Bucovina Tour 6 - Days

BUCOVINA – starting from Bucharest – 6 DAYS
  
  Visit and experience the Bucovina region with its beautiful painted monasteries a real treasure of Romania. Also you can enjoy the beauty of the mountain landscapes and the life and traditions from Bucovina villages.
  Most of the churches have frescoes covering their facades and their interior walls and some of them have been included in the UNESCO World Heritages List. Also it is a opportunity to taste the local gatstronomy and drinks.
  The most importants monasteries: Moldovita, Sucevita, Putna, Arbore, Voronet, Humor.
  Day by Day Itinerary:
  Day 1: COMING IN BUCHAREST.
  Arriving on the Bucharest International Airport. Meet with our representant and transfer to the hotel. Accomodation at Crystal Palace Hotel **** or similar.
  
   Day 2: BUCHAREST – BACAU – AGAPIA – VARATEC – VORONET/GURA HUMORULUI
  Breakfast. Leave Bucharest in our way to the north region of Romania – Bucovina, the land of painted monasteries and traditions.
  On the way stop for visits at Agapia and Varatec monasteries.
  - The New Agapia Monastery (Agapia-in-the-Valley) - its saints patrons are "The Archangels Mihail & Gavril". This monastery houses nuns.. The front sides of the monastery are covered outside with paintings of neoclassical inspiration.
  - The Varatec Monastery is a rather recent monastic settlement. Like the big church Agapia has its neo-Classical elements, but these are synthesised with a traditional Moldavian style which includes a line of neo-Byzantine blind arcading under the eaves. The monastery has a museum that hosts many valuable religious objects and books mostly made by the nuns. Apart from museum, Varatec has studios for carpet waving, embrodery and icon painting
  End the day in the Voronet – Gura Humorului area.
  Accomodation at Gura Humorului at Hilde’s Residence**** or similar.
  
   Day 3. ROUTING: Voronet/Gura Humorului – Moldovita – Sucevita - Putna – Voronet / Gura Humorului
  - Today we’ll visit some of the World famous Painted Monasteries
  - Moldovita (UNESCO): dates back from 1532 and is due to the ruling prince Petru Rares
  It has the aspect of a fortress, with imposing towers and high, thick walls. The church has a three-cusped plan, as well as an open porch. It Is decorated with scenes from the 16th c Moldavian life. You can see here the best preserved frescoes, with fresh and vivid colors
  - Sucevita : the last and the most magnificent monastic achievement among the painted monasteries in Bucovina , looks as a real fortress, with towers, buttresses and watch roads. Built in 1581, by one bishop, it was dedicated to the Assumption in 1584. Paintings of the Sucevita monastery were best preserved both on the outside and on the inside( Ladder of Virtue, the last Judgment, the tree of Jesse, )
  - Putna : The beginnings of Putna Monastery, the most important religious, cultural and artistic centre in mediaeval Moldavia, take us back to the year 1466 when, upon the initiative of Prince Stephen the Great , a church of impressive dimensions was built on a patch of forest cleared for the purpose. The edifice was erected among 1466 and 1469 and consecrated in 1470; to it was added a few more buildings: a princely home standing on the southern side, outer walls and defence towers; all of them completed in 1481. Miniature painters, many embroiderers, icon makers, weavers, silversmiths, sculptors in wood and book-binders toiled on in the quiet atmosphere of the monks' cells at Putna. They continued
  valuable Romanian patterns and achieved works of great artistic value which today are the pride of all museums and libraries housing them.
  Special mention should be made of the sumptuous and elegant Four Gospels created here, adorned with miniatures in which perfect drawing combines with a motley color scheme in which gold prevails, as well as the fine embroideries (epitaphs, iconostasis curtains, coverings of tetrapods and of graves, stoles, etc.), many of them on show in the museum of the monastery.
  Accomodation at Gura Humorului at Hilde’s Residence**** or similar.
  
  Day 4. ROUTING: Voronet / Gura Humorului – Suceava – Voronet / Gura Humorului.
  Breakfast and continue the visits to the Bucovina County.
  - Voronet Monastery (UNESCO) : founded in 1488 by Stephen the Great . It is the most accomplished sample of artistic achievement in Moldavian architecture and painting . The doors of the porch have a Renaissance framing, whereas the stone carvings of the broken arches at the doors and windows belong to the Gothic style. Voronet Monastery had been dubbed the oriental Sistine Chapel , whereas Voronet Blue , a color obtained from lapis lazuli, entered in the lexicon of art alongside Titian red and Veronese green, and to this day has yet to be reproduced by natural means.
  - Humor (UNESCO) : dates from 1530, this monastery was among the first churches to be painted , the frescoes were painted in 1535. Humor is painted in reddish brown ( from oriental madder pigment), colors are brilliant and truthful to nature.
  Than go to Suceava, the former capital of Moldova in medieval ages. Here we visit Suceava Citadel, which was built during the rule of the Prince Petru I Musat (1375-1391), having 10 m high and 2 m thick defense walls and a defense tower in every corner, the entrance into the citadel being realized by crossing a bridge with piers. Here died Stephen the Great.
  End the day back in Voronet or Gura Humorului.
  Accomodation at Gura Humorului at Hilde’s Residence**** or similar.
  
  Day 5: ROUTING: Voronet / Gura Humorului – Targu Neamt –Bucharest
  Breakfast. Going on the route to visiting the Neamt Monastery, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in 14th century, and it is an example of medieval moldavian architecture.
  Continue the route to Bucharest where we’ll arrive in the evening.
  Accomodation at Crystal Palace Hotel **** or similar
  
  Day 6: Bucharest - airport
  Breakfast. Transfer to the Bucharest International Airport for your departure flight.
  
  Minim 15 - Person