It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 and is a listed monument of national value.
About the place
The church stands in the village cemetery of Poienile Izei, in a side valley of the Iza, about 37 km from Sighetu Marmației. It is documented from 1604; the national monument list dates it to 1700 and lists it as MM-II-m-A-04605. It has a rectangular altar apse, an old type, a double-eaved roof and a bell tower over the narthex. Below the cross on top of the tower is a metal crescent; legend says it protected the church from the Tatars.
The paintings were made in 1793-1794 by a local painter whose name has not survived. The narthex has large Last Judgement scenes, with devils and the torments of hell, and the nave has scenes from Genesis. UNESCO inscribed it in 1999 as one of the eight wooden churches of Maramureș.
Good to know
- Hours recorded on OpenStreetMap in 2019 were Monday to Saturday 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-16:00, Sunday 13:00-16:00; we found no official schedule, so check on arrival.
- Several guesthouses in the village are a few hundred metres from the church.
- The road to Poienile Izei leaves the Iza valley; from Ieud it is about 16 km.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.