most impressive by its amplitude and the contrast between angles and hell’s chaos. This scene presents the battle between right and wrong, man’s attempt to get to perfection, in order to regain the lost face by falling into sin.Il monastero di Sucevita

Moldovita

MOLDOVITA MONASTERY was founded by Petru Rares in 1532, is actually a fortress with strong thick walls (1,20 m) and tall (of 5m) with towers on the both corners of the facade and a powerful tower for the gate. The elements that confer uniqueness this construction can he synthesized as follows: the unusual solution of the elongation of the aisle by enclosing two more spaces; the symmetrical disposal of the narthex windows; the doors frame under the prominent cornices as well as the high artistry of iconographic expression. From this point of view, “Buna vestire” Church of Moldovita Monastery is according to many specialists in mural painting, “one of the most important moments of the ancient Romanian art”. Together with Voronet Monastery, Sucevita Monastery, Arbore Curch and Humor Monastery, MOLDOVITA MONASTERY represents the chain of universal notoriety monuments.

Voronet

In 1488, the ruler Stephan the Great built Voronet Monastery at the advice of Daniil Sihastrul, its trustful adviser. It was built in less then four months, between May 26 and September 14 of the same year. The monastery is considered by many experts to be the quintessence of the Moldavian architectural style: a synthesis of Byzantine elements (the foundation is in the shape of a white clover, with a tower right above the nave) and gothic elements (arks and columns). Voronet Monastery is considered to be the ,,Sistine Chapel of the Orient” for its big fresco on the Western facade, named afterward judgment’s day”. Furthermore „the blue of Voronet” is considered by the specialists to be unique in the world, and as known as Rubes red or the Veronese green. The ,,tree of Jesse” or the genealogy of our Redeemer Jesus the Christ is presented on the blue background and the Greek Latin philosophers are painted on the column. We can see Aristotle and Plato and on the lateral apse the ,,ascetic face of St. Onufrie” draws the attention.Voronet Monastery

Humor

At a distance of 5-6 km from Gura Humorului, in the picturesque village named Manastirea Humorului, Humor Monastery is located on the crest of a hill, surrounded by trees and meadows, one of the most known buildings of the Romanian Middle Age. From the inscription carved in rock, placed al the entrance on the exterior wall of the saint place, we find out that the church was built in 1530 by Toader Bubuioga, a big chancellor and member of the Moldavia Council and his wife Anastasia. The holly place rises at a distance of around 300 meters from the ruins of an older monastery church whose construction was made even from the time of Alexandru cel Bun (1400-1432). Here appears, for the first time in the construction of Moldavia’s churches, the open hallway and a new room at the floor, named the mysterious, which overlaps to the tomb room. Humor monastery‘s church, together with Voronet Monastery, Moldovita Monastery, Arbore and Sucevita monastery, is one of the five buildings, decorated by them on the inside and on the outside, by Byzantine frescoes. This is what differentiates from all the other churches in the Orthodox world. In Humor church’s case, the admiration is attracted by its exterior frescoes

Suceava

Tour description:

The Classic - Bucovina Painted Monasteries Tour is our best-seller tour, a fascinating day tour where you have the opportunity to admire some of the unique painted monasteries of Bucovina: "The big four" - the monastery of Voronet, the monastery of Humor, the monastery of Moldovita and the monastery of Sucevita; all of them listed as UNESCO world heritage.

The Classic - Bucovina Painted Monasteries Tour is not only about the monasteries and the spirituality but it will also introduce you to the bucolic atmosphere of Bucovina with its charming traditional villages, dense forests, spectacular mountain roads and local craftsmen who preserve ancient traditions.

All this in one single day, 200 km and approximately 8 hours.

Price:

80 Euro/Person

Discount for group reservations:

8 persons - 45 Euro/person
6-7 persons - 50 Euro/person
4-5 persons - 60 Euro/person

Other discounts:

- 50% Off discount for children between 7-12 years old.
- Families with children under 7 years old, will need to contact us for a private tour

What's included:

- Licensed english speaking tour guide;
- Private transportation with modern vehicle (AC);
- Pick up and drop off from your hotel.

Not included:

- Lunch;
- Entrance fees;
- Personal expenses.

Optionals:

Remember all our tour can be customized. At this tour you can add other tourist attractions like:

International Museum of the decorated eggs of Vama, Bucovina

Deep in the heart of Bukovina, in Vama, we are waiting for you to see the most varied and numerous collection of dyed and decorated eggs in Romania and one of the most important ones in Europe at once.

The museum is also helpful to discover the traditions from the area and the art of decorating the Easter eggs.

Inside the workshop you can also decorate eggs yourself directed by the teacher Letitia Orsivschi, who is going to explain you the hidden symbols of Bukovina.

The explanations are given in the main international languages (English, German, French).

In the museum there are over 3,000 eggs from all over the world displayed in 22 glass-cases; there you can admire eggs collected from international exhibitions (as a result of 14 year-long personal participation at different international exhibitions) and eggs from Bukovina with unique, old motifs and patterns inherited from our great-grandparents.

A whole glass-case displays eggs with very old motifs and patterns from Vama for the decoration of which they used exclusively vegetable colours that are quite bright even today.

Another glass-case displays again the colours specific to Vama together with different elements of culture from Bukovina, all reflecting Letitia’s work as an artist.

In the second room you are going on an imaginary trip around the world and you get in touch with various styles and techniques of decorating eggs from 79 countries – all these can be seen in the glass-cases of the museum.

Dragomirna Monastery

Having survived on Moldavian lands for more than three centuries Dragomirna monastery is one of those monuments that evoke a page of Moldavia history in a particular way. The monastery’s strong walls, the towers and the counter forts create an atmosphere of medieval fortress that faced many attacks. Built by the ruler Miron Barnovschi Movila in 1627, this web of walls surrounds construction the 1609 construction, built by Anastasie Crimca. Narrow as an ark, of hallucinating height, Dragomirna church represents the founder’s dream of building this eye of clearing, a monument like no other. Monumental, sober, Dragomirna monastery by the contrast between the massiveness of the walls and the tower’s lace of stone.

Putna Monastery

First and one of the most important creations of the vaivode Stephan the Great, Putna Monastery with the titular day ,,Adormirea Maicii Domnului (The Assumption of Mary)” (celebrated on August 15), was built between the years 1466 and 1481.

In time, Putna Monastery passed through numerous tryouts: foreign attacks and occupations, fires and earthquakes, but they did not succeeded in interrupting the evolution of the religious life.

One of the most important gold of the church is the miracle-making icon of God’s Mother, brought in the year 1472 from Constantinople by Lady Maria de Mangop – Stephan the Great’s wife.

Putna monastery remains for more than 5 centuries an important spiritual, historical and cultural component of the world in the history. Due to its founder’s name, Putna Monastery is well known not only in the country, but also in the whole Europe, Stephan the Great being known under the name of Christianity athlete.

Cacica Salt-Mine

Hidden between the hills nearby the town of Gura Humorului, Cacica is one of the most visited places in Suceava county. The salt-mine has been dug manually under the technical guidance of an Austrian, Paul Hofmann. The giant salt mountain in Cacica can provide enough salt for the entire Europe for the next 400 years!

The name of “Cacica” has its origins in the polish “kaczika”, meaning “duck”, because there used to be many lakes with wild ducks in the region.

The main tourist attractions are:

The old salt mine, where one can see the roman-catholic chapel “Saint Barbara”, the salt-lake and the ball-room;

The roman-catholic sanctuary of Cacica;

The old wooden-church of Humor Monastery, situated in the village of Partestii de Sus;

Accessibility: 18 km from the town of Gura Humorului and 40 km from the town of Suceava.

Arbore Church

Luca Arbore, the one who courageously defended the Fortress of Suceava for three weeks. Against the Polish siege, is the one who for almost 40 years, beginning with 1486, was the doorman of Suceava – remains in our memory through building of the village bearing his name.

The skill of the craftsmen who started to build it in April 1502, made add Arbore church one of the important monuments of Moldavia. Later on, wanting to add an extra beauty to their father’s building, Luca Arbore is daughters ordered the “Dragosin” craftsman to paint the external walls. The scenes are populated by numerous characters in continuous movement. The live colours of the painting are harmoniously combined, emitting a lot of warmth. The green borrowed from the surrounding forests and hills predominates in the rich polychromy.

Humor

Bogdana Monastery

Sfantul Nicolae Church is the first religious stone construction in Moldavia, kept in its original, unspoiled form, considered to be a true birth document of Moldavia’s architecture. Founded around the year 1360 by the vaivode Bogdan I {1359-1365} as a gratification for God for being successful in the battles for the establishment of free and independent state of Moldavia, this prayer place will become also a necropolis for him and his family.

BOGDANA MONASTERY represents the expression of an admirable artistic synthesis between Roman, Gothic and Byzantine architecture, and also an important example in the Moldavian architecture orientation and development of the 16th – 17th centuries.

Through artistic, architectural and decorative qualities, BOGDANA MONASTERY became one of the representative monuments of the artistic-cultural patrimony of Romania, being included in the UNESCO patrimony.Il Monastero di Bogdana

Tour FAQ:

Is this a private or a group tour?

This is small group tour, but most of the time we run the tour with 2 persons. If you want be 100% sure that the tour will be private please contact us.

What time do tours start?

The best time to start this tour is 09.00 am, but we can also start at a mutually agreeded time.

Which are the pick-up and drop-off places?

We can pick-up/dop-off you at your hotel or any other point in Suceava city and not only.

How long does the tour take?

The tour takes approximately 8 hours but we can adapt to fit 100% your individual requirments from 7 to 10 hours.

How should I dress?

There is no formal dress code but try to be respectfully and try to cover your knees and shoulders during the visit at the monasteries.

When do I have to pay?

If you book a day tour you don't have to pay in advance. You just have to inform us about the pick-up place and time and you will pay only when you will start the tour.

What currency can we use?

For our tours we accept both Euro and the local currency known as Leu or Ron, but for all the other expences we recommend to use the local currency.

When is the best time of the year to visit Romania and Bucovina region?

We recommend taking advantage of any chance to visit us, since each season is great in its own way to visit Romania and Bucovina region.