Moldovița Monastery

Moldovița Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Moldovita Monastery lies in a valley in the Bukovina region of north-eastern Romania, about an hour and a half's drive from Suceava, and it is one of the painted churches of northern Moldavia listed by UNESCO. A small admission is charged, with an extra fee for photography. Most visitors see it on a day tour from Suceava or on a multi-day tour of Bukovina that includes Voronet, Humor and Sucevita, the other famous painted monasteries, often combined with a visit to a village to see painted eggs or black pottery.

Travelling by car gives more freedom, and the road through the mountains is scenic. Public transport is limited. The monastery is home to a community of nuns, and visitors should dress modestly; women should cover their heads in the church. The nuns sell icons, candles and embroidered textiles in a small shop inside the gate. Information panels near the church explain the main painted scenes in Romanian and English.

Visiting Moldovița Monastery: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1532 by Prince Petru Rares, and its church was painted inside and out in 1537. The exterior frescoes, protected by wide eaves, have survived for nearly five centuries, with rich yellows and blues. Among the most famous scenes on the south wall is the Siege of Constantinople, which reinterprets the Persian attack of 626 in terms of the Ottoman threat of the painter's time, with Byzantine defenders and a procession of icons.

Other walls show the Tree of Jesse, the Hymn to the Virgin and a Last Judgement. Inside, the church is painted from floor to ceiling. The monastery is enclosed by fortified walls with towers, and the old prince's house holds a museum with manuscripts, embroideries and icons, including the Golden Apple, a prize awarded to the monastery for the quality of its frescoes. On the western facade, the Last Judgement fills the wall in rows of angels, saints and sinners, with a river of fire flowing from the throne of Christ.

Moldovița Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The painted monasteries are open throughout the year. Summer is the busiest season, with tour groups and Romanian visitors, and mornings are the best time to avoid them. Spring and autumn are beautiful in Bukovina, with green hills or autumn colours, and winter can be snowy and cold but atmospheric. The exterior frescoes look best in bright sunlight. Orthodox Easter is a major celebration in the region, with painted eggs and night services.

The Sucevita monastery is about half an hour away over a mountain pass. Allow about an hour for Moldovita, and stay overnight in a guesthouse in the area to enjoy local food. The Sucevita road climbs through forests and meadows with views of haystacks and wooden farmhouses typical of Bukovina. Guesthouses in the villages around Vatra Moldovitei serve home cooking and can arrange visits to local craftsmen.