"Holy Cross" Monastery Ensemble — Local services in Pătrăuți

Far and away, this was the most memorable experience for me, for my very first time in Romania. My partner and I happened upon this place practically by accident, and what a happy accident it was. This is Romania’s oldest UNESCO World Heritage Site, with some of the most finely preserved interior frescoes to be found anywhere, especially among the famed monasteries of Suceava County. The kind, gentle sister who was caretaker to the site opened it for us and allowed us to take a close-up look at this hidden gem. For anyone who has the opportunity to travel through Suceava county, do not miss this...

This is an old church, I believe from the 1400s. The architecture in particular is incredibly fascinating. They built it facing a certain way, and put windows in just the right places, and painted symbols and pictures on the walls so that at certain times of the year, the sun would fall on significant symbols at certain times of the day. The church itself is very small, and it costs a few lei to go inside. But then they tell you the story of it and describe the significance of everything, and the experience...

This is one of the less popular monasteries than the rest of the UNESCO painted monasteries, but I would say it's worth visiting. During our visit there were no other tourists, so it was so calm and peaceful which only added to the great experience. The sister that was taking care of the church, told us a little bit about its history and the paintings inside. There was no entrance ticket, but we decided to buy a small souvenir from this beautiful,...