Marginea

A village world-famous for its unique black pottery, made using an ancient reduction-firing technique passed down for generations. Visitors can watch artisans at the wheel and buy distinctive glossy black ceramics.

Things to do

• Watch black pottery being made — Visit a family workshop to see artisans shape clay on the wheel and burnish pieces with river stones before the reduction firing turns them glossy black.
• Buy authentic Marginea ceramics — Purchase distinctive black pots, jugs, and decorative pieces directly from the potters who made them.
• See the traditional firing kiln — Learn how the smoke-starved reduction firing technique, dating back centuries, gives the pottery its unique color and shine.
• Day trip to the Painted Monasteries — Use Marginea as a base to visit nearby UNESCO-listed monasteries like Sucevita and Moldovita with their vivid exterior frescoes.
• Explore Radauti nearby — Drive a few kilometers to the town of Radauti for its Ethnographic Museum and Bogdana Monastery, the oldest stone church in Moldavia.
• Wander the village and countryside — Stroll through the traditional Bucovina village to see wooden houses, gardens, and the rolling green hills of the region.

Food to try

• Bors de sfecla / bors radautean — A sour soup from the region, the Radauti version made with chicken, sour cream, and garlic instead of the usual meat and bran.
• Sarmale — Cabbage rolls stuffed with minced pork and rice, slow-cooked and traditionally served with polenta and sour cream.
• Mamaliga cu branza si smantana — Cornmeal polenta served with local sheep's cheese and sour cream, a staple of Bucovina home cooking.
• Tochitura bucovineana — A hearty pork stew served with polenta, fried egg, and cheese, typical of the mountain region.
• Afinata and horinca — Local homemade spirits, afinata a sweet blueberry liqueur and horinca a strong fruit brandy offered to guests.

Local customs & good to know

• Buy directly from artisans — Purchasing pottery from the workshops supports the families keeping this endangered craft alive across generations.
• Handle the pottery carefully — The burnished black ceramics are decorative and traditional but can be fragile, so ask before touching pieces on display.
• Respect monastery dress codes — When visiting nearby monasteries cover shoulders and knees, and women may be asked to wear a headscarf.
• Accept hospitality graciously — Bucovina villagers are warmly welcoming and may offer homemade tuica or food, which it is polite to accept.

Nearby

• Sucevița Monastery (Moldavia) — 8 km
• Putna Monastery (Moldavia) — 17 km
• Humor Monastery (Moldavia) — 25 km
• Moldovița Monastery (Moldavia) — 26 km