# Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Vâlcea County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/valcea) › [Zătreni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/zatreni) > A boyar wooden church of 1756, founded by the Zătreanu family, with a broad shingle roof, an open porch and a richly carved, gilded iconostasis. **At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Zătreni, Vâlcea County. The visit takes 20 min. Information verified on 20 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** No visiting schedule is published. In July 2026 work was under way on the church; for the interior it is worth asking in the village before the trip. - **Visit duration:** 20 min — exterior and porch - **With kids:** Yes — short, outdoor visit - **Parking:** Yes, free — nearby, on the street - **Best season:** April – October — for the road and the exterior - **Address:** Strada Taca, satul Zătreni, Zătreni, Vâlcea County - **Coordinates:** 44.76116, 23.8551 - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_de_lemn_din_Z%C4%83treni - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12722643 - **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici) ## About Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni The wooden church of Zătreni, a commune in Vâlcea County, in the Oltețu Valley area, was built in 1756, according to the year in the votive inscription read in 1926 by the researcher Corneliu Mateescu. It is a boyar foundation of the Zătreanu family, in their village of origin: the text of the inscription names the grand steward Ioan Zătreanu, together with Ioniță and the lady Catrina. It is dedicated to St John the Baptist. The building is a historic monument, LMI code VL-II-m-B-09976. In 1796 the church was repaired and reconsecrated, under the dedication of St Nicholas, by the master of the pantry Ioan Gănescu and Catinca Găneasa. The inscription above the entrance door has since disappeared, and its text survives only through the 1926 transcription. A local publication gives the year 1766 instead of 1756, but the date from the inscription remains the one used in the monument lists. It is one of the large, well-built wooden churches south of the Carpathians, valued for its size and the quality of its carpentry. ### What you can see From the road you see a very broad roof covered in shingles, with walls of wide logs standing on a brick base beneath it. At the entrance end is the open porch, with carved wooden posts and brackets and a plank parapet. On the sides, the log joints are visible at the corners and the windows are small. Inside, in the timber-vaulted nave, the iconostasis stands out, with several rows of icons and carved, gilded decoration, as do the entrance doors. The published photos of the interior were taken in 2009. ### Good to know The church remains a place of worship. In July 2026 the local press reported that work was under way on it, without saying what the work involves or how long it will last. No visiting schedule is published, so the interior may be locked; the exterior and the porch can be seen from the road. ## Don't miss - The broad shingle roof sweeping down over the walls of wide logs. - The open porch, with carved wooden posts and brackets. - The brick base under the nave's log walls, visible from the road. - The iconostasis with several rows of icons, carved and gilded, and the entrance doors with relief decoration. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Zătreni is a commune in Vâlcea County, in the Oltețu Valley area. The church is in the village, on Strada Taca; for the exact route, use the coordinates on the map. **Public transport:** no regular connection to the village is confirmed; a car is the safer option. ### Rules This is a working place of worship: dress modestly and keep quiet during services. Before photographing inside, ask the person who opens it for permission. ## Details - **Construction period:** 1756 - **Founder:** the Zătreanu boyar family - **Dedication:** St John the Baptist - **Denomination:** Orthodox - **Architectural style:** Oltenian wooden church ## Frequently asked questions about Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni **How long does a visit to Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni take?** A visit to Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni takes about 20 min (exterior and porch). **Can you visit Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni with kids?** Yes, Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni is suitable for children (short, outdoor visit). **Where can I park at Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni?** There is free parking at Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni (nearby, on the street). **How do I get to Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni?** Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni is located at Strada Taca, satul Zătreni, Zătreni, Vâlcea County. By car: Zătreni is a commune in Vâlcea County, in the Oltețu Valley area. The church is in the village, on Strada Taca; for the exact route, use the coordinates on the map. 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 St John the Baptist in Zătreni?** The best season for Wooden Church of St John the Baptist in Zătreni: April – October (for the road and the exterior). ## Nearby attractions - [Saint Parascheva Wooden Church in Ciocâltei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-ciocaltei) — Monasteries and churches · Ciocâltei, VL · 20 min · 33 km An 18th-century wooden church dedicated to Saint Parascheva, in the village of Ciocâltei in Roești commune, with an octagonal tower, a painted façade and a concrete bell tower at the gate. - [Roman Fort of Răcarii de Jos](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-racarii-de-jos) — Monuments and historic sites · Răcari, DJ · 30 min · 46 km The most important Roman fort in the Jiu valley, beside Răcari railway station in Brădești commune, once home to a unit of Moorish horsemen; excavations go on, and the granary foundation was found in 2025. - [Căluiu Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-caluiu) — Monasteries and churches · Călui, OT · 45 min · 47 km A sixteenth-century foundation of the Buzești boyars, tucked into a valley in Olt County: a church with the votive painting of Michael the Brave, the Buzești tombs and a brick enclosure wall. - [Saint Paraskeva Wooden Church in Băbeni (Capu Dealului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-babeni) — Monasteries and churches · Băbeni, VL · 30 min · 51 km A wooden church from the late 18th century in a hilltop cemetery in the village of Capu Dealului, with a glazed porch and a small bell tower rising from the roof. - [Greceanu Kula](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-greceanu-maldaresti) — Fortresses and fortifications · Măldărești, VL · 30 min · 54 km The oldest kula of the Măldărești museum complex, a boyar tower from the 16th century completed in the 18th, with arcaded porches and an upper floor laid out as an Oltenian minor boyar's court. - [Cula Duca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cula-duca-maldaresti) — Fortresses and fortifications · Măldărești, VL · 45 min · 54 km An Oltenian fortified tower-house from 1812–1827, with a massive ground floor and a decorated veranda, built by the Măldărescu family and bought in 1910 by I.G. Duca; now part of the Măldărești Museum Complex near Horezu. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-zatreni Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-de-lemn-zatreni.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/biserica-de-lemn-zatreni.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/biserica-de-lemn-zatreni.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/biserica-de-lemn-zatreni.md Last updated: 20 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania