Suceava

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suceava
Coat of Arms of Suceava Location of Suceava
County Suceava County
Status County capital
Mayor Ion Lungu, National Liberal Party, since 2004
Population (2002) 105,865
Geographical coordinates 47°39′05″N, 26°15′20″E
Web site http://www.primariasv.ro/

Suceava (pronunciation in Romanian: /su'ʧěa.va/; Polish: Suczawa, Ukrainian: Сучава, Yiddish: שאָץ Shots) is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania.

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] History

Suceava Castle Plan as in 1901
Enlarge
Suceava Castle Plan as in 1901

The name Suceava is of Hungarian origin, being derived from Szűcsvár ("Town of the skin-workers"), an etymology attested by Dimitrie Cantemir's Descriptio Moldaviae.

View of the city from fortress remains. The Church of St. Demetrius is visible in the distance.
Enlarge
View of the city from fortress remains. The Church of St. Demetrius is visible in the distance.

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.

[edit] 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 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.

[edit] Natives

[edit] See also

[edit] External links