It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 and is a listed monument of national value, and its trefoil nave vault is found in no other wooden church in Transylvania and Maramureș.
About the place
The church is in the village of Plopiș, about 22 km from Baia Mare by road, some 30 minutes by car, on the opposite side of the Cavnic valley from Șurdești. The villagers, known as skilled carpenters, built it at the end of the 18th century, and it was consecrated on 12 November 1811; under the altar table 49 coins were found, one from each founding family. It is 17 metres long, 7 metres wide and about 47 metres high, with a pointed tower and four corner turrets.
The paintings, made in 1811 by Ștefan the Painter of Șișești, survive on the nave vault, with the Holy Trinity, scenes from the Apocalypse and the Passion, and on the iconostasis. Its form and decoration are so close to the Șurdești church that both are attributed to the same master, Ion Macarie. Between 2018 and 2021 the church was fully restored, and it was re-consecrated on 29 May 2021.
Good to know
- For a visit, the county council's guide to the UNESCO circuit gives a contact person in the village; ask at the Orthodox parish or in the village.
- The Șurdești church is less than 1 km away as the crow flies, on the other bank; you can see both in the same half-day.
- The feast day is 8 November, the day of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.