# Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Vâlcea County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/valcea) › [Pietreni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/pietreni)

> A wooden church of 1664, founded by Metropolitan Stephen I, standing on a high limestone plinth with Cyrillic inscriptions on its outer walls, at the edge of a fir forest.

**At a glance:** Churches in Pietreni, Vâlcea County. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 20 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** No official visiting schedule was found. This is a place of worship; to see the interior, ask at the Costești town hall or parish.
- **Visit duration:** 30 min — estimate, exterior and porch
- **With kids:** Yes — open grassy grounds
- **Best season:** May – October — summer, for the road and the grounds
- **Address:** cătunul Grămești, satul Pietreni, comuna Costești, Pietreni, Vâlcea County
- **Coordinates:** 45.17046, 24.06569
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_de_lemn_din_Gr%C4%83me%C8%99ti
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12722299
- **Categories:** [Churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/churches)

## About Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești

The wooden church of Grămești stands in the hamlet of Grămești, part of the village of Pietreni in Costești commune, in the hills north of the town of Horezu. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God. An inscription in Old Slavonic, carved into the wood above the entrance, dates it to the Byzantine year 7173, that is 1664–1665; since the first reign of Prince Grigore Ghica ended in 1664, construction is usually placed in that year. The founder was Stephen I, Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia, and the local press notes that the church was raised on the site of an older church, beside the grave of his mother, who came from Grămești.

The church belongs to the small group of wooden places of worship built by high dignitaries rather than village communities, which shows in the quality of the carpentry and the furnishings. It stands on a high limestone plinth that gives it the air of a boyar's house, and its plan has a porch, a vestibule, a nave and an altar, in successive setbacks. The timber of the walls was never plastered, and a sawtooth band follows the line of the shingle roof. It is a historic monument (LMI code VL-II-m-A-09873).

### What you can see

The open porch, with its wooden balustrade and river-stone floor, has a door with a carved frame. On the outer walls, especially the south wall and the wall beside the altar, many Cyrillic inscriptions are scratched into the wood, several of them hard to read. Inside, icons of good artistic quality and the founder's portrait have survived. The church is surrounded by an old cemetery with wooden crosses, and a small wooden bell tower stands nearby.

### Good to know

The sources consulted publish no visiting schedule; this is a place of worship and it may be locked. The exterior and the grounds can be seen at any time.

## Don't miss

- The high limestone plinth, which makes the wooden church look like a boyar's house.
- The Cyrillic inscriptions scratched into the wood of the outer walls.
- The open porch, with its river-stone floor and the door with a carved frame.
- The old cemetery around it, with wooden crosses, at the edge of the fir forest.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the church stands in the hamlet of Grămești, in Costești commune, about 8 km as the crow flies north-east of Horezu, at the edge of a forest. The last stretch is on a commune road; check the route on a map before setting out.

**Public transport:** no regular connection to Grămești is confirmed; a car is the safer option.

### Rules

This is a working church: dress modestly and keep quiet during services. Before photographing inside, ask the person who opens it for permission. Do not touch or scratch the inscriptions on the walls.

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1664
- **Founder:** Metropolitan Stephen I
- **Dedication:** Dormition of the Mother of God
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Wallachian vernacular

## Frequently asked questions about Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești

**How long does a visit to Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești take?**

A visit to Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești takes about 30 min (estimate, exterior and porch).

**Can you visit Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești with kids?**

Yes, Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești is suitable for children (open grassy grounds).

**How do I get to Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești?**

Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești is located at cătunul Grămești, satul Pietreni, comuna Costești, Pietreni, Vâlcea County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești?**

The best season for Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Grămești: May – October (summer, for the road and the grounds).

## Nearby attractions

- [Bistrița Monastery (Vâlcea)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bistrita-monastery) — Monasteries · Costești, VL · ½ – 1 hours · 4 km
  A late 15th-century foundation of the Craiovești boyars at the entrance to the Bistrița Gorges: it keeps the relics of St Gregory the Decapolite and the little infirmary church of 1520–1521.
- [Bat Cave at Bistrița (Vâlcea)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bat-cave-at-bistrita) — Monasteries · Costești, VL · ½ – 1 hours · 4 km
  The cave of St Gregory Decapolites, in the Bistrița Gorges near Bistrița Monastery, with two churches built inside: Ovidenia (15th c.) and the Holy Archangels (1633); it shelters bats.
- [Arnota Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/arnota-monastery) — Monasteries · Costești, VL · 45 min · 4 km
  Matei Basarab's foundation of 1633–1634, on a limestone spur above Bistrița Monastery: a small princely church, painted in 1644, which holds the prince's tomb.
- [Trovants Museum (Muzeul Trovanților)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/trovants-museum) — National parks and reserves · Costești, VL · 45 min · 5 km
  A geological reserve on the edge of the DN 67, near Horezu: dozens of trovants, the rounded sandstone “living stones”, emerging from the sand of a former quarry at Costești.
- [Horezu Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/horezu-monastery) — Monasteries · Horezu, VL · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 · 6 km
  Constantin Brâncoveanu's largest foundation, officially Hurezi Monastery: the model ensemble of the Brâncovenesc style, built in 1690–1693 and a UNESCO site since 1993.
- [Horezu Ceramics – Olari Village and the Potters' Workshops](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/horezu-ceramics-olari-village-and-the-potters-workshops) — Villages and traditions · Horezu, VL · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 9 km
  Olari Street in Horezu, lined with family workshops where red clay is thrown on the wheel and painted with roosters, spirals and the tree of life; a craft inscribed by UNESCO as intangible heritage in 2012.

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Last updated: 20 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania