Sucevița Monastery
Sucevița, Suceava County · Bukovina
About Sucevița Monastery
At a glance: Monasteries and churches in Sucevița, Suceava County. Opening hours: daily 09:00 – 20:00. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 7 October 2026.
Sucevița Monastery is the last great foundation with exterior painting in northern Moldavia and the best preserved of them all. It was built by the Movilă boyar family, three brothers who rose to the highest offices of their day: Gheorghe, Bishop of Rădăuți and later Metropolitan of Moldavia; Ieremia, Prince of Moldavia; and Simion, Prince of Wallachia and of Moldavia. Through their mother, a daughter of Petru Rareș, they descended from Stephen the Great. The Church of the Resurrection was begun in 1582 and consecrated at Easter 1584, and the whole complex was finished by 1586; Ieremia and Simion Movilă are buried here.
The painting began in 1595, during Ieremia's reign, and is the work of two Moldavian painter brothers, Ion and Sofronie, with their apprentices. Green dominates the frescoes, and the scenes cover almost every wall, inside and out; only the west wall was left white. The church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010 as an extension of the "Churches of Moldavia" site, inscribed in 1993 with eight other painted churches.
Unlike the other painted monasteries, Sucevița looks like a fortress: a quadrangle of about 100 by 104 m, with walls almost 7 m high and 3 m thick and towers at the corners, set in the valley of the Sucevița river between wooded hills. Today it is a convent of nuns.
What you can see
On the north facade is the Ladder of Virtues, the monastery's signature image: a ladder set on the diagonal, with 32 rungs, up which monks climb towards Christ, who waits at the top with outstretched arms. Above are the orderly ranks of angels, while below devils drag those who fall down towards the jaws of a dragon. Next to it are scenes from Genesis and from the life of St Pachomius.
The south facade carries the Tree of Jesse, the richest in Moldavian painting, with more than a hundred branches, and at its base are painted ancient philosophers, among them Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras. Across the apses, in seven registers, runs the Prayer of All Saints, a procession of angels, prophets, apostles, bishops, martyrs and monks; under the eaves is the Akathist Hymn in 29 scenes. Inside, where the painting was cleaned and restored by 2020, are the Movilă votive portraits, the burial chamber and two iconostases carved in yew wood in the early 19th century.
Within the walls you can see the entrance tower with the Annunciation chapel and the arms of Moldavia, the bell tower with the bells given by the founders in 1605, the ruins of the princely house and the wooden gallery along the wall. The museum, upstairs in the east wing, holds embroideries, manuscripts bound in silver and church silver from the Movilă era, among them the embroidered portraits of Ieremia and Simion Movilă.
Good to know
It is a working convent: enter in modest dress and quietly, and during services visits to the church are restricted. After the interior restoration was completed in 2020, the Ministry of Culture announced that the exterior painting would follow; in spring 2026 part of the north facade was covered by scaffolding.
- The Ladder of Virtues on the north facade, with the orderly angels above and the devils dragging the monks down.
- The Tree of Jesse on the south facade, with more than a hundred branches and the ancient philosophers painted at its base.
- The Prayer of All Saints on the three apses, in seven registers converging on the axis of the altar.
- The fortress walls and corner towers, seen from the hill behind the monastery.
- The embroidered portraits of Ieremia and Simion Movilă in the monastery museum.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Suceava take the DN2H to Rădăuți (~37 km), then the DN17A west through Marginea for another ~19 km to Sucevița (~55 km in all, about an hour and a quarter); the monastery is right by the road. From Gura Humorului and Voroneț the route runs via Marginea (~45 km, over an hour), and towards Moldovița Monastery the DN17A continues over the Ciumârna Pass (~35 km). From Iași it is ~200 km (~3½ hours), from Cluj-Napoca ~280 km (~6 hours).
Public transport: the nearest railway station is at Rădăuți; few minibuses run from there to Sucevița, so in practice you arrive by taxi (~19 km), by car or on an organised tour from Suceava.
- Where to park
The car park is across the road from the monastery, free and spacious, with room for coaches too; on summer weekends it fills up, so it is better to come in the morning.
- Fees & discounts
The monastery website does not publish the admission, museum or photography fees; ask at the entrance.
- Rules
Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, no shorts; women usually enter the church in a skirt and headscarf. Keep quiet within the walls and switch phones off in the church. No photography inside the church; the exterior painting may be photographed. Do not touch the frescoes.
- Facilities
Religious art museum within the walls · by the car park across the road: toilets, souvenir shops, food kiosks and a motel · guesthouses in the village and on the road to Marginea · the courtyard is level, the church has steps at the entrance
Frequently asked questions about Sucevița Monastery
- What are the opening hours of Sucevița Monastery?
- Opening hours at Sucevița Monastery: daily 09:00 – 20:00. Summer hours, daily; in winter visits are from 09:30 to 17:00. The website does not say when the hours change, nor give the museum's hours. The Divine Liturgy starts at 06:00 on weekdays and at 07:30 on Sundays and feast days; vespers is at 16:00.
- How long does a visit to Sucevița Monastery take?
- A visit to Sucevița Monastery takes about 1 – 1½ hours (with the museum, 1–2 hours).
- Can you visit Sucevița Monastery with kids?
- Yes, Sucevița Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).
- Where can I park at Sucevița Monastery?
- There is free parking at Sucevița Monastery (across the road from the monastery). The car park is across the road from the monastery, free and spacious, with room for coaches too; on summer weekends it fills up, so it is better to come in the morning.
- How do I get to Sucevița Monastery?
- Sucevița Monastery is located at Calea Movileștilor 169 (DN17A), Sucevița, Suceava County. By car: from Suceava take the DN2H to Rădăuți (~37 km), then the DN17A west through Marginea for another ~19 km to Sucevița (~55 km in all, about an hour and a quarter); the monastery is right by the road. From Gura Humorului and Voroneț the route runs via Marginea (~45 km, over an hour), and towards Moldovița Monastery the DN17A continues over the Ciumârna Pass (~35 km). From Iași it is ~200 km (~3½ hours), from Cluj-Napoca ~280 km (~6 hours). Public transport: the nearest railway station is at Rădăuți; few minibuses run from there to Sucevița, so in practice you arrive by taxi (~19 km), by car or on an organised tour from Suceava.
- When is the best time to visit Sucevița Monastery?
- The best season for Sucevița Monastery: All year round (mornings, before the groups).
Reviews
Other attractions nearby
The closest attractions to Sucevița Monastery, sorted by distance.
9 km from Sucevița Monastery
22 km from Sucevița Monastery
22 km from Sucevița Monastery
