Suceava

Suceava, town (1990 pop. 107,988), NE Romania, in Bukovina, on the Suceava River. It is a commercial center and has industries that manufacture food products, paper, wood products, and cellulose. Suceava was the capital of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565, when it was succeeded by Iasi. A historic shrine with many churches (notably the 16th-century St. George Church, a famous pilgrimage center), the town is also the seat of an Orthodox metropolitan. Nearby is the renowned 17th-century Dragomirna monastery.

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Suceava

Suceava (pronunciation in Romanian: /su'ʧa.va/; Suczawa, Сучава, שאַץ / Shats) is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania.

Geography

The city covers two types of geographical areas - the hills (of which the highest point is the Zamca Hill) and the meadows of the Suceava River valley. The unusual configuration of Suceava City includes two groves - Zamca and Şipote - which are both located within the city limits. Burdujeni, one of the neighbourhoods, is connected to the rest of the city through an avenue, making it resemble a satellite town of Suceava.

History

Dimitrie Cantemir in his famous work Descriptio Moldavie gives the origin of the name as Hungarian : Szűcsvár, meaning city of furriers.

The city of Suceava was for long the capital of the Moldavian state and main residence of the Moldavian princes (between 1388 and 1565). During the rule of Alexandru Lăpuşneanu, the seat was moved to Iaşi.

Together with the rest of Bukovina (of which it was the main administrative center), Suceava was under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy (later Austria-Hungary) from 1775 to 1918; the border of Habsburg domains passed just south-east of the city. At the end of World War I, it became part of Greater Romania.

Tourism

In the past few years Suceava started to evolve more rapidly, but even so it remains a small, dreary city. Tourists can visit the Museum of History, Hanul Domnesc, Cetatea de Scaun (fortress), Muzeul Satului, the Planetarium, the Museum of Natural Science and, in the vicinity of the city, a few monasteries, lakes, woods and the floral reservation of Bosanci. The Saint George's Church of Suceava is one of the seven Painted churches of northern Moldavia included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There are many pubs and bars, as well as a few hotels spread throughout the city. The night is dominated by teenagers, as the pubs, bars and clubs in the city overflow with customers around midnight.