The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina

The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, in the far north of Romania, are among the greatest artistic treasures in the country, a group of Orthodox monasteries built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries whose walls, both inside and, remarkably, outside, are covered in vivid, exquisitely detailed frescoes. These masterpieces of Byzantine art depict biblical scenes, saints and, most famously at Voronet, a dazzling Last Judgement against a background of an intense blue, painted to teach the faithful, and preserved in astonishing colour, a UNESCO wonder.

What you actually see

• Voronet - the famous 'Sistine Chapel of the East' and its Last Judgement.
• The exterior frescoes - the vivid biblical scenes covering the walls.
• Sucevita and Moldovita - the other great painted monasteries.
• The colours - the famous Voronet blue and the intense pigments.

When to go

May to September for the best weather to tour the scattered monasteries, ideally by car over a day or two; they are working monasteries, so dress modestly and check opening hours, and they are quieter and lovelier outside the peak of summer.

Honest expectations

The monasteries are scattered across the countryside of the far north, so a car or an organised tour and a day or two are needed to see the main ones. They are working, sacred sites, so modest dress and respectful behaviour are required, and photography of the frescoes may be restricted. Their remoteness means fewer crowds, and the frescoes' preservation and colour are genuinely extraordinary.

Nearby

The city of Suceava and the wider Bucovina and Maramures regions are nearby.