In recent years Ciocanesti village has benefited from funding that has allowed resurfacing of the road, new pathways, a new ethnographic center and currently the cultural house is being modernized..
Sweet smelling flowers adorn the roadside adding to the beauty of the village. Gabimar guest house can be seen in this photos also.
Steven the Great keeping an eye over the Ciocanesti village!
A local couple hard at work on their plot of land. Many rely on substance farming for produce.
Freshly picked wild mushrooms from the lush valleys around Ciocaneste being prepared for the evening meal with diced chicken and cream..
2020 and in June plenty of thunder storms in the area.... Time to take cover and keep dry and safe!!
Ciocanesti Commune school girls in traditional dress outside the cultural center in their village.
Ciocanesti is famous for its hand painted eggs and museum. Seen in this photographs is Mrs Marilena Nicolita who takes great pride in the village museum and local traditions and festivities alike.
Traditional sheep farm in the Suhard mountains near Ciocanesti Commune, Suceava County of Romania.
Hornblower calling sheep & goats near Ciocanesti at mountain sheep farm.
Fresh milk being collected at the suhard mountain sheep farm near Ciocanesti, Suceava County - Romania.
Early morning mist rising above the Monastery with family dwellings in the forefront. Ciocanesti Commune, Suceava County.
There are two streets by this name in Ciocanesti village.. August 2020
June 2014 photograph of Ciocanesti Commune taken from high up above the village in the late afternoon.
April 2016. Newly renovated dwelling in the traditional style of Ciocanesti village.
Heavy snow falls arrive each winter in Ciocanesti village as seen in this winter photograph.
Ciocanesti Commune is unique in its quaint cottages each hand decorated in traditional style with lovely gardens.
Its a steep walk up to Ciocanesti monastery but well worth the effort and the views on the way down are also breathtaking!
one of many footbridges across the river Bistrita that takes you to cottages on the far bank of the village.
These bridges sway from side to side and can be a little daunting to cross but are quite safe!
Local man who makes traditional sweeping brushes on his way to sell them along Ciocanesti main street.
Within the valley lives many families who are blessed with clean fresh air daily.
Wood is used for many purposes in and around Ciocanesti including heating, building and for fences and carvings that are handmade.
Traditional hillside family dwellings are in abundance in Ciocanesti commune where life still goes on in traditional ways day after day.
wild mushrooms are great when cooked on an open fire! Ciocanesti August 2020
wild berries are a source of natural vitamins after washing and taste delicious. Ciocanesti August 2020
Its a rather steep climb up to the cross at the top of this hill. Ciocanesti August 2020
Ciocanesti like nearby Iacobeni for many years was a mining community as seen in this photograph of the mine complex were manganese ore was extracted.
Rural land in commune Ciocanesti area filled with lovely scenery. June 2014.
Children in Ciocanesti Commune enjoy free time in their new play-park.
Each dwelling in Ciocanesti commune is a true work of art! These family dwellings are all hand painted in traditional fashion that has not changed in hundreds of years.
In a late afternoon in June 2014 I took this photograph that shows smoke from chimneys of dwellings in the valley who use wood burning fires for heating and cooking alike.
Locals rely on wood for many things including building and winter heating. Here you see wood neatly piled in a side garden waiting to be used, some chopped already and some left in long lengths.
Wild flowers & thistles grow alongside each other along the valley of Ciocanesti in the early summertime 2014.
Ciocanesti school has educated children for generations and is a fine school with many awards to its credit. Our NGO helps in projects at the school and nearby kindergarten alike each year.
many larger animals like this cow make their own way home at night from a day grazing on the abundance of grassland around the village. This one passes the school along the main road on a rainy evening in May.
Fencing posts stacked neatly on high ground above the village on this walkway up to the Christian Orthodox Monastery.
Looking down the valley from the high up track to Ciocanesti Monastery in the direction of Botos small hamlet.
In keeping with tradition cut grass is staked on fences to dry out and then used for animals, but here you see a few chickens getting cream of the pickings first!!
Heating logs all cut to size and neatly stacked by the dwelling. April 2016 Ciocanesti.
Ciocanesti residents work hard both on the land and with the raising of animals. Here is a farmer feeding his cows on the steep hillside!
April 2016 looking towards Botos satellite village from a viewpoint near the Monastery in Ciocanesti.
Ciocanesti village traditional painted egg festival in April 2017.School children painting Easter traditional eggs.