Suceava is a city in northeastern Romania and the capital of the Suceava Județ. Founded before the 14th century on a hilltop just above the right bank of the Suceava River, it remained a part of Moldavia from 1388 to 1564, when it was relocated to Iaşi. Suceava evolved as a commerce centre and customs station under the tenure of Stephen (tefan) the Magnificent in the fifteenth century, with several warehouses and a powerful castle. After the Turks attacked it in the 1600s, the town's status began to dwindle. The Turks gave Suceava to Austria including the rest of the Bukovina province in 1775, and Romania reclaimed the city in 1918. 

Good to Know About Suceava

Suceava is a city in Romania's subregion of Bukovina, situated on the banks of the Suceava River. Suceava was the centre of the now Moldova region from the mediaeval era until 1564. During Austria's dominance over Bukovina, Suceava was known as a "little Austria" due to its substantial ethnic variety.

Suceava is home to several mediaeval sites, museums, and historical structures. It's also the starting point for seeing Bukovina's UNESCO Heritage Listed painted monasteries, which are famed for their outstanding Byzantine architecture. What is attractive in Suceava is that it is a city at a crossroads of various civilizations. Its Romanian buildings are influenced by German and Austrian architecture, as well as Byzantium and Turkish architecture. Suceava remains a relatively unknown jewel among international tourists, but because of its historical and cultural monuments, it is rapidly gaining prominence. With our thorough guidebook to Suceava, you would be able to manage an enjoyable and worry-free vacation to this city. Here's all you need to discover about Suceava, Romania.

When to Visit Suceava, Romania

Suceava, like the rest of Romania, has four different seasons. Suceava, being in the north of the nation, is colder than other southern towns in Romania or beach resorts like Mamaia. The greatest season to travel to Suceava is in early autumn, when the weather is still moderate but not as dry and hot as in the summer.

Summer temperatures in Suceava range from 11°C (52°F) to 25°C (77°F). Because Suceava has just recently become increasingly popular among tourists, you may visit throughout the summer without fear of being overrun, as in many other areas in Romania.

Autumn is moderate and lovely, with stunning leaf colours all around. Temperatures have remained high throughout early September, gradually cooling towards the middle and end of Fall. September is unquestionably one of the greatest months to visit Suceava. Autumn temperatures range from 1°C to 21°C.

Winters are chilly and snowy. Winter prices will be substantially lower for travellers that desire to visit. There are ski slopes about one hour from Suceava where you may enjoy wintertime in all its grandeur. Dress appropriately for winter, including winter boots, winter coats, and plenty of layers. The temperature ranges from 9°C (16°F) to 2°C (36°F).

Things to Do in Suceava

Fortress of Suceava

The Fortress of Suceava, also known as the Suceava Citadel, is a mediaeval stronghold constructed during the rule of Petru of Moldavia. This mediaeval fortress was eventually enlarged and fortified, and it played an important role in the late 14th-century defence system intended to safeguard the territory from the Ottomans.

Suceava's Seat Fortress is made out of two encircling citadels. There lies the ancient inner citadel erected by Petru of Moldavia. There is also an outer fortress with a circular shape that surrounds the original one. A moat was constructed for the additional fortifications for further defence. It is currently an important tourist attraction in Suceava, as well as a landmark where various cultural events take place all year.

Bukovina Village Museum

Bucovina Village Museum is a transparent museum that features 21 cottages to explore and enjoy. It's essentially a magnificent recreation of a town where visitors can witness how inhabitants utilised living before Suceava has become a bustling metropolis. The entire property has been beautifully preserved and repaired. The cost is only £2 per adult.

Dragomirna Monastery

This church, 15 kilometres from Suceava, was constructed after the colored monasteries in the early 17th century and has a much more harsh and warlike appearance. Dragomirna was erected in an era when Ottoman invasions were prevalent, which explains its pillars and high, simple fortification walls with arrow holes at the top. These are the highest fortifications in the Bukovina area, and the cathedral they cover is built in Byzantine and Gothic styles. The external walls use the same blind quasi arches as the painted monasteries, but the interior features vaults with western-style rib vaults. The paintings are on the interior, in the nave and chancel, and there is also a museum with magnificent Mediaeval liturgical items.

Planetariul din Suceava (Suceava Planetarium)

The city's planetarium, which was founded by the Museums of Bukovina, is currently run by the universities and is a popular destination for young astronomers in heavy rain.

The main hall features a Zeiss ZKP top display featuring 6,000 stars as well as side projectors capable of displaying moving objects such as the Galileo spacecraft, the Donati Comet, and shooting stars. On clear evenings, there are live stargazing performances at the domes atop the building's tower, where you can peer into Saturn's rings, examine the moon's surface in detail, and watch nebulae.

Cacica Salt Mine

For anything out of the ordinary, travel 40 kilometres west to Cacica, where the best salt in Romania is mined. The saline here is re-crystallized from brine and extracted through tunnels dug by hand in 1791. This massive facility has 8,200 tunnels, some of which have been exposed to the public on a 2-3-hour tour. It might be unsettling to realise that miners are working over 100 metres under your feet. But even when no one is present, you may walk down and look around in an Orthodox chapel, a Roman Catholic chapel, a little man-made lake, and, most surprisingly, a ballroom with balconies cut straight into the salt.