The Daviza Tours 12-day Tradition & Monasteries Tour combines Maramureş, Romania’s most traditional region, with Southern Bucovina, the land of the painted monasteries. In Maramureş it seems that time has really stood still. In between rolling green hills one can find fairy-tale like villages with tall wooden churches that appear on the UNESCO World Heritage site list. It is here that one can still find a Europe of the past, where superstition and folk costume continue as common aspects of the proud and hardworking inhabitants’ daily life.

In Southern Bucovina you will find centuries-old Byzantine masterpieces of art nestled in between pine tree forested hills: the painted monasteries of Bucovina. The exceptionally detailed and colourful frescoes that decorate the monasteries’ interiors and exteriors and are surprisinlgy well kept when taking their age into consideration.

Tour Description:

Day 1.

Transfer from Budapest Airport to the Puszta of Eastern Hungary. Traditional Goulash bogrács dinner and overnight stay near the Hortobágyi National Park

Day 2.

We drive straight through the Hortobágyi National Park (the last remainder of the real Puszta, the Hungarian prairie) to the city of Debrecen and on towards the Hungarian-Romanian border. Once we have crossed the border we make a quick stop in the town of Satu Mare which is noted for its contrasts in architecture (Jugendstil versus Communist for example). We then continue in northerly direction through the more traditional region of Ţara Oaşului (land of the iron people) and start climbing into the Carpathian foothills. We follow the Tisa river, get a glimpse of Ukraine on the other side and enter the traditional district of Maramureş.

Dinner and overnight stay at Săpânţa.

Day 3.

We pay a visit to the “merry cemetery” of Sapânta with its many colourfully painted wooden crosses that decorate the tombstones. Then we drive to the city of Sighetu- Marmaţiei where one can visit the very impressive prison museum, a real must for those interested in trying to understand modern-day Romania as it shows how dark the country's past was under the long period of communist rule . Afterwards, we continue eastwards to the the village of Vişeu de Sus.

Dinner and overnight stay at Vişeu de Sus.

Day 4.

We have to get up early to catch the narrow-gauge lumberjack steamtrain (the Mocaniţa) that will take us uphill through the densely-forested Vaser valley to the timber settlement. If in luck we’ll see deer on the way (and sometimes a bear, too!) which come to drink from the mountain stream. It will already be late afternoon by the time we get to return to Vişeu de Sus.

Dinner and overnight stay at Vişeu de Sus again.

Day 5.

From Vişeu de Sus we drive eastward and pass the “Pietrosul” mountain on our right hand side as we start our climb to the Prislop Pass (1416 mtrs). After a short stop on top of the somwhat eerie pass, we begin our long, scenic descent into the Romanian province of Moldavia (not to be confused with the now independent country of Moldova!). The road follows the Bistriţa river as we pass through the Ciocaneşti valley with its pretty decorated houses, particular to this area. In the afternoon we arrive in the vilage of Humor in Southern Bucovina. Our guesthouse is situated right behind the beautifully painted 16th century monastery of Humor.

Dinner and overnight stay at Humor.

Day 6.

Today is the first of two days we will spend in Southern Bucovina. In the morning you have the option of joining a guided walk which will take you up to the top of a nearby hill, where you can enjoy the beautiful panorama of the green, rolling surroundings. We will the visit the painted monastery of Humor. After lunch, we will set out to the nearby located Voroneţ monastery which supposedly contains the most beautiful frescoes of Southern Bucovina. It’s only a short drive back to Humor.

Dinner and overnight stay at Humor.

Day 7.

On our second day in Southern Bucovina we will visit our third and last painted monastery on our tour: the monastery of Suceviţa. Of course, you may also feel free to spend the day at your own leisure: for example by reading a book at the guesthouse or by exploring the picturesque surroundings on your own.

Dinner and overnight stay at Humor.

Day 8.

After our extensive breakfast we head back over the Prislop pass to Maramureş. If we’re in luck we will bump into a local cattle market (annex: all kinds of stuff market which tend to saturate the senses) along the road that runs through the Iza river valley. We then make a left as we leave the Iza valley behind us and drive up through green rolling pasturelands to the idyllically located farming village of Poienile Izei.

Dinner and overnight stay at Poienile Izei.

Day 9.

Today you can decide to join a scenic walk and/or visit the early 17th-century wooden church with its freaky frescoes depicting hell. The newly built Romanian Orthodox church next door can also be visited. Its interior is completely decorated with colourful frescoes depicting a plethora of Saints and much more. If you wish you can of course, also decide to stroll through the village and its beautiful surroundings at your own leisure.

Dinner and overnight stay at Poienile Izei.

Day 10.

We leave Poenile Izei and meet back up with the Iza river valley, where we explore the modern Romanian-Orthodox monastery complex of Bârsana . Afterwards we continue through the unspoilt villages of Sârbi en Budești with their wooden entry gates and houses. In Șurdești we visit the Greco-Catholic church with its tall wooden tower, perhaps the most picturesque wooden church of all Maramureş.

Dinner and overnight stay near Șurdești.

Day 11.

Today we pass through the town of Satu Mare again on our way back to Hungary where we will spend the night at the same location as on the first day, in the vicinity of the Tisza Lake and the Hortobágyi National Park.

Dinner and overnight stay near the Hortobágyi National Park.

Day 12.

Transfer to Budapest Aiport in the morning where our tour ends.

The price for Daviza Tours’ 12-day Tradition & Monasteries Tour is 750.- euro per person. For more information please go to ‘prices and bookings’ in the menu above.