# Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Alba County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) › [Săliștea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/salistea) > A wooden church of 1798 with a low bell tower over the narthex and paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, raised with material from the former Cioara monastery, a place tied to Sofronie of Cioara. **At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Săliștea, Alba County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 20 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** No visiting schedule is published. This is a parish church; to see the interior, ask at the parish in Săliștea. Check the state of the restoration works with Săliștea Town Hall. - **Visit duration:** 30 min — exterior and cemetery - **With kids:** Yes — outdoors, on a hillside - **Best season:** April – October — easier to reach in summer - **Address:** DJ705E, în cimitirul vechi din satul Săliștea (fost Cioara), Săliștea, Alba County - **Coordinates:** 45.90706, 23.40094 - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_de_lemn_din_S%C4%83li%C8%99tea - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18547667 - **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici) ## About Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea Săliștea, called Cioara until 1964, is the main village of a commune in Alba County, at the foot of the Șureanu Mountains. The village's wooden church, dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, was built in the old cemetery at the end of the 18th century; the year 1798 is written on a beam of the narthex, together with the names of the instigators, Andrei Șuvaina and Gheorghe Socaciu, and of the cantor Teodor Șuvaina. The monument appears in the List of Historic Monuments under the code AB-II-m-A-00314. The church was raised from material salvaged from the “Afteia” hermitage at Plăișorul Cioarei, destroyed in 1757 and again in 1788, and it includes elements from the church of the vanished village of Archișul Românesc. The monastery at Plăișor was a hotbed of Orthodox Romanian resistance, and the village of Cioara is linked to the name of the monk Sofronie, leader of the 1759–1761 movement to preserve the Orthodox faith. The church is 14.50 m long and 5.40 m wide and follows the plain style of the wooden churches of the Hunedoara area: a nave, a narthex with a low bell tower, and an altar with a semicylindrical vault. The walls are of oak planks joined with dovetails, on oak sills laid over a stone foundation, and the roof is of fir shingle, with fretwork at the end of the roof frame. The last restoration mentioned in the sources dates from 1967. ### What you can see The exterior: the large shingle roof, the low tower over the narthex and the surrounding cemetery. Inside, the iconostasis, the wall paintings and fragments of friezes preserved from the former monastery: the frieze of the apostles, painted on canvas applied to wood, and royal icons from 1770, brought from Plăișor. The royal doors, with the Annunciation, were painted in 1830 by Simion the painter from Laz, and other icons, from 1860–1870, bear the signatures of Toma and Sima the painters. In the narthex stands a wayside cross carved with rosettes and rope mouldings, of the type found in the Apuseni Mountains. ### Good to know The church is part of a restoration project funded through the PNRR (Romania's recovery plan): in September 2023 the town hall launched the tender for the works (consolidation, replacing the shingles, rebuilding the foundation). The state of the works at the time of checking is not confirmed by the sources consulted. No visiting schedule is published; this is a parish church and may be locked outside services. ## Don't miss - The oak-plank church, dated 1798 on a beam of the narthex. - The frieze of the apostles and the royal icons of 1770, brought from the Plăișor monastery. - The royal doors with the Annunciation, painted in 1830 by Simion the painter from Laz. - The wayside cross in the narthex, carved with rosettes and rope mouldings. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Săliștea is a village in Alba County, in the Șureanu Mountains area, near Cugir. The church stands in the old cemetery, on a rise in the village, close to the town hall. **Public transport:** no regular connection to the village is confirmed; a car is the safer option. ### Rules This is a working parish church: dress modestly and keep quiet during services. Photographing inside is done with the permission of the person who opens the church. ## Details - **Construction period:** 1798 - **Dedication:** Archangels Michael and Gabriel - **Denomination:** Orthodox - **Architectural style:** Hunedoara vernacular ## Frequently asked questions about Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea **How long does a visit to Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea take?** A visit to Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea takes about 30 min (exterior and cemetery). **Can you visit Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea with kids?** Yes, Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea is suitable for children (outdoors, on a hillside). **How do I get to Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea?** Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea is located at DJ705E, în cimitirul vechi din satul Săliștea (fost Cioara), Săliștea, Alba County. By car: Săliștea is a village in Alba County, in the Șureanu Mountains area, near Cugir. The church stands in the old cemetery, on a rise in the village, close to the town hall. Public transport: no regular connection to the village is confirmed; a car is the safer option. **When is the best time to visit Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea?** The best season for Wooden Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Săliștea: April – October (easier to reach in summer). ## Nearby attractions - [Saint Paraskeva Wooden Church Ensemble in Pianu de Sus](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-pianu-de-sus) — Monasteries and churches · Pianu de Sus, AB · 30 min · 8 km A small wooden church of 1761, surviving only as the sanctuary and part of the nave, set at the top of the village cemetery and holding old paintings on wood. - [Martinuzzi Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-martinuzzi) — Castles and palaces · Vințu de Jos, AB · 20 min · 15 km The ruin of a Renaissance residence in Vințu de Jos, built by Cardinal Martinuzzi on the site of a Dominican monastery and remade as a fortress by Gabriel Bethlen; it is now fenced off and awaiting restoration. - [Sebeș Lutheran Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-evanghelica-sebes) — Monasteries and churches · Sebeș, AB · 45 min · 18 km The Saxons' Gothic church in the centre of Sebeș, with a tall 14th-century choir and the largest winged altarpiece of any Lutheran church in Romania. - [Tailors' Tower (Students' Tower)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-croitorilor-sebes) — Fortresses and fortifications · Sebeș, AB · 20 min · 19 km A defensive tower in Sebeș's town fortifications, built by the tailors' guild at the end of the 14th century and tied to the story of the student who survived the Ottoman siege of 1438. - [Roman Fort of Cigmău (Germisara)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-cigmau) — Monuments and historic sites · Cigmău, HD · 45 min · 21 km An auxiliary Roman fort on Urieșilor Hill above the Mureș, near Geoagiu, with foundations, a headquarters building with an underground treasury unique in Dacia, and wide views over the valley. - [Râpa Roșie](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/rapa-rosie) — National parks and reserves · Sebeș, AB · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 22 km An 800 m wall of red clay and sandstone on the edge of Sebeș, carved by rain into columns, towers and earth pyramids, a badlands landscape rare in Romania. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-salistea-alba Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-de-lemn-salistea-alba.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/biserica-de-lemn-salistea-alba.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/biserica-de-lemn-salistea-alba.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/biserica-de-lemn-salistea-alba.md Last updated: 20 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania