Ciocănești: Painted Houses, Egg Art and Festivals

Culture and Painted Houses

Ciocănești surprises visitors with a distinctive blend of architecture, craftsmanship and living tradition. The exterior façades of the houses feature traditional motifs, like those also found on local folk costumes. More than 600 houses have exterior walls painted with traditional geometric motifs. In this way, the art of decorating eggs and folk costumes can be found not only in collections, but also on numerous houses throughout the village.

Museums and Regional Handicrafts

The Muzeul Etnografic al Comunei Ciocănești houses hundreds of exhibits relating to the settlement’s past. The Casa Muzeu Țăran Leontina preserves old folk costumes from the Bistrița Valley and traditional objects. Another special attraction is the Muzeul Național al Ouălor Încondeiate. It is considered the only collection in Romania featuring decorated eggs made using wax-resist techniques from across the country. The craft of egg decoration is also practiced in around 20 handicraft workshops in Ciocănești. The museums distribute the different themes across several buildings: the history of the settlement, folk costumes, traditional objects and egg art each have their own exhibition venue. For museum visits, current opening hours are among the practical details that should be checked before the day of travel.

Festivals Throughout the Year

Several regular dates bring together music, peasant customs, egg art and regional cuisine. The Muzicamer Festival has taken place every year in Ciocănești on 15 August since 2011, and is dedicated to popularizing classical music in rural areas. The National Trout Festival also takes place in Ciocănești on 15 August. During the Easter season, the National Decorated Eggs Festival is held every year. On 29 May, Ciocănești hosts the Măsura oilor, before the herds are driven up into the mountains. Festival dates should be checked against the current events calendar before arrival, especially if several fixed dates are to be combined. Classical music, trout, egg art and peasant customs feature alongside the driving of livestock on 29 May in the festival calendar. For events with fixed dates, the relevant event dates should be checked before arrival.

River and Hiking Trail

Rafting trips on the Bistrița are organized in Ciocănești as part of a preserved local tradition. A hiking trail leads from the village of Ciocănești via Pârâul Recele, Mănăstirea Sfânta Cruce (Ciocănești) and Valea Bancu to the village of Coșna. For rafting trips, current times and organizational information should be checked before the excursion. For hiking trails, current route conditions and, where applicable, transport times are also useful preparations.

Rhododendron Reserve in the Suhard Mountains

Ciocănești’s annual programme includes the “Incursiune în rezervația de rododendroni” festival, held in the rhododendron reserve in the Suhard Mountains. For the festival in the reserve, the current event dates should be checked before arrival.

More destinations in the same destination network: Rădăuţi, Dealu Floreni, Suceava, Văleni-Stânișoara, Fălticeni, Pojorâta, Frasin, Şaru Dornei

To the higher-level travel overview: Suceava.