Impressive number of churches in Bucovina, Romania, with interesting interior and exterior frescoes, has been preserved since medieval times (15-16 century). Because of their uniqueness and artistic value, they were added to the International Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO in 1993. Indeed, there is no other place on earth where there is such a group of churches, with such a high quality of frescoes.
In most cases, churches were founded as a place of noble families for burial. Although following the canonical iconographic program, each artist has interpreted the scenes in slightly different ways. Using colors like Voronet blue, red and green Humor the painters (mostly unknown) described the biblical stories of the earth and heaven, life scenes from the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, stories about the beginnings of mankind and life after death. First, the scenes were painted on walls, and then extended to the exterior walls. The reasons for such vast scenes were both religious and didactic: to promote Orthodoxy and to educate ordinary people.
The Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania date from the 13th to the 16th century and were often organised around a fortified church. They provide a vivid picture of the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. The seven villages inscribed, founded by the Transylvanian Saxons, are characterized by a specific land-use system, settlement pattern and organization of the family farmstead that have been preserved since the late Middle Ages. These 7 villages are:
- Biertan
- Câlnic,
- Dârjiu
- Prejmer
- Saschiz
- Valea Viilor
- Viscri
but, besides these they are many more.
The wooden churches are a distinct feature of Maramures. Here the natives' woodcarving talent shows up in a display of beauty and creativity. These churches are built in the 17th and 18th century without the help of any iron nails, yet reach impressive heights. In fact, here you will find the highest wooden building in Europe ( some say in the entire world ) - the church of Surdesti, reaching 72 m ( 236 ft). The churches show such a high level of artistic maturity and craft skills: they are narrow, tall, timber constructions with characteristic elongated towers single or double-roofed and covered by shingles. The walls of the wooden churches are generally built of oak logs laid horizontally with intricate joints. Because they are an exceptional expression of the cultural heritage of this mountainous area of northern Romania eigth of these churches are included in UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999
For Romania , the Medieval Age was a very tempestuous time caused by the waves of the invaders. The collection of medieval castles perhaps best illustrates the rich medieval heritage of the country. The castles built from the 14th to the 18th centuries are strong and simple fortresses built mainly for defense against invaders, but those built beginning in the late 1800s as residences are imposing and luxurious.
The most popular medieval castle include the 14th century Corvinesti Castle built on the site of a former Roman camp and of course, the Bran Castle, built in the mid-1300s and legendary home to Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. And let's not forget the 15th century Banffy Bontida castle, once called the Versailles of Transylvania. The elegant 19th century Peles Castle with its 160 rooms filled with priceless European art.
Traditional villages and landscape
In order to sense the real spirit of Romanian life try to lose yourself just for a couple of days in a village somewhere in Transylvania, Banat, Apuseni mountains, Maramures or Dobrogea where their villagers still wear homemade folklor costumes, still work their field using animal force and everything escaped obliteration by the 20th century. All these are sustained by beautiful sceneries and breath taking landscape formed by mountains with 31% of the territory, hills and plains (69 %), rivers and lakes with 3,7% covered areas with the legendary Danube River that ends its eight-country journey at the Black Sea, after forming one of the largest and most biodiverse wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta and with 13% of the country covered by forests, half of them
have been managed for watershed conservation rather than production.
