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Bucharest Village Museum – a Fascinating Insight Into Romania’s Rural Life

Home » DESTINATIONS » Europe » Romania » Bucharest Village Museum – a Fascinating Insight Into Romania’s Rural Life

Last Modified: January 1, 2023 //  by Anda //  24 Comments

You wouldn’t expect to see farmsteads, barns and rural homes in a bustling metropolis like Bucharest. And yet nestled right in the heart of Romania’s beautiful capital lies one of Europe’s oldest ethnographic collections: the Bucharest Village Museum. An entire settlement with all the appropriate buildings, designed to give you an insight into the rural Romanian life across time. 

If you want to experience the folklore and traditional life of the Romanian countryside and learn more about Romanians, you should come here. The museum has one of the most interesting collections of rural homes, churches, farmsteads, barns, and watermills in the entire Europe.

Visiting the museum is one of the best things to do in Bucharest. Walking among the rustic houses will make you feel like you are in the middle of a real countryside. 

People wearing Romanian folk costume at the Village Museum
People wearing Romanian folk costume at the Village Museum

Table of Contents

  • A Brief History of the Museum
  • What to Expect at the Bucharest Village Museum
  • Best Time to Visit the Museum 
  • Where to Eat at the Bucharest Village Museum
  • Guided Tour vs. Self-guided Tour
  • How to Reach the Bucharest Village Museum

A Brief History of the Museum

The Village Museum in Bucharest (Muzeul Satului) was created in 1936 by the sociology Professor Dimitrie Gusti and funded by royal decree. Gusti went around the country and after many years of field research he came up with the idea of creating a Romanian village museum. 

House from Gârbova at the Bucharest Village Museum
House from Gârbova at the Bucharest Village Museum

Initially the museum started with only a handful of houses, windmills and watermills from various areas of Romania. The buildings have been disassembled and relocated here.

During the second World War the museum faced very difficult times being used for war refugees. The houses and artifacts have fallen into total neglect.

Rural house at Bucharest Village Museum
Traditional Romanian rural house

Under the Communist years that followed the museum continued to fall into disrepair. But despite of the harsh political and economic conditions, it managed to survive.

In recent years, with grants received from the European Union, the collection has been restored and has grown into one of the most captivating outdoor ethnographic museums in the world.

Traditional woven rugs from Transylvania
Traditional woven rugs from Transylvania

What to Expect at the Bucharest Village Museum

Today the Village Museum in Bucharest covers almost 25 acres of land. The museum features 272 authentic farms and peasants homes from the 15th to the 19th century gathered from villages in every region of Romania.

Some of the houses display kitchen utensils, wool rugs, pottery and old farming tools. Most of these homes are simple wooden huts or basic shacks furnished with benches, stools and very primitive beds.

Interior of a rural house at Bucharest Village Museum
Interior of rural house

The structures are made of traditional materials used by the peasants in the course of history (wood, clay, straw and sometimes stone). But the perishable nature of these materials poses a permanent challenge for the museum, as they are very difficult to preserve.

Clay house at Bucharest Village Museum
Traditional clay house with straw roof
Wooden church in Bucharest village museum
Typical wooden church from Maramures, (the Northern part of Romania

One of the highlights of the museum is the steep belfry of the wooden Maramureş church, complete with beautiful but faded icons. The original, which is in Maramureş, counts itself among the most beautiful churches in Romania.

I found it very interesting that one of the houses was featuring gypsy metal crafts. Like many of the countries in Eastern Europe, Romania is home to a large population of Gypsies whose traditional occupation is metalworking –tinsmiths and blacksmiths.

Gypsies selling metal crafts at Bucharest Village Museum
Gypsies selling their metal crafts

Sadly, in Romania being a Gypsy is the worst social stigma. These dark-skinned people who ramble Romania’s countryside in caravans always lived by their own rules.

They never managed to integrate themselves among the country’s white population, therefore remaining outcasts.

Crucifix at Bucharest Village Museum
Crucifix

Best Time to Visit the Museum 

Bucharest Village Museum is beautiful year round, even during the cold winter months. In fact, it’s one of the many fun things to do in Bucharest in winter. The museum

has an ideal location: on the shore of the Herastrau Lake and just adjacent to the park bearing the same name. Strolling through the 25 acres of shaded lanes on the lake shore is just so beautiful! 

Bucharest Village Museum during different seasons
Bucharest Village Museum during different seasons

The museum is open year-round and is equally beautiful in winter as it is in summer. Being born in Bucharest, we visited the museum many times and during all seasons. Falls are especially nice here, when the tree leafs turn yellow, red and orange. However, the best time to explore it is on a clear sunny day. 

Weekends will also be more crowded compared to the week-days. On the other hand, exploring the museum on a weekend has its own advantages.

We visited the museum on a Saturday and we had the chance to encounter several wedding parties who came to the museum for photo shoots.

Where to Eat at the Bucharest Village Museum

All around the area there are small kiosks and tables selling home made goods. You can buy sweets, cakes, pies and delicious breads.

bread loafs freshly baked
Bread loafs freshly baked

There are also a few good eateries around. There is even a nice restaurant Calle La Francu, set in an original 19th-century inn. The restaurant serves authentic Romanian dishes, like grilled mutton pastrami with polenta, or stuffed cabbage rolls.

Grilled pastrami with polenta
Grilled pastrami with polenta

Guided Tour vs. Self-guided Tour

Bucharest Village Museum is a very unique place to visit in Romania, so don’t skip it if you can spare a few hours. To visit the museum, you can choose to have a guided tour or a self-guided tour. Guided tours are available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Russian, but they require a reservation.

If you choose to explore the Village Museum on your own you can rent an audio guides for 50 lei, or 8 lei on your smartphone. Walking the museum grounds is fairly easy, as there are signs both in English and Romanian. Admission fee is very reasonable: 10 Lei (about $3. 

Authentic masks at the Bucharest Village Museum
Authentic masks at the Bucharest Village Museum

A complete tour of the Village Museum in Bucharest takes at least 3-4 hours. However, you can spend a lot more time on the grounds if you want to buy some souvenirs from Romania, have a picnic, or enjoy some of the local foods. 

How to Reach the Bucharest Village Museum

You can reach the Village Museum by bus or by metro from the center of the city. If you come by metro, take Line #2 and get off at Aviatorilor.

However, if you don’t want to bother with finding your way around the city, you can always take a cab. Taxis are very inexpensive in Bucharest.

Note: while the museum is open on Mondays, the houses are not.

houses from the Bucharest Village Museum

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

  • Best Restaurants in Bucharest, Romania, Guaranteed to Impress You
  • 10 Reasons to Visit Romania and Why You Shouldn’t Postpone It
  • Bucharest Nightlife: 10 Best Clubs and Bars in Bucharest, Romania

Category: DESTINATIONS, Europe, RomaniaTag: Destination Guides

About Anda

Anda is an award winning travel writer, avid globetrotter and passionate photographer. She is the voice behind "Travel Notes & Beyond," a collection of stories and travel impressions from her wanderings around the world. When she is not busy writing, traveling, or editing photographs, you can find her hiking in the foothills behind her house together with her husband and their dog.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mansoureh

    February 5, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    I only have been to an open museum once in Sweden, but this one in Bucharest looks more interesting. I like to give it a visit especially because it has small kiosks which sell homemade goods and crafts. I haven’t been to Romania, but I added this village museum to my list to go

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      February 5, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      Bucharest Village Museum is not more interesting than Skansen, but it’s equally worth visiting.

      Reply
      • Kayla Meadows

        October 2, 2021 at 8:02 am

        I’m trying to find a book of pictures to buy from this museum if you know of any

        Reply
        • Anda

          October 2, 2021 at 3:02 pm

          I’m not aware they have any picture books. They may have them at the gift shop, if you go there in person.

          Reply
  2. Melody PIttman

    February 5, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    What a fascinating museum to visit. I’m so glad they saved it. Until I read the caption about the gypsies, I had totally forgotten about how many come from Romania. I think the largest popular outside of Romania is in the panhandle of WV (my native state). We had thousands of them and they even made a TV show about the area at one point (which did not portray them in a good light at all). I’ve only been to Histeria and Constant, still so many great places to see in Romania. thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      February 5, 2019 at 5:36 pm

      You mean Histria and Constanta? They are some of the oldest places in Romania.

      Reply
  3. Mei and Kerstin

    February 5, 2019 at 7:24 am

    We both love museums and always visit at least a few wherever we travel to. So the idea of visiting a Village Museum in Bucharest sounds awesome! It’s good to know that this 25 acres big village is open all year round! Thanks for sharing this inspiring post (and for adding one more item on our bucket list!) 🙂

    Reply
  4. Janine Thomas

    February 5, 2019 at 7:02 am

    What a great spot to visit to learn more about Romanian history and culture. I love the wacky traditional masks as well and that freshly baked bread looks delicious. I haven’t been to Bucharest yet, but it’s on my list!

    Reply
  5. Lisa

    February 5, 2019 at 12:53 am

    I love the structure of the wooden church ? and I can see why the museum would be the perfect destination for wedding photo shoots ? I would probably opt for a self-guided tour and rent an audio guide ???

    Reply
  6. Jody Robbins

    February 3, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    I had no idea this existed in the middle of Bucharest. I went there a couple times for work and didn’t realize. I love how they have options for both guided and self-guided tours and all the languages.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      February 3, 2019 at 7:16 pm

      Well, maybe next time you are in Bucharest you can visit the Village Museum. It’s quite interesting actually.

      Reply
  7. Danik

    February 2, 2019 at 11:23 pm

    I been to Romania and Bucharest before but never heard about this museum. It looks so quaint and beautiful. I love exploring old buildings which also explains the local ways of life. However, I have had fresh locally baked bread in the Romanian countryside and it just melts in your mouth.

    Reply
  8. Punita Malhotra

    February 2, 2019 at 9:28 pm

    I love knowing more about vernacular architecture and the picture of the traditional peasants’ house in your post made of wood, clay and straw fascinated me. Village museums help you learn so much!

    Reply
  9. Harvey (H-Bomb's Worldwide Karaoke)

    February 2, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    Just last week I booked a trip to Bucharest for this fall, so this post is very timely and helpful for me! The Village Museum and lakeshore sound like two great places to spend part of that trip, and I like that the museum offers an opportunity to learn about the authentic history of the area.

    Reply
  10. Brianna

    February 2, 2019 at 3:34 pm

    It’s great that you can experience Romania’s rural traditions without leaving Bucharest. I find the crafts and church architecture especially fascinating.

    Reply
  11. Emese

    October 16, 2018 at 9:57 am

    I heard so much about this Village Museum in Bucharest, but I never visited it; Bucharest was so far from my home, with bad roads and long train rides, I’ve only been there once growing up. I visited a different Romanian Village Museum, with a school trip, but I can’t remember where it was, and of course, it was falling apart, but still interesting. This one in Bucharest looks like a great destination, especially since it’s taken care of. Beautiful photos, Anda. Makes me want to go visit next time I’m in the country.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 16, 2018 at 3:20 pm

      Bucharest has changed a lot from 30 years ago when I left it. It is now in a much better shape than it ever used to be, so it may be worth visiting if you go back to Romania. As for the roads, I agree they are very bad. Unfortunately that’s a serious set back for visiting this beautiful country.

      Reply
  12. Esther

    October 6, 2018 at 1:07 am

    Bucharest is high on my list to visit and I’d also put this visit on my list!!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 7, 2018 at 1:49 pm

      It’s not too far from you, Esther.

      Reply
  13. Jill Chapman

    October 5, 2018 at 5:31 pm

    I would like to visit this museum. I like all the museums that show a typical way of life in a country or the countryside and this certainly seems to have lots of examples of it. Love the photo of the masks – how cool!

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      October 7, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      Hope you’ll make it to Bucharest sometime, Jill. It’s a beautiful city.

      Reply
  14. beatravelling

    January 16, 2016 at 3:11 am

    I wanna do Bucharest too!! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Anda Galffy

    January 9, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    Romania is one of the less traveled eastern European countries that is really worth visiting, Brooke. I hope you’ll give it a chance. It happens to be my birth country also.

    Reply
  16. Paula McInerney

    January 9, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    One to definitely add to the list. I had not heard of The Bucharest Village Museum, but will certainly be making the effort to see it, when we get there ..eventually

    Reply

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