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          To avoid the dull part of our journey, we set out to Moldavia using the western approach via Brasov, Sghisoara and then the Bicaz Gorges - as our entrance to Moldavia. As Bucharest - Brasov route has been already described in the other packages, I start my commentary with Sighisoara`s northern area.
          Sovata, some 45 km north of Sighisoara, is one of Romania`s best-loved spas, with a very picturesque setting. In addition, it offers four good hotels and a campsite.
          Continuing northeast, the road ascends to Gheorghieni. The region is extremely attractive through this region. It`s an area where the mountains are of volcanic origin.
          Lacu Rosu (The Red Lake) was formed by landslides which blocked Pârâul Oilor (The Sheep`s Spring) in 1837. The lake gets its name from the reflection of Mount Ucigasu`s red clay. Its peaceful waters and the wonderful views attract thousands of tourists which are catered for with villas, chalets, hotels and restaurants. There are also marked paths that guide you up the mountainsides to surrounding heights like Great Suhard and Ghilcos summits or into the spectacular limestone Bicaz Gorges. No wonder some magnificent parts have been dubbed "the Hell`s Gorge" - so narrow, barely 6-7 m that it had to be widened to take the modern road beside the River Bicaz, or "the Altar`s Rock" - a perfectly vertical 700 m high limestone peak.
          Before reaching Piatra Neamt, a diversion to the left brings us to the fine Monastery of Bistrita, built in 1407 by Alexander the Good to be his family`s burial place. He himself, his first wife and Alexander, Stephen the Great`s son, are all buried here.
          In the lovely, forested hills above Bistrita, we`ll find another ancient monastery, Bisericani, built in 1512.
          Bicaz is a modern tourist settlement in a magnificent mountain setting, dependent on the hydro-electric station a the 35 km-long storage lake`s southern tip. You can make boat trips on the lake drive round most of it and onto the Ceahlau - see "Mountain walks on the Carpathians".
          Piatra Neamt. The central area boasts the imposing statue of Stephen the Great. You can reach the Sf. Ioan church and its 19 m high lookout steeple, both built before 1500, during Stephen the Great`s reign. Just below the church you pass the County Historical Museum, such as every Romanian county town possesses. A little beyond the church we`ll find the underground remains of the Princely Court, built in the 15th century. Piatra Neamt is surrounded by hills going up to 690 m. On one of them, Bâtca Doamnei, the reains of a Dacian fortress have been discovered. Cozla Hill has been turned into a fine park, with a number of restaurants in it.
          We can drive to Vãratec Monastery, by turning to the left from the main Piatra Neamt - Târgu Neamt road. Vãratec dates from 1785 though built on the sites of a 1598 hermitage. It has played host to many writers who have come for relaxation in its magnificent setting. One of them, the poetess Veronica Micle, is buried at Vãratec.
          Agapia Monastery lies a few kilometres north of Varatec. Founded in 1447 its buildings were burned by Turks in 1821 and rebuilt in 1823. Nicolae Grigorescu, Romania`s best-loved painter, began painting icons there, as a boy. The monastery is built in square fortress shape, with its main church standing in the middle of it. The body of the church is covered by carpets,with icons standing at various points. But the main thing you`ll notice is the magnificent siver-framed iconostasis with its paintings of biblical characters and saints and the hanging lamps burning constantly in front of it.
          A path passes a former hermit`s dwellings and after about twenty minutes brings you to Agapia din Deal or Agapia Veche, a little older than Agapia din Vale, a little mountain monastery in a hillside forest clearing. The path continues a good 2 hours` walking in all to Secu Monastery, built in stone in the mid-16th century. It has been for centuries a place of learning and has seen its share of warfare. Its museum contains precious embroideries, silverware and old books. Another road will get us to yet another monastery - Sihastria. Beyond Sihastria, we can walk up into the forests, making for yet another monastery called Sihla. Best of all, is to spend several days exploring the whole area. Mountains and forests will give you the chance of seeing all sorts of wildlife.
          There`s one more monastery you ought to know about before we leave this region - the Neamt Monastery. It`s believed to be the oldest of all Moldavia`s monasteries (being built in the 13 th century). Additions were made by Alexander the Good and the present majestic church was built by Stephen the Great in 1497. For centuries Neamtu Monastery has been a centre of learning and art.
          Finding our way to Suceava, we have to drive through Târgu Neamt. A walk from the town centre can get us up to the ruins of Neamt Citadel in half an hour.
          Suceava itself, built on the river of the same name, is the capital of the Bucovina, Moldova`s most nothernly section. It prospered most in Stephen the Great`s time. The huge Princely Citadel, enlarged by him, has been thoroughly excavated. You geta good view over the town from here. The Zamca Citadel was transformed into a strong fortress by the invading Polish armiesin 1691. The Scheia Citadel, in the town`s northwest,dates from the 14h century. The ruins of these three ancient citadels used to guard the town standing on hills on east, west and northwest.
          The towns contains several fine old churches. The 14th century Mirauti is the oldest, followed by the Sf. Gheorghe Nou (1514), Sf. Dumitru (1535) and so on. The Mirauti is specially notable because of its enamelled roof tiles.
          For most tourists, who may have flown into Suceava from Bucharest or the coast, Suceava is the point for a coach tour of the Bucovina`s fine remarkable "Painted Churches", so called because their interior as well as exterior walls are covered with stupendous 16th century frescos. In over 400 years, the colours of most have never even dimmed. At least two, used paints whose chemical composition has never been unravelled.
          Quite apart from their artistic value the paintings are notable historical and social documents. Not suprisingly, UNESCO includes them on its world heritage list. As if all were not enough, the churches are set in outstandingly beautiful mountain scenery, among soaring green hills and mighty forests.
          Arbore is the smallest of the " Painted Churches" with no cupola on its roof, because Luca Arbore, who built it in 1503, was merely a minor landowner and not a nobleman. As for the Northern Moldavian church, you can tell the founder/builder`s precise rank from the towers and cupola on its roof. Arbore is famous for the delicacy and loveliness of its paintings and for their use of five different shades of green.
          Sucevita Monastery, built by Ieremia Movila in 1582, is quite simple breathtaking as well as its church`s frescos. The walls seem to be covered with thousands of portraits. The southern wall carries a superb " Tree of Jesse", a picoral genealogy demonstrating the connection between Old and New Testaments. There`s a frieze of the scholars and philosophers of antiquity: Pythagoras, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle and Solon gorgeously represented.
          From Sucevita we continue another 30 km to Vatra Moldovitei village with Moldovita Monastery just north of it. The church was built in 1532 and painted in 1537. Here again, there are hundreds of separate scenes, Jesse`s Tree is shown again a dark blue background and one of the most interesting compositions depicts the "Siege of the Constantinople". The town had fallen to the Turks eighty years previously.
          Voronet Monastery The church`s frescos are as magnificent as ever,except on the northern wall where they`ve been damagedby bad weather. They are famous for the "blue of Voronet" they used. Jesse`s Tree here develops in an exposion of blue and they`re also famous for the dramatic Last Judgement.
          Humor Monastery, built by Pavel Bubuiog in 1530 and painted during Petru Rares`s reign, has had some of its outside paintings damaged by weather. But a lovely Return of the Prodigal Son still remains. The church`s situation, 6 km up a beautiful valley, with the entrance tower and parts of the walls still surviving, is enchanting.
          The Painted Churches and the magnificent scenery they`re set in aren`t the Bucovina`s only attractions. In Radauti, 37 km from Suceava, he Bogdana Church gets its name from the fact that it was built in 1359 - 65 by Bogdan I, the earliest ruler of medieval Moldavia. The church holds the tombs of Moldavia`s first Princes.
          Marginea, 8 km along the road to Sucevita, has for centuries been producing pottery given a totally black appearance through incomplete firing. A well-known modern potter still carries on the old tradition.
          The road left in Radauti takes us to Putna, in many ways the most famous of all the monasteries still in Romania that were founded by Stephen the Great - Stephen himself being buried here. The monastery was built by him in 1466 - 69, restored several times since then. In past centuries, was a centre of learning, with important manuscripts copying, icon-painting and embroidery workshops. Its museum testifies to all of these treasures. The surrounding mountains are lovely enough for anyone to enjoy being here.

          To complete this tour of the Bucovina, I must mention two more strongly fortified monasteries - Slatina lying in a rather shallow small valley, and the other monastery, stone-built Dragomirna. The latter stands majestically beside a stream, which acts almost as a moat. Its church is superb and all its walls all seem to be about 3 m thick. It was founded in 1607 by the Moldavian Metropolitan Anastasie Crimca, who was himself a remarkable artist.
          Our way back to Bucharest follows the road that goes roughly parallel alongside the River Siret`s valley, passing through Bacau and Vrancea regions.
          Bacau has been a vital communication centre for centuries. Its only tourist attraction is the Precista Church built by Stephen the Great`s son, Alexander. It was originally attached to the court Stephen built for his son.
          Marasesti is almost the only place of interest in this southern section of our route back. We can see the mausoleum that is a memorial to Romanian soldiers killed in the battle for the town in 1917, when German and Austro-Hungarian forces launched a major offensive from the north.
          Odobesti is the centre of one of Moldavia`s best-known wine-gorwing areas. Cellars dating from 1839 and ones built during Stephen the Great`s time have been restored for modern use.