Today you will have a full day to discover the beauty of this area, the painted monasteries. First stop will be at Marginea, a village known for its black pottery. It became a pottery center sometimes in the 16th century. The pottery was crafted for food storage and other purposes. It is crossed by the Suceviţa River and surrounded by forests and lands providing water, fire and clay for the preservation of this art. Marginea is the only place in the world where the black color is obtained without adding anything to the clay paste. The most picturesque treasures of Romania are the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. Their exterior walls are decorated with elaborate 15th and 16th century containing portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of angels and demons, and heaven and hell. First stop is at Sucevita Monastery (UNESCO Heritage), built between 1582 and 1584. The architecture of the church contains both Byzantine and Gothic elements, and some elements typical to other painted churches of northern Moldavia. Both interior and exterior walls are covered by mural paintings, which are of great artistic value and depict biblical episodes from the Old and New Testament. The paintings date from around 1601, which makes Sucevița one of the last monasteries to be decorated in the famous Moldavian style of exterior paintings. Next is the Monastery of Moldovița built between 1532 and 1537 by Petru Rareș, who was Stephen III of Moldavia’s illegitimate son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East. The frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well-preserved. The predominantly yellow-and-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox art. Next is Voronet Monastery, constructed by Stephen the Great in 1488 over a period of 3 months and 3 weeks to commemorate the victory at Battle of Vaslui. Often known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East”, the frescoes at Voroneț feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as “Voroneț blue.”

Overnight in Sucevita.

Today we will drive along the villages from Moldova and we will visit Neamt Monastery, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in the 15th century, and it is an example of medieval Moldavian architecture. A jewel of 15th-century architecture, the church was built during Ştefan the Greatest’s reign and finished in the year when the Moldavian army won the battle against King John Albert (1497). Neamt County is an area blessed with many touristic sites such as century-old monasteries, museums, fortresses and as well many natural parks ideal for hiking and wild-life watching. Monasteries Neamt (the oldest in eastern Romania) and Agapia- featuring by Romania`s best known painters: Nicolae Grigorescu at Agapia Monastery, the Ceahlau Mountain also known as the Athos of Romanian Orthodoxy.

Drive back to Bucharest and drop off to your hotel.