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 several 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 elements reflect the status of its founder, a wealthy first-rank 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 stance, being a patron 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, its 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 size 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 unique feature is a hidden space above the burial area inside the church, used to store precious objects in case of attacks.

Voronet Monastery - You don’t need to be very religious to appreciate a visit to Voronet Monastery, where you’ll find the most famous of Bucovina’s painted churches. Now part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with six other churches in the region, this religious monument symbolizes how local medieval princes strongly supported the Orthodox faith during a time when it was threatened by the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. Voronet Monastery is included in our Active Tour in Cultural Bucovina and Painted Monasteries of Bucovina Tour.

Also known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’ due to its splendid 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 a victory against the Ottoman armies. This was a common practice for the prince, who promoted an architectural style known as the Moldavian style. Many churches built in this style still stand 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, persuading them to follow Christian norms.

The frescoes of Voronet, exquisite testimonies to their painters’ talent, hold a centuries-old secret. The distinct ‘Voronet blue’ color is unique in the world, and its composition is almost 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 back to the time of the founder, Prince Stephen the Great, who is portrayed in the nave with his family. Major Biblical scenes, focusing on the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, occupy 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 are the most impressive. The largest of these is on the western wall, depicting the ‘Last Judgment’ in a unique representation for Eastern Christianity. This extensive scene of the last day and its outcomes should be read from the lower part, where heaven contrasts with the river of fire and a gleeful Satan greeting the sinners. Among the sinners are non-Christians of the time, including Jews and Turks. Angels Michael and Peter play key roles, one opening the gates of heaven while the other pushes sinners to hell. A rare image of the ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ is painted opposite Moses leading non-Christians to judgment. In the upper scene, near the Throne of Judgment, groups of saints who have already reached heaven sit close to Jesus, portrayed as the Great Judge. A rare depiction of God and angels folding a scroll with zodiacal signs, symbolizing the end of time, occupies the last two registers.

To make it more representative of the local community, the painters included symbols of local culture, such as musical instruments, traditional clothing, and nearby landscapes. Many more symbolic characters, including Adam and Eve and 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 a popular summer destination 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 15th and 16th-century Byzantine art. Their distinctive feature – external walls covered with frescoes depicting complete religious cycles – makes them unique among the many 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 in 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 during attacks, elements previously seen at Humor Monastery. The paintings at Moldovita Monastery are among the most impressive of the eight UNESCO churches. Dominant colors include red, yellow, and green, with a primarily white and dark blue background. The multitude of religious characters is precisely and skillfully painted, conveying both 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, the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus is surrounded by her parents in a scene dominated by archangels, while in the Cycle of Passions in the nave, Jesus and Pontius Pilate appear in a casual discussion. Additionally, the scene of the Siege of Constantinople, a central theme for all 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 in Bucovina included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. A masterpiece and ‘a testament of Moldavian art,’ Sucevita Monastery marks the end of an era 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 in 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 safe retreats during dark times.

Similar to nearby Moldovita, Sucevita Monastery also retains 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, now hosting the monastery’s museum, was included in the original fortification walls, highlighting the potential defensive role of the religious monument.

Like all major churches in Moldavia from the 15th and 16th centuries, the painted church at Sucevita Monastery has a triconch layout, with the unique addition of two open porches inspired by Southern Romanian church architecture. Features also present at Moldovita and Humor Churches include the burial room with marble-carved tombs of Ieremia and Simion Movila and a secret space above them for hiding valuable church goods.

The paintings at Sucevita Monastery surpass all previous highlights of remarkable religious paintings in the region over the past century. Its rich and monumental external murals are the best preserved and most impressive of all the painted churches in Bucovina. Even the northern façade murals, usually the most weather-damaged, are almost intact.

Created by a local team of artists in the late 16th century, the paintings depict traditional themes and new ones, including 40 detailed scenes from Moses’ life above the burial room. The largest of all Moldavian wall paintings, the Prayer of all Saints, covers seven registers equivalent to the entire height of the Eastern façade, with detailed religious hierarchies in vivid colors, almost perfectly preserved over time.

The Northern wall features its own masterpiece, one of the most important in Romanian medieval art: The Ladder of John Climax or The Ladder of Virtues, inspired by Mount Athos traditions. This dazzling composition offers two perspectives of 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 find the classical theme of Genesis with Adam, Eve, Abel, and Cain and their well-known series of Biblical mistakes. The interior paintings are equally detailed, alternating traditional and innovative themes, using the same dominant emerald green color.

A priceless monument of art, Sucevita Monastery inspires contemporary travelers seeking authenticity. One of Bucovina’s most beautiful and remarkable attractions, this UNESCO World Heritage monument is a must-see, regardless of your faith.

Black Ceramics of Marginea - We will visit the Black Ceramics of Marginea, where ceramic objects are produced. You will admire the craftsmanship of local artisans and have the opportunity to try this craft yourself.

Arbore Monastery - Arbore Monastery was built 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 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 monastery’s paintings completed, as he was beheaded along with two of his sons after being 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 from local quarries. It is smaller than other painted churches and likely less spectacular. There is no steeple, as it was built by a landowner rather than 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.

The monastery features remarkable fresco paintings against a predominantly green background, unlike Voronet, where blue is the primary color. The green appears in five shades and 47 hues, combined with red, blue, yellow, pink, and ochre. Unfortunately, the secret of the color combinations used by Arbore’s painters is 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 a roof. The paintings were created by a team led by Dragos Coman from Iasi. The artist, a widely-traveled genius, innovated with a new vision different from his predecessors, successfully synthesizing oriental and western elements while integrating them into tradition. Most of the paintings depict scenes from Genesis and the lives of the Saints. They are delicate and vivid, with houses drawn in perspective. The best-preserved frescoes are on the relatively sheltered south and west walls. Notable scenes include 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 by Persians, Avars, and Slavs on 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 seen in the Last Judgment, where he finds unique solutions to render the characters’ fluid movement. In the Prayer of All Saints on the apse, Christopher, the defender against death, with Baby Jesus on his shoulder, is 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 where services for the dead are usually held, Dragos painted a series of vivid ‘miniatures’ resembling large illuminated manuscripts. 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 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 original Persian 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 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. Noteworthy 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 is listed as a UNESCO monument.

• 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