Wooden Church of Plopiș
Plopiș, Maramureș County · Maramureș
About Wooden Church of Plopiș
At a glance: Monasteries and churches in Plopiș, Maramureș County. Ticket: Free. Information verified on 7 October 2026.
On a hilltop plateau in the village of Plopiș, in the Chioar Land on the Cavnic valley, stands one of the eight wooden churches of Maramureș County inscribed in 1999 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the "Wooden Churches of Maramureș" site. Dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, it was built from oak beams by the village community, then just 49 families, about 200 people. The villagers, known throughout the region as makers of dowry chests, began work in 1798 and finished the building in 1805; once painted, the church was consecrated on 12 November 1811. The consecration record was found in the base of the altar table, together with 49 coins, one from each family.
The church is an almost identical twin of the one in Șurdești, on the other side of the valley: their plan, shapes and decoration are so alike that both are attributed to the same master carpenter. Only 17 m long and 7 m wide, it has very balanced proportions, unusually high walls and a bell tower that rises, spire included, to about 47 m. Between 2018 and 2021 it was fully restored, both building and paintings, with European funds, and it was reconsecrated on 29 May 2021. The village now also has a new masonry church, built nearby, and it is the birthplace of Archbishop Justinian Chira, who has a memorial house here.
What you can see
Outside, the beams are girded halfway up by a rounded, rope-like belt, and beneath the eaves runs a frieze of blind arches and dovetail dentils with an almost Romanesque feel. The porch on the west side has a fretwork parapet and scalloped arches on wooden posts. The tower has an open, projecting bell chamber and a tall spire flanked by four turrets, a sign that the village had a council of elders with the right to pass judgement. Inside, the nave is covered by a vault with a trefoil cross-section, the only one of its kind in a wooden church in Maramureș and Transylvania. The paintings, made in 1811 by Ștefan the Painter of Șișești, survive on the vault and the iconostasis: the Holy Trinity, scenes from the Apocalypse, the Passion of Christ, the Creation of Man and the Expulsion from Paradise.
Good to know
The church has no fixed visiting hours and no ticket; parish services are now held mostly in the new church. If you find the door locked, ask in the village or at the parish house.
- The trefoil vault of the nave, the only one of its kind in a wooden church in Maramureș and Transylvania.
- Ștefan the Painter's 1811 paintings, with the Holy Trinity and the Apocalypse scenes on the vault.
- The tower of about 47 m, with its open bell chamber and the four turrets around the spire.
- The rounded belt and the frieze of blind arches running around the oak walls.
- The twin church of Șurdești, on the other side of the Cavnic valley, worth seeing on the same day.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Baia Mare take the DN18 to Baia Sprie, then the DJ184 towards Șișești and the county roads DJ182C and DJ182G to Plopiș, ~25 km in all (~35 minutes). The church is about 2 km off the main valley road, and the church in Șurdești is very close. Cluj-Napoca is ~130 km away (~2 hours 30 minutes).
Public transport: the nearest railway station is Baia Mare, ~22 km away; from there the easiest option is a taxi or a hire car.
- Fees & discounts
Admission is free: the parish does not charge for visiting the church.
- Rules
This is a consecrated Orthodox church still used for services: dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and keep quiet inside, especially during services.
Frequently asked questions about Wooden Church of Plopiș
- How much is a ticket to Wooden Church of Plopiș?
- Admission to Wooden Church of Plopiș is free. Admission is free: the parish does not charge for visiting the church.
- How do I get to Wooden Church of Plopiș?
- Wooden Church of Plopiș is located at on the hill in the village, in the middle of the old cemetery, Plopiș, Maramureș County. By car: from Baia Mare take the DN18 to Baia Sprie, then the DJ184 towards Șișești and the county roads DJ182C and DJ182G to Plopiș, ~25 km in all (~35 minutes). The church is about 2 km off the main valley road, and the church in Șurdești is very close. Cluj-Napoca is ~130 km away (~2 hours 30 minutes). Public transport: the nearest railway station is Baia Mare, ~22 km away; from there the easiest option is a taxi or a hire car.
- When is the best time to visit Wooden Church of Plopiș?
- The best season for Wooden Church of Plopiș: May – October (patronal feast on 8 November).
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