The Painted Monasteries of Romania

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Day 1: Arrival Bucharest

Arrival and overnight in a four star hotel in Bucharest. Depending on your arrival time, you may have a chance to explore the beautiful capital of Romania.

• Accommodation: Hotel Minerva (or similar)

Day 2: Train to Suceava and transfer to Putna Monastery

After breakfast, you take a train to Suceava on your own (approx. 5 hours), followed by a transfer to Putna (1 hour). Visit Putna Monastery, built by Ştefan cel Mare, following his victory over the Turks at Chilia. It is also one of the most important cultural and religious centres of medieval Moldavia. Enjoy the next two nights in a cosy guesthouse in Putna with dinner included.

• Walking for the day: up to 4 hours
• Accommodation: Guesthouse Putna Monastery (or similar)

Day 3: Putna Circular walk | 9 km

Today you will visit the small Sihastru monastery. On your way to the monastery, about 2 km from Putna, you will come across the hermitage Chilia lui Daniil. This cave contains a memorial plaque to the 15th-century hermit and seer Daniel Dimitru. A monk from age 16, Daniel later dug and inhabited this rock cave. Visit the museum in Putna, with priceless artefacts and treasures like the embroidered medieval shroud of the Tartarian princess Maria Mangob.

• Walking for the day: 9 km, 3 hours, ↑100 m ↓100 m
• Accommodation: Guesthouse Putna Monastery (or similar)

Day 4: Putna – Suceviţa | 18 km

From Putna you take the old monastery path to Suceviţa monastery. In summer, the forest is full of berries and wild mushrooms. Suceviţa Monastery (built 1582–1601) is the largest Bucovina monastery, and some regard it as the finest. It’s perhaps best known for its exterior Ladder of Virtues fresco, with its 32 steps to heaven, near the main entry. It exhorts priests to righteous behaviour and to avoid the unfortunate fate of the clerics depicted tumbling from the ladder due to sins such as greed or vanity. Suceviţa was the last painted monastery built. The monastery’s museum exhibits various treasures and art pieces. Spend the next two nights in a welcoming guesthouse in Suceviţa, with dinner included.

• Walking for the day: 18 km, 5-6 hours, ↑180 m ↓250 m
• Accommodation: Felicia Guesthouse (or similar) 

Day 5: Moldoviţa and circular walk Suceviţa | 8 km

After breakfast, a short transfer will take you to the Ciumirna pass where you can enjoy the astounding panoramic mountain views. Visit Moldoviţa Monastery, built in 1532, it occupies a fortified quadrangular enclosure with a tower, gates and well-tended lawns. The central painted church has been partly restored and features impressive frescoes from 1537. The southern exterior wall depicts the siege of Constantinople in 626, under a combined Persian-Avar attack. Interestingly, the besiegers are depicted in Turkish dress – keeping parishioners concentrated on the contemporary enemy. Inside the sanctuary, on a wall facing the carved iconostasis, a pious Prince Petru Rareş offers the church to Christ. The monastery’s small museum displays Rareş’ original throne.

• Walking for the day: 8 km, 3 hours, ↑110 m ↓110 m
• Accommodation: Felicia Guesthouse (or similar) 

Day 6: Suceviţa – Humor | 12 km

Leaving Suceviţa, the transfer will take you to Solca village. An old cart path leads to the Polish village of Solonet, then to the Humor monastery from the 16th century. Built in 1530, Humor Monastery kept its religious function until Bucovina became part of the Habsburg Empire at the end of the 18th century. The Austrian authorities put an end to the monachal life from Humor, and only the church was allowed to continue with its religious functions. The monastery was only restored more than 200 years later, in 1991. The chromatic unity of the paintings of the church is still visible, the main colours being various shades of red. Their quality and importance were the main criteria for adding Humor Monastery to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Spend the next two nights in Humor with your evening meal included.

• Walking for the day: 12 km, 4 hours, ↑320 m ↓290 m
• Accommodation: 3*** Guesthouse Pensiunea Maridor Manastirea Humorului (or similar)

Day 7: Voronet – Humor | 15 km

Short transfer in the morning to Voronet monastery. Built in just three months and three weeks by Ştefan cel Mare following a key 1488 victory over the Turks, Voroneţ Monastery is the only painted monastery that has had an internationally recognised colour associated with it. ‘Voroneţ Blue’, a vibrant cerulean hue created from lapis lazuli and other ingredients, is prominent in its frescoes. A 2011 restoration of frescoes in the entryway revealed the incredible quality of these paintings even more clearly. Continue your walk up to Objina with good views over a valley and villages scattered around until you reach Humor.

• Walking for the day: 15 km, 5 hours, ↑370 m ↓350 m
• Accommodation: 3*** Guesthouse Pensiunea Maridor Manastirea Humorului (or similar)

Day 8: Departure

After breakfast, we will transfer you to Suceava train station where you can get the train to Bucharest. Individual stay extensions available upon request.

Click to view default hotels

• Hotel Minerva
• Guesthouse Putna Monastery
• Felicia Guesthouse
• Guesthouse Pensiunea Maridor Manastirea Humorului

Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.