My Paradise and my home - Bucovina

They say good things come in small packages. Romania, the largest country in southeastern Europe, has its unique culture, which is the product of its geography and of its distinct historical evolution. There is more to Romania than Dracula. Visitors, lured by bloodcurdling tales, come to Romania and discover lovely medieval Saxon towns like Sighisoara, where the real Dracula (Vlad Tepes) first grew his teeth, rural paradise of Maramures and Bucovina, another rural paradise with the recognised painted churches considered among the greatest artistic monuments of Europe.

Bucovina, tucked into the north eastern corner of Romania, lies in the easily-defended Carpathian foothills where the region’s hero, Stefan the Great, fought back the Turks in 14^th and 15^th centuries and then built churches and monasteries throughout Moldavia to celebrate his victories. His descendant, Petru Rares, continued his work by setting the foundations for many other famous monasteries. There are 48 monasteries in total. These unique monasteries and Byzantine churches with their exceptional exterior frescoes are one of the most fascinating sights in Romania. Seven of the painted monasteries have been included on the Unesco World Heritage List.

The name Bucovina has a Slavic origin and is derived from the word for beech tree “buk” in Ukrainian; the German equivalent, das Buchenland, mostly used in poetry, means “the land of beech trees”. In Romanian the original name of the region during the rule of the Moldavian Principality was "Tara de Sus" (Upper Country), referring to the altitude, as opposed to the lower plains called "Tara de Jos" (Lower Country).

Southern Bucovina was annexed to Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1775 and returned to Romania in 1918. Northern Bucovina, previously also part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was lost to the USSR (now the Ukraine) in 1945 together with its capital, Cernauti and never returned to Romania.

Most of the churches are fortified with strong defensive surroundings walls as protection against Turkish invaders. The exterior walls of the monasteries are richly decorated with vivid frescoes depicting dramatic Biblical scenes, intended to teach Christianity to the illiterate by means of pictures. The artwork has amazingly survived harsh exposure to the elements for over 450 years and the intense colours have been well preserved.

Suceava, once the capital of Moldavia and today the largest town in the area, is the gateway to visiting the painting monasteries of Southern Bucovina.

Bucolic rural landscapes steeped in legend and folklore, fairy tale villages and some of the Europe’s wildest mountain scenery. It is a territory with clean unspoiled nature. It has a unique landscape: thick forests and imposing crests (“obcine”). You might even catch a glimpse of a buffalo, a species that is being reintroduced into a natural reservation.

Reaching the summer pastures you meet proud shepherds who will literally live in the mountains with their flocks throughout the summer months, and perhaps even sample their delicious sheep cheese coveted by Romanians. On high alpine meadows the shepherd in thick fleeces sleeps out with his valuable flock at night to offer protection from wolves and bears.

A visit to Bucovina would not be complete without some stunning nature walks through Ceahlau National Park, Romania’s Olympus – the sacred mountain of the Dacians, the forefathers of the Romanian people. Make sure you bring binoculars as some 90 species of birds can be seen in the park area. Hikers won’t want to pass up taking a crack at the Bicaz Gorges, a steep, twisting-and-turning climb more than three miles long.

In this area there is a natural reservation meant to preserve the flora and fauna, because here there are several rare species, such as: the edelweiss, the aurochs, the grouse, the lynx, and the stag.

Bucovina is a magical place. The energy of her cities mixed with a fascinating and diverse history, boasts an unparalleled culture that merge flawlessly with the enchanting, inimitable and rugged landscape.