Painted Monasteries & Wooden Churches of Romania

Fly to Iași, where you will be met on arrival and transferred to your centrally located hotel for an overnight stay. Depending on your arrival time, spend the remainder of the day relaxing or begin exploring independently. One of Romania’s most important cultural and university cities, Iași has played a significant role in the history of Moldavia and retains an attractive mixture of grand civic buildings, churches and elegant boulevards.

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Explore Iași with your guide, visiting the interiors of the ornate Three Hierarchs Church, Metropolitan Cathedral and impressive Palace of Culture. Leave the city and travel west towards Bucovina, stopping at Ruginoasa to visit the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Memorial Palace, associated with the ruler who helped unite Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859. Continue through the countryside to Gura Humorului, your base for the next two nights and a convenient starting point for exploring Bucovina’s celebrated painted monasteries. (B)

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Spend the day discovering three of Bucovina’s remarkable painted monasteries. Visit Voroneț, renowned for its brilliant blue frescoes, before continuing to Moldovița and Sucevița, whose exterior walls are covered with elaborate religious scenes created centuries ago to communicate biblical stories through images. Together they form part of one of Romania’s most distinctive artistic and religious traditions. Also stop at Marginea, known for its traditional black pottery, where local craftspeople continue a centuries-old technique. Return to Gura Humorului. (B)

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Leave Bucovina and travel into Maramureș, a region particularly known for its distinctive wooden architecture and enduring rural traditions. Visit the wooden church at Bogdan Vodă and continue to Rozavlea, where another traditional wooden church preserves fine religious paintings and craftsmanship. Complete your exploration at Bârsana, home to an impressive ensemble of wooden religious buildings surrounded by gardens. Continue through the beautiful Maramureș countryside to Sighetu Marmației for a two-night stay. (B)

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Travel to Vișeu de Sus and board the Mocănița narrow-gauge railway for a memorable journey into the forested Vaser Valley. Originally developed to transport timber from the mountains, the railway still follows its historic narrow-gauge route through remote Carpathian scenery, with the train journey and lunch included.

Continue to Săpânța to visit the remarkable Merry Cemetery, famous for its brightly painted wooden crosses and individual epitaphs celebrating the lives of local people. Subject to availability, there may also be an opportunity to visit a local family and learn about traditional weaving. (B,L)

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Leave Sighetu Marmației and travel south through the landscapes of Maramureș, stopping at Șurdești Wooden Church, one of the region’s UNESCO-listed wooden churches. Built in the 18th century, its remarkably tall, slender bell tower and steep shingled roof are characteristic of the distinctive wooden architecture for which Maramureș is renowned.

Continue to Cluj-Napoca, the lively cultural centre of Transylvania. On arrival, join a guided tour of the historic centre, including Piața Unirii, Gothic St Michael’s Church and the statue of Matthias Corvinus, the 15th-century King of Hungary who was born in Cluj. See the city’s mix of medieval, Baroque and Austro-Hungarian architecture before checking into your hotel for your final night.

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Enjoy a leisurely final morning in Cluj-Napoca, with time to explore independently before your evening flight. Perhaps browse the city’s shops and cafés, stroll through Central Park and along the Someșul Mic River, or visit the Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden, home to extensive gardens and plant collections. Alternatively, head up to Cetățuia Hill for panoramic views across Cluj and the surrounding Transylvanian countryside, before enjoying lunch at one of the city’s many restaurants or cafés. Later, transfer to Cluj-Napoca Airport for your flight back to the UK. (B)