# Moldovița Monastery

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Bukovina](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/bucovina) › [Suceava County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/suceava) › [Vatra Moldoviței](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/vatra-moldovitei)

> Founded by Petru Rareș in 1532, with a church painted on the outside in shades of yellow and blue and the famous Siege of Constantinople fresco; a UNESCO site in Bukovina.

[UNESCO World Heritage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unesco-heritage)

**At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 7 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The monastery has no official website and the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți does not publish visiting hours either; the courtyard is open daily, the museum only during the day. Call ahead, especially if you are coming in the evening or on a feast day.
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1½ hours — with the museum and courtyard
- **With kids:** Yes — modest dress and quiet
- **Best season:** All year round — south side in midday sun
- **Address:** At the edge of the village of Vatra Moldoviței, beside the DJ 176, Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County
- **Coordinates:** 47.657, 25.5715
- **Phone:** +40 230 336 365
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovi%C8%9Ba_Monastery
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1075172
- **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Moldovița Monastery

Moldovița Monastery stands inside an enclosure of thick walls and towers, like a small fortress, at the edge of the village of Vatra Moldoviței, among the wooded hills of the Bukovina Obcinas. The first monastery here already existed under Alexander the Good, but it collapsed at the end of the 15th century because of a landslide; its ruins can still be seen about half a kilometre from today's enclosure.

The present church, dedicated to the Annunciation, was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, son of Stephen the Great, a little lower down than the old site. He also surrounded it with defensive walls. The painting, inside and out, was done five years later, in 1537, by the painters led, according to most specialists, by Toma of Suceava, the prince's court painter. The exterior frescoes, best preserved on the south side, have a warm, golden-yellow tone that sets them apart from the blue of Voroneț.

The Church of the Annunciation is part of the UNESCO site "Churches of Moldavia", inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993 together with seven other painted churches of northern Moldavia. Today it is a convent of nuns, in the care of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți.

### What you can see

On the south facade, the lower part of the Akathist Hymn is taken up by the **Siege of Constantinople**: the city with pink walls, the priests in procession with the icon of the Mother of God and the enemy fleet sunk by a storm. The scene recalls the siege of 626, but the painter dressed the besiegers as the Turks of his own day and gave them cannons, a clear message for Moldavia in 1537. Also on the south side are the Tree of Jesse and the rows of saints climbing towards the apse. The porch is open, with tall arches, and its west wall carries the Last Judgment. Together with Humor, Moldovița is among the last Moldavian churches built with an open porch.

Inside, the votive painting shows Petru Rareș with his family. In the courtyard, the clisiarniță (treasury house) built between 1610 and 1612 by Bishop Efrem of Rădăuți, with its round tower and wooden balcony, houses the monastery museum, which keeps, among other things, Petru Rareș's throne chair and the "Golden Apple" award given to the monastery. Also worth seeing are the bell tower at the entrance, the corner tower and the enclosure wall from the 16th–17th centuries, the winter chapel and the bust of Petru Rareș.

### Good to know

It is a working monastery: enter with shoulders and knees covered, keep quiet, and be discreet when visiting the church during services.

## Don't miss

- The Siege of Constantinople on the lower part of the south facade, with the sunken fleet and the besiegers' cannons.
- The open porch with its tall arches and the Last Judgment on its west wall.
- The altar apse, with rows of saints and angels painted on a blue ground between the buttresses.
- The clisiarniță of 1610–1612, with its round tower and wooden balcony, home to the museum with Petru Rareș's throne chair.
- The enclosure wall with its corner tower and the entrance bell tower, which give the monastery the air of a fortress.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Suceava take the DN17 (E58) to Gura Humorului and on to Vama, then turn right onto the county road heading north for another ~14 km to Vatra Moldoviței (~75 km in total, about 1½ hours). From Gura Humorului it is ~35 km (~45 minutes). To Sucevița (~35 km) you take the DJ 176 over the Ciumârna Pass, one of the most beautiful roads in Bukovina. It combines easily with Voroneț, Humor and Sucevița.

**Public transport:** train on the Suceava – Vatra Dornei line to Vama or Câmpulung Moldovenesc station, then a local minibus or taxi to Vatra Moldoviței. The "Huțulca" narrow-gauge tourist train leaves from the neighbouring commune of Moldovița, a few kilometres away.

### Where to park

You park in the designated areas near the monastery; we found no official information on fees or the number of spaces.

### Fees & discounts

The monastery does not publish its prices in an official source. Access to the courtyard is free; a small fee is usually charged at the entrance for visiting the church and the museum and for taking photos.

### Rules

Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, long trousers for men, a skirt or long trousers for women. Keep quiet, no food, drink or smoking within the walls. Photography only once the fee is paid; ask at the entrance where it is allowed. Do not touch the frescoes.

### Facilities

Museum in the clisiarniță · shop with icons and books · guesthouses and restaurants in Vatra Moldoviței · the courtyard is level, the church has steps at the entrance

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1532
- **Founder:** Petru Rareș
- **Dedication:** Annunciation
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Moldavian

## Frequently asked questions about Moldovița Monastery

**How long does a visit to Moldovița Monastery take?**

A visit to Moldovița Monastery takes about 1 – 1½ hours (with the museum and courtyard).

**Can you visit Moldovița Monastery with kids?**

Yes, Moldovița Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).

**How do I get to Moldovița Monastery?**

Moldovița Monastery is located at At the edge of the village of Vatra Moldoviței, beside the DJ 176, Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County. By car: from Suceava take the DN17 (E58) to Gura Humorului and on to Vama, then turn right onto the county road heading north for another ~14 km to Vatra Moldoviței (~75 km in total, about 1½ hours). From Gura Humorului it is ~35 km (~45 minutes). To Sucevița (~35 km) you take the DJ 176 over the Ciumârna Pass, one of the most beautiful roads in Bukovina. It combines easily with Voroneț, Humor and Sucevița. Public transport: train on the Suceava – Vatra Dornei line to Vama or Câmpulung Moldovenesc station, then a local minibus or taxi to Vatra Moldoviței. The "Huțulca" narrow-gauge tourist train leaves from the neighbouring commune of Moldovița, a few kilometres away.

**When is the best time to visit Moldovița Monastery?**

The best season for Moldovița Monastery: All year round (south side in midday sun).

## Nearby attractions

- [Ciumârna Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasul-ciumarna) — Scenic roads · Suceava County · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 14 km
  The ~1,100 m pass where the DN17A crosses the Obcina Mare ridge between Vatra Moldoviței and Sucevița, with hairpins through spruce forest, wide views over the Bukovina hills and the road builders' “Palm” monument.
- [Sucevița Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-sucevita) — Monasteries and churches · Sucevița, SV · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 22 km
  The Movilă family's fortified monastery, built in the 1580s among the hills of Bukovina, with a church painted almost entirely inside and out and the famous "Ladder of Virtues"; a UNESCO site.
- [Humor Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-humor) — Monasteries and churches · Mănăstirea Humorului, SV · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 29 km
  The church built in 1530 by chancellor Toader Bubuiog under Petru Rareș, painted outside in shades of red, with an open porch and Vasile Lupu's tower; a UNESCO site.
- [Transrarău](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transrarau) — Scenic roads · Suceava County · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 · 30 km
  A paved road over the Rarău Mountains between Pojorâta and Chiril, with 28 km of hairpins beneath the Pietrele Doamnei rocks and views over the mountains of Bukovina.
- [Cacica Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-cacica) — Salt mines · Cacica, SV · 38 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · 32 km
  A salt mine opened by the Austrians in 1791 with miners brought from Galicia: 192 fir steps lead down to a chapel carved in salt, a salt lake and a ballroom 42 m below ground.
- [Voroneț Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-voronet) — Monasteries and churches · Voroneț, SV · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 · 35 km
  The church founded by Stephen the Great in 1488, painted on the outside with the Last Judgment on a background of "Voroneț blue"; a UNESCO site near Gura Humorului.

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Last updated: 7 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania