Vatra Dornei is the best base for visiting the painted monasteries of Bucovina, a group of 15th and 16th-century Orthodox churches whose exterior walls are covered entirely in frescoes — one of the great achievements of medieval European art. The monasteries are all within 60–90 minutes' drive of the town.
Voronet (50 km) is the most famous, known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East" for its exterior frescoes painted in a vivid blue pigment — "Voronet blue" — that has not faded in 500 years. The western wall's depiction of the Last Judgment, covering 200 square metres, is the masterpiece. Humor (60 km, built 1530) and Moldovita (70 km, built 1532) are less visited and worth the slight extra distance — Moldovita retains its original defensive walls. Sucevita (90 km, 1582–1584) is the largest of the monasteries and has the most complete surviving frescoes. Putna (100 km), built by Stephen the Great between 1466 and 1469, is less ornate but holds the ruler's tomb and an important museum of medieval art.
All the monasteries are still active convents or monasteries; modest dress is required (shoulders covered, women wear headscarves) and photography rules vary. A car or hired taxi is the most flexible way to visit; guided tours from Vatra Dornei and Suceava are also available.