The Suceava Throne Fortress combines medieval history with a permanent exhibition featuring weapons, the coats of arms of Moldavian princes and boyars, and the medieval treasure of Moldavia. For almost 200 years, the fortress was the principal residence of the Moldavian princes. Here, evidence of courtly rule meets the objects and symbols on display.
Village Life and Regional Traditions
The Bukovina Village Museum offers another perspective on Bukovina. Its traditional farmhouses and communal buildings show how buildings contribute to a village’s character; the museum also explores regional occupations, crafts and the way of life of people in Bukovina. In the workshops, traditional craft techniques are demonstrated and taught to children and tourists. While the fortress focuses on the history of the princes, the village museum turns the spotlight on work, crafts and everyday life.
The Hanul Domnesc in Suceava also combines historic architecture with a regional exhibition. The building was documented in 1627 and was originally the home of the Moldavian prince Miron Barnovschi. Its permanent exhibition presents six ethnographic zones of Suceava County: Fălticeni, Humor, Dorna, Rădăuți, Câmpulung Moldovenesc and Suceava. On the ground floor, the museum recreates an 18th- and 19th-century inn, with period furnishings and objects related to transport and hunting. The zone exhibition and the recreated inn thus offer different points of focus: regional diversity on the one hand, and the design of a historic inn on the other.
Monasteries, Churches and Distinctive Architectural Forms
The monasteries of Bukovina reflect different connections between architecture and history. Sucevița combines Byzantine and Gothic elements with forms that draw on the old Moldavian wooden churches. Moldovița was founded in 1532 as a fortified complex and painted in 1537. Voroneț is known for the unique “Voroneț blue,” which appears as the background of its exterior frescoes. Rather than a single architectural style, you will find a range of architectural and artistic features here.
Arbore Monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Luca Arbore founded the church, which was initially used as a family burial place. In Cacica, two other landmarks add to the picture: the Roman Catholic church was built in 1904 by the local Polish community and was granted the status of a minor basilica in 2000. Cacica Salt Mine is one of Europe’s oldest sites for producing salt recrystallized from brine; the Ferdinand shaft opened in 1791.
Putna Monastery also connects cultural history with practical guidance. The Via Transilvanica begins here in Bukovina; its Bukovina section is 144 kilometres long. The monastery is about 1.5 kilometres from Putna railway station. If you use the railway station as a reference point for your visit, you can take this short distance into account when planning.
Nature and Activities in the Region
Nature lovers should take a look at Slătioara’s old-growth forest: it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2017 and is also part of the Rarău–Giumalău Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance. Another high-altitude destination is Pietrosul. At 2,100 metres, it is the highest peak in the Călimani Mountains and can be reached from Gura Haitii.
The Rarău Massif is accessible via three roads and offers opportunities for a variety of activities: cycling, trekking and horse riding, as well as ski touring, freeriding, off-road activities, ice climbing, mountaineering, sport climbing and paragliding. The variety ranges from trails and tours to climbing and winter sports. The 144-kilometre Bukovina section of the Via Transilvanica offers its own setting for longer journeys; it is not synonymous with any single activity.
In Ciocănești, traditional motifs are painted on the exterior façades of houses. The “Arta Lemnului” Museum in Câmpulung Moldovenesc features exhibits on regional occupations, woodworking, timber rafting, hunting and fishing, as well as various household objects. Together, these places show how strongly the experience of discovering Bukovina is shaped by specific themes: historic buildings, crafts, landscapes and different ways of experiencing the region.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Suceava, Rădăuţi, Gura Humorului, Dărmăneşti, Frasin, Vatra Dornei, Solca, Fundu Moldovei, Vama, Şcheia, Dragomirna Monastery, Pojorâta, Cârlibaba, Frumosu, Poiana Negrii, Sadova, Moldovița Commune, Putna Commune, Straja Commune, Cornu Luncii Commune, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Arbore Commune, Sucevița Commune, Horodnic De Sus Commune, Mănăstirea Humorului Commune, Vatra Moldoviței Commune, Baia Commune, Cacica, Văleni-Stânișoara, Fălticeni, Dealu Floreni, Şaru Dornei, Crucea, Dorna - Arini Commune, Podu Coșnei, Căsoi, Ciocănești, Păltinoasa Commune, Brosteni, Poiana Stampei Commune, Prisaca Dornei, Moldova-Sulița, Pârteștii de Sus.
For the broader travel overview: Romania.
