Painted monasteries are one of the highlights of traveling in Romania. They’re works of art coupled with historic religious institutions. Many of them are in beautiful, remote corners of the country where few tourists go — like the Bucovina monasteries near Suceava.
Independent travel in Bucovina is challenging and adventurous. Many villages have no public transportation. If you get lost, no one speaks English. But it’s also extremely rewarding. You’ll meet some of the friendliest, most welcoming people in the world. And you’ll get way off the tourist trail — which can be hard to do in Europe.
I visited the Bucovina monasteries on my own, without a tour, on a shoestring budget. I couldn’t find any reliable traveler information before I went. So I wanted to share with you how to plan your own DIY Romania monasteries tour so you can avoid my mistakes and stress!
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Why should you visit the Bucovina monasteries?
The painted monasteries of Bucovina are the finest examples of Romanian religious architecture. Indeed, they’re widely considered some of the most beautiful Byzantine treasures anywhere in the world!
The monasteries are decorated inside and outside with detailed paintings depicting scenes from the Bible. The paintings date back as far as the 15th Century.
Originally, the purpose of the paintings was to pass on stories of key saints’ lives to villagers living in Bucovina. Today, they serve as historical artifacts of that time. But they also are remarkable works of art in their own right. In particular, art enthusiasts admire their bright colors and intricate detail.
The style is remarkably similar to the Chora Church in Istanbul. Some of the scenes include references to the Tatar community in Ukraine as well. When you visit, you’ll clearly see the cultural links tying Central and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and North Africa.
The two monasteries you’ll visit on this DIY Bucovina monastery tour are Voronet and Humor Monasteries. These are the only two that are even remotely accessible without your own wheels. Luckily, they’re very different from each other and Voronet is typically considered the most beautiful of all the Romanian painted monasteries.
Before your DIY Romanian monastery tour: Spend the night in Suceava
Before you can start exploring Romania’s monasteries, you need to get to the nearest major town as a staging point. You’ll have to spend the night here so you can get an early start in the morning.
Suceava is one of the larger cities in northern Romania. It’s a pretty unremarkable place dominated by Soviet-style architecture. It’s distinctly lacking in the historic center that makes Transylvanian towns like Brasov and Bran so charming. That being said, it has plenty of traveler amenities like cafes and grocery stores, so it’s not a bad pit stop for the night.
Suceava also has one of Romania’s best hostels. Irene’s Hostel is the ideal place to stay while visiting the painted churches of Romania. It has cheap dorm beds, a self-catering kitchen, free tea and coffee, and the friendly owner provides a wealth of travel information.
You can reach Suceava from most other towns in northern Romania and further afield. It’s an eight-hour bus ride or a ten-hour train ride to Bucharest. Frequent buses and trains run to Iaşi (2 hours) and Gura Humorului (1 hour). You can get a direct bus to/from the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. And if you’re looking at a map thinking, “it has to be possible to get to Suceava from the Maramures,” the answer is — yes it is, and you’re in for a helluva trip (and a change in Gura Humorului). Plan on 8+ hours to travel the 250 km.
What to expect from a DIY tour of the Bucovina Monasteries
Before you head off on your own to plan your monastery tour, you should know what to expect.
First, public transportation in this part of Romania can be challenging. I’ll point you to all the bus stops along the way in this tour, but don’t expect them to look like any bus stop you’ve seen before — they’re basically unmarked places on the side of the road where buses occasionally pass. If you’re not comfortable with the fact that you could be waiting awhile with little assurance that you’re in the right place, you should probably just book a tour or rent a car.
Second, not many locals speak English outside of Suceava. So if you need to ask for directions, some very basic Romanian (and proficiency with hand gestures) comes in handy. Put Google Translate on your phone just in case.
Third, if you want to see both Voronet and Humor monasteries in one day, you’ll have to walk a total of about 26 km. Neither monastery is far from the transit hub of Gura Humorului, but they’re in opposite directions and no public transportation runs to them. It’s flat, and you’ll walk along the road the whole time. But there isn’t much shade and there’s nowhere to stop for food or drinks. Bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen.
Finally, if walking isn’t your thing, you can hitchhike between the monasteries. It’s the main form of transportation that locals use and it’s considered safe. You might even end up riding on a horse and cart (I did!). There isn’t much traffic so you may end up waiting awhile for a ride. Heading back to town from the monasteries, your best bet is to ask the nuns for a lift. The gesture in Romania to ask for a ride is not sticking out your thumb — it’s moving your hand, palm open, in a downward motion (kind of like if you were swatting a bug away from your knees). Bring small change, as drivers will expect nominal payment.
If this all sounds like a fun adventure to you, continue reading for the step-by-step DYI Bucovina monastery tour!
Step one: Take the bus from Suceava to Gura Humorului
On the morning you want to visit the painted monasteries, get an early start — by 8 am. Your first goal is to get to Gura Humorului — the mid-sized town in between Voronet and Humor monasteries. It’s about an hour-long bus ride away.
The bus station in Suceava is just a 10-minute walk from Irene’s Hostel. Alternatively, you can pick up a passing bus from the road outside the Natural History Museum. They leave about once an hour and cost 8 lei.
Most buses don’t terminate in Gura Humorului, so be sure to tell the driver where you’re going. (It’s pronounced “GOO-rah Hoo-MOR-oo-lee” — the accent on the second syllable isn’t intuitive but is essential to being understood.) Gura Humorului is the first major town you’ll pass through, but following along on Google Maps can help you figure out where to get off.
When you reach Gura Humorului, hop out of the bus at the post office.
Step two: Walk to Humor Monastery
On this Bucovina monasteries tour, I recommend starting with Humor Monastery and then visiting Voronet. This is because the walk to Humor is longer. Get it out of the way early so you can better gauge how much time you have to get back to Gura Humorului in time to get a bus back to Suceava.
Also, Humor is the less-spectacular monastery, and I always like to save the best for last. However, if you think there’s any chance you’ll bail after visiting one, skip this step and head straight for Voronet.
You can pick up the road to Humor Monastery directly across from the post office. The monastery is 6 km north of Gura Humorului and well-signed.
Walk along the road parallel to the Humor River for a couple hundred meters before you come to a junction with a bridge on your right. Cross the bridge and take your first left. Then follow this road all the way to the monastery, staying along the river and watching out for signs.
This is a beautiful walk through the Bucovina countryside. Along the way you’ll pass farms and you’ll get brilliant views of the surrounding hills. The sky is impossibly blue — no industrial pollution here.
When you get to Humor, the monastery is down a side street to the left. It’s impossible to get lost — the signs are good and plenty of taxis and tour buses will pass you, so simply follow them. There are some small tourist shops and restaurants around if you need a break.
Visiting Humor Monastery
If you walk at a decent pace, you should reach Humor Monastery within 90 minutes. Pay your 5 lei admission and an additional 10 lei if you want to take photos inside, and you can then enter.
The first iconic painting you’ll encounter at Humor Monastery is the partially restored painting of the Last Judgement on the porch. In particular, the scenes depicting Hell are totally unique.
Other highlights on the exterior are images of Mary and St. Nicholas. You can also just barely make out scenes from the siege of Constantinople.
Humor was specifically built to defend itself against invaders, and you’ll see lookout towers all around. In addition, the church contains secret passageways where weapons were hidden in case of attack.
You can see everything at Humor Monastery in under an hour. When you’re done, walk back the way you came to get to Gura Humorului and continue your self-guided tour of the Bucovina monasteries.
Step three: Walk to Voronet Monastery
Back in Gura Humorului, you could take a short break to have lunch or a coffee. The town has a handful of small cafes catering to domestic tourists.
Then, walk west along the main road until you reach the gas station at the edge of town. You’ll see signs pointing down a side road heading southwest toward Voronet Monastery. Follow that path.
After a few hundred meters, the road forks — stay to your right. Then walk along the main road for 4 km to the monastery. Again, signs are good and you can’t get lost.
This walk is along a busier road that feels more suburban than the road to Humor Monastery. You have a better chance of being able to hitch a ride if you get tired of walking. It’s also slightly more hilly.
It should take you about an hour to reach Voronet Monastery. It’s directly on the main road — you can’t miss it.
Visiting Voronet Monastery
Voronet Monastery is perhaps the finest example of Byzantine painting that you’ll find anywhere in Southern Bucovina. Its depiction of the Last Judgement is widely considered the single finest piece of artwork in the region. And the unique blue used throughout is now an internationally recognized color — “Voronet Blue”. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an active place of worship for a small community of nuns.
The Last Judgement painting is on the monastery’s exterior, covering an entire wall. Smack dab in the middle is the depiction of judgement being passed on humanity, with angels watching from the top. St. Paul and Moses appear as well.
Another wall is covered with a depiction of Genesis. Other notable figures include St. George — the monastery’s patron saint — and St. Daniel the Hermit. The tomb of St. Daniel is inside the monastery, but otherwise the interior is not particularly notable.
Admission to Voronet Monastery is 5 lei, and you’ll need to pay an additional 10 lei for photography. This monastery gets much more crowded than Humor — don’t expect to have it to yourself.
Allow an hour to fully appreciate Voronet Monastery. Then, walk back to Gura Humorului the way you came.
Step four: Take a bus back to Suceava
Once you reach Gura Humorului, the final leg of this DIY Romania monastery tour is getting back to Suceava.
Gura Humorului doesn’t have one central bus station, so this can be a bit tricky/nerve-wracking. But about once an hour until 6 pm or so, a bus passes the Post Office across from the junction of the road to Humor Monastery. Times are not exact, so don’t cut it close.
The bus will stop if you wave it down. Importantly, you do actively and visibly have to wave it down — otherwise it won’t stop. Confirm with the driver that their destination is Suceava (pronounced “Soo-CHA-vah”).
If in doubt, any of the locals working in nearby shops can point you to where to stand. There’s nothing marking it as a bus stop, and you’ll probably be the only one waiting for the bus.
The ride back costs 8 lei, and the bus will bring you to the bus station in Suceava — or hop out at the roundabout near Irene’s Hostel to save yourself the walk.
Alternatives to a DIY tour of the monasteries of Bucovina
If you read all the above and you’re thinking, “this just isn’t for me,” don’t worry. You can still see the monasteries of Bucovina — you’ll just need to take a tour.
The best place to arrange a backpacker-oriented tour is Irene’s Hostel. They have daily departures in high season (less frequent in low season) and cost $55 per person. Or go with an even easier, more transport-friendly option with this tour from Iasi.
However you visit, a trip to the Bucovina monasteries will surely be one of the highlights of your Romania holiday.
Romania is a country where an adventurous spirit pays off big-time — if you are willing to endure challenging travel, language barriers, and an extreme lack of information, you’ll discover an unexplored side of Europe that most people don’t even imagine still exists. I hope this post on how to see Voronet and Humor Monasteries without a tour has helped you see how accessible these amazing off-the-beaten-path journeys can be!
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[…] religious architecture is some of the world’s finest — see the monasteries of southern Bucovina or the wooden churches of the Maramures. You can trace the country’s history back to the […]
I love Romania too, it’s such a wonderful country! I visited in the winter so I mainly visited Bucharest and Transylvania. My cousin lives there so I’m definitely going back but hope to in the summer or fall to do a road trip! Will plan on visiting the Bucovina monasteries as they are so beautiful!
Ooo I bet Transylvania was gorgeous in the winter!
Great post! I really want to visit Romania. It’s been on my list for a while!