The painted monasteries in Bucovina

The painted churches in Bucovina, Romania's northeastern region, were built in the 15th and 16th centuries and impress visitors with exterior murals whose colors have survived the harsh environment for more than 400 years.

Both interior and exterior paintings served to make the Bible's stories and Orthodox values more accessible to a mostly illiterate population. Several churches, including Arbore, Humor, Moldovita, Patrauti, Probota, Sfantul Ioan cel Nou (Suceava), Sucevita, and Voronet, have been inscribed on the UNESCO list as masterpieces of Byzantine art.

The most famous of them all is in Voronet, where its exterior painting on a blue background gave the color "the Voronet blue" its name. If you're looking for more ideas, take a look at these interesting places to visit Bucovina.