Having been the main economic and cultural center of Moldova Province for hundreds of years, Iași has a lot to offer. We will visit the marvelous Palace of Culture, decorated with vultures, griffins, dragons and lions, the clock tower and Metropolitan Cathedral.

In the afternoon, we will head out of the city and into the countryside, where we will find another Neogothic monument, a nobleman’s palace in the woods with a huge domain and its own monastery.

The first stop of the day is at the most famous Romanian monastery, Voroneț, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The outside paintings have lasted mostly unharmed and unchanged since 1488 and the special blue color is known as “Voroneț Blue”.

Next stop, the Suceava Fortress. First mentioned in a document in 1388, it was heavily fortified in the XV Century and went through several invasions and attacks from Ottomans, Hungarians, Tatars and Poles.

History: In 1645, just like it will happen later to the Neamț Citadel, it was partially demolished by the local ruler who was loyal to the Ottomans. He sent soldiers to place gunpowder barrels at the base of the walls and light them up, but explosions only damaged the walls and none crumbled. So they proceeded to fill up the fortress with wood and hay and set it on fire. An earthquake in 1684 brought down the entire Northern wall and the main tower.

Here is what it looks like now.

Authentic: On the way to Putna Monastery, where we have dinner and stay over night, we also stop at the stone cave of Daniel the Hermit. He used to live in a monastery but withdrew from social life, went closer to the mountains and found a quiet place where he carved an altar and a small room directly into stone. Later in life, he became the abbot of Voroneț.

If you lived a merry life and want people to remember you that way, you should think about buying a plot in the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța.

Fun fact: The cemetery is famous for its colorful painted wooden crosses and for the funny epitaphs written on them. Instead of sad words, the locals prefer to compose poems about the dead, evoking their lives, quirks, occupations or characters in a very amusing manner.

We then head to Bârsana Monastery, the largest complex of wooden structures in the area.

History: The church tower is 54m tall and is said to have been built as a token of gratitude for God’s protection against the plague that devastated the land in 1710 (it would hit again in 1742). The church has been moved twice before finally being settled where it is today.

Our tour takes us toward the Southern part of Transylvania, but we need to rest on the way. Tomorrow is a new day!

Today we take a tour of Viscri (UNESCO World Heritage Center), a very well preserved Medieval village with a special statute.

History: There is evidence of an old settlement dating back to 1100-1120, but the first mention of Viscri dates from around 1400, as Alba Ecclesia (The White Church, Weisskirche in German), because of the small white chapel there. With time, the locals built a larger church, also white, with a defense wall and towers to protect it. Official documents show that in 1500 the village had “51 households, 3 shepherds, 1 teacher and 2 poor people”.

Viscri has never been part of a feudal domain, remaining a free town until today.

The WOW Factor: The Teutons built massive, 3m thick and 12m tall walls and fortifications around the church, as it was the first line of defense against invasion through the Buzău pass in the mountains. The Prejmer Citadel was never conquered by Ottomans.

We stop in Brașov to see the largest Gothic Cathedral in Romania, The Black Church, and find dinner and accommodation.

Today we take it slow, starting with a drive on the highest road in Romania, the Transalpina. This is the perfect place to stop and admire the scenery, have a picnic and fill up the camera with pictures.

On the other side of the mountains, we reach the town of Horezu, famous for its colorful pottery. Nature, birds, trees, leaves, geometrical shapes, flowers and other icons decorate the traditional plates, water pitchers, bowls and pots, all done by hand.

The WOW Factor: In this area, archaeologists found traces of pottery originating from the Neolithic era (6500-3500 B.C.).

Authentic: We get a little dirty trying our talents at making our own pots or plates, but don’t worry, we can also buy souvenirs from professional craftsmen!

After cleaning up, we visit the Horezu Monastery, one of the most representative monuments for the Romanian Renaissance architecture that mixed Classic, Baroque and local elements. The original painting (1693) inside the church depicts dramatic scenes from the Biblical Judgment Day and the wall separating the altar from the rest of the church is made of sculpted lime wood with gold dust painting.

Close to the monastery, there is a small sanatorium for the priests, locals or travelers that fell ill and were taken care of by the monks (Horezu became a nun monastery in 1872 and still is).

The last day of our tour takes us to the Turnu Monastery and the nearby stone hermitage. Such monk retreats can be found all around the mountains, as life in a far away, secluded area was thought to strengthen faith and the relationship with God.

In 1517, the ruler of Vallachia decided to build a wonderful church in the capital of his kingdom, Curtea de Argeș (translated literally as The Argeș Court, Argeș being the river that passes through the town). He chose a famous architect, Manole, and gave him the task of erecting something so beautiful that nobody in the world had ever seen or imagined.

The builders began work, but each morning they found that the walls had crumbled overnight and had to start over. Soon, Manole started having dreams where he would take the first wife that came to bring food to her working husband, put her inside the wall of the monastery, lay bricks around her and the walls would hold. He knew that the dreams were a sign from God and decided to do just so.

Next day, the first woman that brought food was Manole’s wife, Ana. As he sees her, he starts praying that she turns back, that rain or storm change her mind, but nothing happens. Heart-broken, he starts building the wall around her, as he weeps and her crying slowly fades away as the bricks get laid on top of another.

The Church gets finished and is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, of architecture, sculpture and painting. As Manole is laying the last pieces of the roof, the king takes away his ladders and leaves him there to die, so that he would never build another church so beautiful.

Manole makes a pair of wings from wood, canvas and clay and tries to glide from the roof of the church, but crashes to his death a few hundred meters away. A freshwater spring came out from where he crashed and pilgrims drink from it until this day. Manole had to sacrifice his love and his life to create something so beautiful.

Or so the legend goes…

We have seen a lot, done a lot and traveled a lot. It is time to return home, so we head back to the Bucharest airport or, if you choose to spend another day in the city, at your hotel.