Dragomirna Monastery
About Dragomirna Monastery
On the edge of the woods north of Suceava, Dragomirna looks more like a fortress than a monastery: stone walls almost 11 metres high, with four corner towers and a bell tower at the entrance, surround a church that seems to rise towards the sky. It was built by Metropolitan Anastasie Crimca, a scholar and miniaturist, who began with a small church in 1602 and completed the great church in 1609, dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Crimca is buried in its narthex.
The great church is about 35 metres long, only 9.5 metres wide and around 42 metres high, proportions without equal in the old architecture of Moldavia; it is considered the tallest medieval church in the region. The defensive walls were added by Prince Miron Barnovschi in 1627, as recorded by the inscription with the Moldavian coat of arms on the bell tower. Between 1763 and 1775, under Abbot Paisius Velichkovsky, Dragomirna was one of the most important monastic and translation centres of the Orthodox East. It has been a convent of nuns since 1960.
The restoration of the interior paintings, completed in 2012, received the Europa Nostra Grand Prix / EU Prize for Cultural Heritage and the Public Choice Award in 2014.
What you can see
Outside, the church is an exercise in carved stone: a torsade band of three twisted ropes encircles it halfway up, and the tower, round inside and octagonal outside, is covered entirely in carved motifs. Inside, the floor rises step by step from the porch towards the altar; the 17th-century paintings survive in the nave and altar, with Christ Pantocrator in the tower and the Ascension on a red background in the altar apse. The names of the painters are written on the altar wall: the priests Crăciun Mătieș and Ignat, and Gligorie.
Next to the entrance, the Gothic hall of the abbot's house, with fan vaults resting on a single octagonal column, houses the museum. Its centrepiece is the 1609 Tetraevangelion, written and illuminated by Crimca himself, alongside epitaphioi embroidered in gold and silver thread from 1612 and 1626, a yew-wood cross from 1624 and the crystal chandelier given by Empress Catherine II. Outside the walls, towards the cemetery, stands the small church of 1602, Dragomirna Mică.
Information verified on 20 October 2026.
- The silhouette of the great church, about 42 metres tall, seen from the courtyard next to the bell tower.
- The octagonal tower covered entirely in carved stone motifs, and the torsade band that encircles the church.
- The Ascension on a red background in the altar apse and the names of the three painters written on the altar wall.
- The 1609 Tetraevangelion, written and illuminated by Metropolitan Anastasie Crimca, in the museum in the Gothic hall.
- The fortress walls of 1627, with their four corner towers and Miron Barnovschi's inscription on the bell tower.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Suceava head towards Rădăuți; in Ițcani, after the railway bridge, turn right towards Mitocu Dragomirnei, then left at the junction with Adâncata, through Mitocu Dragomirnei and another ~3 km to the monastery (~12 km in total, ~20 minutes from the centre of Suceava). From Gura Humorului it is ~50 km (~1 hour), from Iași ~150 km (~2.5 hours). It combines easily with Pătrăuți Monastery, a few kilometres away, and with the Princely Citadel of Suceava.
Public transport: local bus line M106 runs from the Ștefan cel Mare stop in Suceava to Dragomirna roughly every two hours (a minibus at weekends); the timetable is posted on the monastery's website. A taxi from Suceava takes ~20 minutes.
- Fees & discounts
The monastery's website does not publish prices for the museum or for photography; ask at the entrance.
- Rules
It is a working convent: modest dress (shoulders and knees covered), quiet within the grounds and respect for the services. Ask before taking photographs in the church and the museum. The paintings and old objects are fragile: do not touch them. The monastery does not hold weddings or baptisms.
- Facilities
Museum in the Gothic hall · natural products made at the monastery · no accommodation for pilgrims · the courtyard is level, the church has steps
Frequently asked questions about Dragomirna Monastery
- How long does a visit to Dragomirna Monastery take?
- A visit to Dragomirna Monastery takes about 1 – 1¼ hours (with the museum, 1–1.5 hours).
- Can you visit Dragomirna Monastery with kids?
- Yes, Dragomirna Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).
- How do I get to Dragomirna Monastery?
- Dragomirna Monastery is located at Strada Dragomirnei 1, Dragomirna village, Mitocu Dragomirnei, Suceava County. By car: from Suceava head towards Rădăuți; in Ițcani, after the railway bridge, turn right towards Mitocu Dragomirnei, then left at the junction with Adâncata, through Mitocu Dragomirnei and another ~3 km to the monastery (~12 km in total, ~20 minutes from the centre of Suceava). From Gura Humorului it is ~50 km (~1 hour), from Iași ~150 km (~2.5 hours). It combines easily with Pătrăuți Monastery, a few kilometres away, and with the Princely Citadel of Suceava. Public transport: local bus line M106 runs from the Ștefan cel Mare stop in Suceava to Dragomirna roughly every two hours (a minibus at weekends); the timetable is posted on the monastery's website. A taxi from Suceava takes ~20 minutes.
- When is the best time to visit Dragomirna Monastery?
- The best season for Dragomirna Monastery: All year round (summer, with the woods in leaf).
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