Desești Wooden Church
Desești, Maramureș County · Maramureș
About Desești Wooden Church
At a glance: Monasteries and churches in Desești, Maramureș County. Information verified on 7 October 2026.
The Church of Saint Paraskeva stands on a small hill above the road through Desești, a village in the Mara valley between the Gutâi Pass and Sighetu Marmației, in the middle of the old cemetery. Local tradition dates it to 1770; some scholars place it a few years later, but it was certainly standing when it was painted in 1780. Legend has it that the earlier church burned down during a Tatar raid in 1717, and that the site of the new one was chosen by the altar stone, which is said to have toppled over four times and stayed upright only on the fifth.
The building is typical of Maramureș: thick timber beams, a tall shingle roof with a double row of eaves and a slender bell tower with a pointed spire. Its real value, however, lies inside. The paintings, by Radu Munteanu, a painter from the Lăpuș area, assisted by a certain Gheorghe, survive on every wall of all three rooms, and an inscription in the narthex records that the work was paid for by the village householders. Greek Catholic until 1948 and Orthodox since then, the church was restored between 1996 and 1998, and in 1999 it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Wooden Churches of Maramureș", together with seven other churches.
What you can see
In the narthex, the Last Judgement covers all four walls. The river of fire flows from beneath Christ's throne into the mouth of Leviathan, while devils wheel sinners away in barrows, each one labelled with an inscription. Above them, Moses leads the nations to judgement, drawn in the dress of the time and named one by one: Turks, Germans, Tatars, "Franks". Here too is the scene of "the girl who sleeps on Sunday", tormented by two devils. The west wall of the nave holds the Tree of the Patriarchs, the vault shows the Virgin, Christ the Teacher and the archangels, and the walls carry scenes from Genesis and a long cycle of the Passion. The 1780 iconostasis is attributed to Alexandru Ponehalschi. Outside, in the cemetery, among old wooden and stone crosses, grows an oak said to be around 400 years old.
Good to know
The church has no posted visiting hours: to be sure of finding it open, phone the parish before you set off.
- The Last Judgement in the narthex, with the river of fire pouring into the mouth of Leviathan.
- The nations led by Moses to judgement, painted in the costumes of the time: Turks, Germans, Tatars and "Franks".
- The Tree of the Patriarchs, which fills the entire west wall of the nave.
- The 1780 iconostasis, attributed to Alexandru Ponehalschi, with the Crucifixion and the Resurrection in its top register.
- The cemetery around the church, with its old crosses and the ancient oak beside it.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Desești lies on the DN18, the road between Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmației, on the northern side of the Gutâi Pass. Baia Mare is ~42 km away (~50 minutes, with the hairpin bends of the pass) and Sighetu Marmației ~24 km (~30 minutes). The church is right by the main road, on the hill in the village centre.
Public transport: the nearest railway station is Sighetu Marmației. The minibuses linking Baia Mare and Sighet on the DN18, over the Gutâi Pass, run through the village; check the timetable with the operators.
- Rules
It is a place of worship and a fragile monument: modest dress, quiet inside, and do not touch the painted walls.
Frequently asked questions about Desești Wooden Church
- How do I get to Desești Wooden Church?
- Desești Wooden Church is located at nr. 88, lângă DN18, Desești, Maramureș County. By car: Desești lies on the DN18, the road between Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmației, on the northern side of the Gutâi Pass. Baia Mare is ~42 km away (~50 minutes, with the hairpin bends of the pass) and Sighetu Marmației ~24 km (~30 minutes). The church is right by the main road, on the hill in the village centre. Public transport: the nearest railway station is Sighetu Marmației. The minibuses linking Baia Mare and Sighet on the DN18, over the Gutâi Pass, run through the village; check the timetable with the operators.
- When is the best time to visit Desești Wooden Church?
- The best season for Desești Wooden Church: April – October (mountain road over Gutâi in winter).
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