National Village Museum (Muzeul Satului)
Șoseaua Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff 28-30, Bucharest, ROU
Step back in time and discover life in rural Romania at the Village Museum (Muzeul Satalui. Located on the shores of Herastrau Lake, this fascinating open-air museum features a large collection of reconstructed buildings gathered from different parts of the country, as well as exhibits and demonstrations of traditional skills and crafts.
The village museum showcases more than 300 traditional buildings that have been moved from their original locations and rebuilt, including steep-roofed peasant homes, thatched barns, log cabins, watermills, windmills, and churches. The museum also displays over 50,000 objects, including farm machinery, costumes, and ceramics. Special events and workshops are held from time to time, with demonstrations of traditional arts and crafts, such as weaving and pottery making.
Many Bucharest sightseeing tours include a stop at the Village Museum, along with other city highlights like the Palace of Parliament, Romanian Athenaeum, or Old Town Bucharest. Some tours will include a few popular attractions outside of the city, such as Mogosoiai Palace or Snagov Monastery.
- The Village Museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in rural Romanian culture.
- The Village Museum is suitable for families.
- Audio guides are available to rent.
- Guided 90-minute tours (in Romanian, English, Russian, and Spanish) are available for a fee and must be booked in advance.
- Food options, from food stalls to restaurants, are available onsite.
The Village Museum is located inside King Michael I Park. Take the metro (line M2) to Aviatorilor station or the tram (41) to Institutul Agronomic station. A number of buses also stop nearby, including bus nos. 131, 205, 282, 330, 331, 335, and 783.
The Village Museum is open daily, except in the winter, when it is closed on Mondays. The museum is also closed the first two days of Easter, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Open Air Exhibition is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, and Temporary Exhibitions are open from Wednesdays to Sundays. Traditional fairs are held from time to time, especially during religious holidays.
There’s plenty to discover at the village museum. Highlights include earth houses from Straja, with their thatched roofs, houses from Berbesti with their intricately carved entrances, shuttered houses from Tulcea, and the church from Maramures, with its steep belfry, embellished with exquisite (though faded) icons.
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