The Traditional Rural Civilization Museum ASTRA in Sibiu

An important piece from the soul of the Romanian village has been gathered in the Grove of Sibiu (Dumbrava Sibiului), where one of the largest open-air museums of Romania and Europe has been created many years ago. Along the time, many treasures of the traditional Romanian rural civilization have been saved and brought here, old houses and buildings that form a general image of the past villages and peasant life in Romania. Each building and object kept in the museum near Sibiu has a story to tell and the destinies that were connected to these are still living through them. The travelers that enter this unique and charming universe is caught in an immersive experience where the authentic Romanian village and its yesteryear atmosphere can be discovered, most often lost elsewhere and preserved only in such museums. Among the houses and buildings, workshops and installations, water and wind mills, wooden churches and other old treasures, visitors can travel across the traditional villages and regions of Romania, from the Mărginimea Sibiului to Maramureș, from Bucovina to Northern Oltenia and the ridges of the Carpathians to the Danube Delta.

The Museum of Traditional Rural Civilization ASTRA is located in Dumbrava Sibiului, a small natural area just 6 km south of the Sibiu Old Town. Following the road south towards the village of Rășinari, the museum is only a few minutes from the city and visitors can reach it either by car or taking the public buses that stop in front. The entry tickets is 25 RON (about 6 Euros) for adults, 7 RON for children over the age of 6. The visiting hours during the tourist season are from 8 to 18, with the last entry being at 17.30. There are hundreds of amazing things to see spread around several areas created around certain themes, so visitors will need several hours to explore the entire grounds and discover most of the exhibits. There are alleys and pathways that take visitors towards the main areas, yet the museum can be explored freely in any order.

After the entrance, by following the alleys to the right through the forest, the first area with exhibits will be reached shortly, with most of the buildings being traditional houses and workshops from various parts of the country. Also, , the beautiful wooden church of Bezded (Sălaj County) can be admired here, dating from 1754. From here, by crossing the small creeks, visitors can reach another area with many workshop houses, including several of potters, gold miners, stonemasons, wool makers, hemp makers and more, as well as an old wooden church from Cluj County.

Below this area, by going back towards the lake along a small creek, there are a series of water powered installations for the textile industry, including old fulling mills and whirlpools. Continuing around the lake and following the alley that goes up through the forest, visitors can reach an area particular for the mountain regions of Romania, with several sheepfolds, stables and sheepherding homes. Further along, there are several homes and installations belonging to fruit growing and viticulture areas.

The last areas of the museum are located on the southern bank of the small lake, visitors being able to discover other traditional treasures, including water and wind mills, farmers and fishermen houses, various technical installation and other interesting exhibits. No matter how much time travelers choose to spend inside this fascinating open-air museum, they are always guaranteed a unique and authentic experience, with each season bringing a specific atmosphere. There are also several inns and restaurants on the grounds of the museum and during the summer, there are also many amazing events organized inside, including traditional fairs with local producers and craftsmen. The Sibiu Zoo Garden is located a few hundred meters before the museum, along the same road!

ACCommodation Near the Traditional Museum of Sibiu