It’s not far away from our borders. It’s less then 100 km from Chernovtsy.
Train, big Mercedes for transportation, custom, and we are in Romania. With our bicycles.

At 11 am we were dropped out near Suceava.
Traffic is awful. No additional strip for bicycle, no additional strip at all! Noone stop.
We moved on pedestrian pass. Its more or less safe and it’s marked as for bicycle! In supermarket we withdraw 1500 lei (approx 350 euro). In mountains it’s not a lot of ATM and everyone likes cash.

In one hour we had been in the center. It’s not beautiful. It’s has  wide square. We found there few restaurants and took dinner ( and breakfast and lunch – three in one). It was delicious. I think first and last time in this trip). Not cheap.

We visited our first monastery. In Suceava.  Old, with huge walls, with pale frescoes on exterior.

It’s time to move to Dragomirna.
16 km.
I tried to choose not main roads – drivers are so fast and unpredictable!
It’s all time +0+1+2% . All time up, up, up….. And hot.
1,5 km before the monastery we saw its towers. It’s perfect place – so quiet!
We stayed in the campsite just 200 m from monastery. We didn’t put the tent. 10 euros and we are in small wooden house.

After shower we went to monastery. it’s closes the gates at 8pm. Entrance is for payment ( everywhere) + video and photo= 20 lei per two persons.

Nun, who sells the tickets, speak French. It’s strange, but a lot of people speaks French.
Church in Dragomirna is extraordinary beautiful! It’s architecture is  may be the best in Bukovina. This slim, tall church with long neck ( bell tower) decorated with stone roses, knots ext. Proportions are unique! We got inside and stopped! All surfaces covered with frescoes – no free place .

It was our first so strange and bright masterpiece in Romania.

In Suceava we had been tired.

We get to catwalks.  Huge walls protected monastery. Towers are gigantic.

Small monastery shop sells syrope from afina,  elder (soc) and sea buckthorn. And different kind of Jem’s. We bought sea buckthorn syrope. We bought wild cherry jem. Delicious!

Strange, but the lake near the walls escaped. May be it’s too hot this summer.

Night was quiet and without mosquitos.

Morning we start at 6am. There is a pass through the forest to Petrouts. Only 6 km. Little bit up, up, up. Not accessible for cars.
In Petrouts church was closed. It was Tel number on the door. And local men said that keys are in the museum opposite the church. There were no one around. We waited half of hour. Silence in the village.

Next 3 km strait down with 40km per hour!

And we are on the main road. It’s full of crazy cars. So, we need to be as fast as possible. Only 4 km and after small up and dawn we turn left.
Our next way is inland to get Arbore monastery. The road is not bad, not good. Sometime it’s gravel, mostly +0+1+2%. By the way we saw one more church under world protection. It was closed but local peasant made a call and in 10 min church guard opened the door for us.
Inside were frescoes, old, dark, after fire . Church will be reconstructed.

Arbore. Its became really hot. We are in Arbore. By the way we saw only local shops with possibility drink bad coffee. There are a lot of wells. Not only personal but community. So, we were all time with water. If add little bit of syrope…..
In one village on local market we bought ( first and last time) superb grilled kebabs! They vere SO delicious and fresh…..

Arbore is with both internal and external frescoes.
Last Judgement on West wall. Different scenes.
In first room I found Helen and Constantine with enermous group of saints and soldiers around. Very strange. Room after room. More and more compositions. Bible in pictures! Need to read it carefully.

Small rest and we are going to Marginea – ceramic paradise. At first by local roads and rest by the main. Marginea is long. Again little bit up-up. +0+1%.

Near ceramic shops we saw forigners. Touristic buses. Inside – nothing interesting. Ordinary things. Really.
We took the dinner. Chorba was excellent. But meat  was so so.
Next 7 km direction to Sucevita were up +0+1. But our hotel (9 and fabulous in booking) was overbooked….. There were no place for us….. Staff booked for us another hotel 1,5 km back…. Charming for bicycle people who made 70 km up-up.

We returned back. I tried to find transfer from Putna to Sucevita, because next day we planned go through the mountains 16 km, by Prince Charles way, from monastery to monastery. Public transport in this region is completely dead. But nobody wanted drop off us tomorrow.

So, in the evening, after shower, we visited Sucevita monastery. It’s fairy tail! It’s a castle between the hills with extraordinary beautiful and bright church inside. Wise nun at entrance said we can left tomorrow our bicycles in monastery.

First we saw Ladder to Paradise on the North wall.

Siege of Constantinople, ancient graffiti, First days of the world, Jessus Tree. Picture by picture, very slow, trying to understand. And we ducked inside. It’s real precious box! So colorful and beautiful!

Time to rest. 70 km done.
Tomorrow 16 km by foot through mountains and 32 with 600 m up by bicycles. And somehow we need to return from Putna to Sucevita.

In the Morning at 6-30 we left bicycles in the monastery.

Our breakfast every day consist of Coffee, made by gas in room, zuzu yogurt from the local shop and monastery  jem.

3,5 hours we walked in the forest. Too times I loose the Signs . Here was completely impossible to ride by bicycle.

Monastery in Putna located in huge territory. It has monumental fence, building for pilgrims, parking, secwoie alley. Inside , near the church I felt myself unhappy. This place was cold and money addicted.

We went away very soon. On the main Street we tried to find bus stop and restaurants. Only one worked. Waiter said bus will be in 40 min. Lunch was perfect but bus didn’t come. It very very bad with public transport in Bukovina. We started show autostop sign.
After one hour BMW pick up us. 30 km. We vere happy!

Another quick glimpse on Sucevita. Now we start our ascent on 1100m. 16 km up and 16 km dawn to Vatra Moldovitel.
It’s 8 full turns and more then 600m to get the highest point. It was 36 C.
But we did it!
On the top we ate grilled BBQ. It was mistake – we had stomach pain all evening and during the night….

From the top beautiful Bukovina panorama opens for us – green hills, houses, perched on the slopes.

It was perfect ride dawn!
We had our own tents but there were no good places with river or lake to stay. All rivers are semidry with not pure water. So, we tried to find pension.
It was Lulu 1,5 km before Vatra Moldovitel monastery.
Clean and friendly place.

Morning was chilly.

In 1o min we reached monastery. Locals get there for morning service. Huge monumental walls, big towers.
We get inside.

It was women monastery. Quiet. With bright brilliant frescoes on the external walls. How nice Siege of Constantinople!  How colorful it is! And all this Saints, and Last Judgement! We were speachless.
Near the exit we bought jam from young Nero nuts.

This was not very hard day. To get main road we rolled mostly dawnhill. Main road has big strip, used for bicycles and urgent parking. And it was again dawn.

Road to Guru Humorulu was 6 km up +0+1+2. Near monastery we found big market with souvenirs, gipsies, and new official monastery. This place I didn’t like.

In Guru Humorulu during next half of hour we tried to find restaurant or caffees. Only one ! On the main Street. Lion. Beautiful , with huge portions. And waiter forgot about our salads….. Not testy, to be honest.

Voronet, as I know, has camping and only one or two pensions with available rooms for this day. Camping was too far. We were tiered.
First pension has a room. 20 Euros for both.

After shower we walked 2,5 km to Voronet.
Here was a Hell – huge market like a beehouse. Expensive souvenirs, people ext. We passed through the crowd.
At the monastery entrance there were fat nuns. Money ahead. Control. Excursion, provided for ” my group”. I asked about possibility tell us about details in Last Judgement. For donation. No, impossible. Only for My group…I didn’t understand. Speaks French, not friendly, sells China plastic icons. No jam).
But the church was a real wonder. Outside and inside.

We made this day 50 km and were tiered.

Next day was our last adventure day.
At first we made the trip to Slatina monastery. It’s the opposite to Voronet. In quite peaceful place, abandoned, at the end of village, near the hills. Grassy road. We are completely alone. No people at all. This was may be the best place. But frescoes were very pale. And simple.

Weather changes. Strong wind. Little bit cold. To rich Rashka we need to make 45 km ahead and 15 km to return in civilization. In villages no hotels, no pensions. And no good water to make camping.

So, we decided that Slatina was our last cultural point.

That’s all.

We made 250 km by bicycle. 30 km by foot.

Best places -  Dragomirna, Sucevita and Vatra Moldovitel.