Arbore is a village in Bucovina, in the north of Romania, and its church is one of the famous painted churches of Moldavia. It was built in 1503 by Luca Arbore, a nobleman at the court of Stephen the Great, and dedicated to the Beheading of St John the Baptist. Like the other painted churches of the region, its exterior walls are covered with frescoes, applied in the sixteenth century to teach the Bible to ordinary people who could not read. Arbore's frescoes, painted around 1541, are known for their green tones, and while weather has faded the walls facing the prevailing wind, the west facade still shows scenes of the Last Judgement, saints and the Book of Genesis in remarkable detail. UNESCO lists it among the eight churches of northern Moldavia.
Unlike the larger monasteries of Voroneț, Sucevița and Moldovița, Arbore is a simple parish church, without a fortified enclosure, standing in a quiet churchyard among old trees. It is often less crowded, which gives you time to look closely at the paintings and to notice the details: the faces of the saints, the colours, and the way artists adapted the walls to their stories.
Not far away, the Codrul Secular Slătioara is one of the last old-growth forests in Romania, with fir, spruce and beech trees hundreds of years old, now protected as a nature reserve and part of the UNESCO beech forests listing. Walking among these giants, with moss and fallen trunks everywhere, is a strong contrast to the farmed landscape of the valley.
The riding in Bucovina is very rewarding. The roads between the painted churches cross wooded hills and green valleys, with some excellent passes, such as Ciumârna between Sucevița and Moldovița. Surfaces vary from smooth to badly potholed, and horse-drawn carts are common, so be alert, especially at night when they may lack lights. Arbore, with nearly seven thousand inhabitants, has basic shops and a fuel station is close by, and Rădăuți and Suceava are larger towns. Try the local sour soup, ciorbă, and papanași, fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam.