Town in N Romania (Suceava county), situated at the confluence of rivers Dorna and Bistrita, in one of the most beautiful depressions of the Eastern Carpathians, the Tara Dornelor, elevation 802-808 m, 110 km SW of the municipality of Suceava, in the ambiance created by the forests covering the mountains around: Giumalau, Bistrita, Calimani, Rodna, Suhard and Obcina Mestecanis; population 18,993 (July 1, 1991).

All-season health resort of national importance having the climate of an intramontane depression: no strong winds, cool summers (July average temperature 15.2°C) and cold winters (January average under -6°C). The annual average temperature is of 5.2°C and the precipitation averages 800 mm annually (more abundant in the May-August period).

Natural cure factors are the tonic-stimulative climate, the clean air, free of dust and allergens and rich in resinous aerosols, the springs of carbonated, ferruginous, slightly bicarbonated, sodic, calcic, magnesian, hypotonic mineral waters and the peat mud (brought here from Poiana Stampei). The resort if favoured mainly for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (after miocardial infarction at the stage of postconvalescence, ischemic cardiopathy, compesated mitral and aortal insufficiency, valvular disorders, arterial hypertension, varices, sequelae after phlebitis, peripheral artiopathies through atherosclerosis, cardiac neurosis, Raynaud's disease).

At Vatra Dornei ailing people can also take cures for the treatment of degenerative and abarticular rheumatic diseases (cervical, dorsal and lumbar spondylosis, arthrosis, polyarthrosis; tendonitis, tendomyositis, scapulohumeral periarthritis), post-traumatic conditions (after operations on muscles, bones and joints, when healed, after twists, luxations and fractures), peripheral and central neurological diseases (light paresis and minor sequelae after polyneurathies, late sequelae after hemiparesis and paraparesis), endocrine disorders (prepubertal disorders in hyperreactive children, benign hyperthyroidism and incipient Basedow's disease), gynecological (menopausal ovarian syndrome), respiratory (respiratory neurosis), neurotic, metabolic and nutrition, digestive and other disorders. The two teatment compounds in the resort (Hotel Caliman and the Dorna Balneal Complex) have a daily capacity of over 4,500 therapeutic procedures: warm mineral-water baths in tubs, application of warm mud and paraffin, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, massage, medical gymnastics, sauna, artifical mofette, kynetotherapy. There are special fountains for internal cures of mineral water.

Accomodation is ensured in many hotels, villas, private homes. Vatra dornei is also an ideal place for rest and leisure during holidays, with its oportunities for mountaineering and winter sports. A chair lift extending over a distance of 3,200 m connects the town to Dealul Negru (elevation 1,300 m). Tourist draws: the natural park in the resort, famed for its many squirrels and for the brass band concerts given here in summer; the chalet on Runc Hill; the Hunting and natural science museum; the Bukovina ethnographic museum, etc.

The travel angency in the resort organizes trips by coach on several routes of which the most interesting is the one that includes visits to the monasteries in northern Moldavia (Voronet, 1488; Humor, 1530; Moldovita, 1532; Sucevita, 1581-1601), unique monuments of Romanian feudal art with both interior and exterior murals, as well as other places of ethnographic and folkloric importance.