The wooden cathedrals of the Romanian peasants’ faith.
Centuries after their construction, the wooden churches of Maramures stand today as a living testimony of Romanian peasants' devotion to God and of their craftsmanship in wood and church painting.
Eight of these wooden churches - from Dealul Ieudului, Poienile Izei, Bârsana, Budesti-Josani, Desesti, Surdesti, Plopis and Rogoz - are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. They are well preserved. These wooden churches are considered to be representative for the precious heritage of Greek-Catholic and Orthodox communities.We visit the wooden Churches of Maramures during our 7-days private tours in Transylvania.
These eight wooden churches are outstanding examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and areas. They show the variety of designs and craftsmanship adopted in these narrow, high, timber constructions with their characteristic tall, slim clock towers at the western end of the building, either single- or double-roofed and covered by shingles. As such, they are a particular vernacular expression of the cultural landscape of this mountainous area of northern Romania.
72meters
Total height of Surdesti wooden church.
Built in 1721, the Greek-Catholic wooden church of Surdesti has been for centuries the tallest wooden church in the world.