The painted churches of the wonderful of the Bucovina region in Romania are examples of the some of the finest art of its kind in the world. Too bad the population refuses too let it be a stale museum, deciding instead that the living culture of devotion is as much a part of the experience of visiting these churches as the art itself.

The Bucovina, in the northeastern part of Romania, is one such region. Monuments and paintings considered to be among the most beautiful examples of post-Byzantine orthodox art are to be found throughout the area. The landscape is dotted with extraordinary churches adorned with frescoes - the most daring and difficult of the painting techniques, according to Michelangelo - like open books of bible stories. The painted monasteries of the Bucovina are listed in the UNESCO catalogue of Great Monuments of the World.

In this article, we will concentrate on the route from Baia Mare (Nagybanya), via the wooden church zone of Maramures, to the "painted churches" of Bucovina.

Bucovina offers good quality bed & breakfast accommodation.