Sucevița · Bucovina · Romania

Sucevița Monastery

monasterypainted monasteryUNESCOfortifiedgoogle verified

moderate

10/10

best: morning, summer, autumn

awe-inspiring, remote, spiritual

A local would say...

The greatest painted monastery in Romania — and the western wall is bare because a painter fell from the scaffolding and no one dared replace him.

The largest and arguably finest of Bucovina's painted monasteries, reached by a winding mountain road that climbs to 1100m before descending into a secluded valley. The heavily frescoed church, built 1582–1601, has a bare western wall where legend says the fatal plunge of a painter from scaffolding dissuaded all others from completing the scheme. The red-and-green exterior frescoes from around 1590 include a remarkable Ladder of Virtues scene.