Sibiu is a city in the center of Romania, more precisely in Transylvania. I mention Transylvania because it is the best-known region in Romania, where he lived (and maybe still lives!)... Count Dracula!
This old town, attested before 1200, is an attractive tourist attraction and the historic center has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
I love to visit this place and whenever I pass nearby, on my way to northern Transylvania, to the place where my wife grew up, I stop for at least a day to see it again.
Every time I try to see something else, I mean I never visit everything, I leave something for the next time.
This time I will tell the story of the walk through the largest open-air museum in Europe.
Astra Museum Sibiu
It is an ethnographic museum located outside the city, in a forest in the protected reserve Dumbrava Sibiului. The main purpose of the museum is to preserve and show the values of the Romanian villages from the past.
Until I arrived in Sibiu I thought that the Village Museum in Bucharest is the largest and most complete ethnographic museum in Romania. After I visited Astra I realized that the museum in Bucharest, next to my house, is much smaller. Of course, due to lack of space, the museum in Bucharest is set up in a part of a park and Astra Muzeum is made in a forest and next to a lake!
Visiting this museum is a hike through the forest and to understand the size of the place I'll tell you that the museum's alleys are 10 km long.
This is important to know before you start your visit, as several hours, at least half a day, should be allotted to go through all the areas and see the exhibits.
Luckily there are many places where tourists can rest, around the lake or in the shade of the forest.
Long walks in the forest can quickly deplete our energy, so we can recharge our bodies at various terraces located in different areas.
In these landscaped places it feels like we are in the middle of nature because we meet different small animals and birds, especially birds.
I even encountered the art represented by different wood carvings, wood being the main building material and everything needed in the peasants' houses.
After these first impressions we started to walk through the forest and visit the houses, hundreds of years old, brought here from all regions of Romania.
These were certainly houses for foresters.
Next, I will make a photo report of a visit to this museum. There will be fewer explanations and more photos because that's the only way to evoke the feeling of visiting a museum when viewing the images—images that I experienced.
Wax Cakes Presser's and Candle Maker's Homestead from Sebesu de Jos, Sibiu County
Farmhouses and peasant homes frequently face the elements, along with their tools and outbuildings, providing greater insight into rural life in earlier centuries.
Still a foresters' house, but richer foresters, probably some bosses. Spacious house with a second floor which is unusual in a Romanian village of the last century.
Shepherd's Homestead and Workshop of Making Candles with Sheep Tallow from Rasinari, Sibiu County
Sibiu County has always been a place where sheep breeding was a main occupation. Above, I saw a peasant household with artisan skills processing sheep skin.
Again some houses that I don't know what to say about except that I liked the way they blend into nature.
Orchard Homestead Vladesti, Valcea County
Another important activity of the peasants was the growing and production of fruits, grapes, and plants with oily seeds. Hence what follows. A presentation of some of the wooden equipment used to process fruits and seeds.
Press with Vertical Screw and Stone Table
Flax Press
Now comes something big. Since ancient times it's been a main occupation, growing grapes and making wine.
Under this roof are gathered the machines used to make wine from grapes by pressing.
As well as the huge wooden installations for making oil, by pressing.
I think people in the past were powerful if they could use such machines. For the less powerful there were smaller presses...
I got a bit tired looking at so many machines and I can only imagine how tired people were after a day's work. Fortunately, the museum is so extensive that if you're bored of something you can easily find something else to catch your attention. My journey continued after I passed a small pond and two charming little girls who seemed to be part of the museum.
We immediately met another interesting peasant household, the last in today's presentation.
Peasant Homestead with Shed on Socle with Stable, Mierita-Dragu, Salaj County
This was a beautiful agricultural peasant farm consisting of a dwelling house, a stable for the animals, and a shed for the machinery, all enclosed with a wooden fence. Impressive!
It has been a pleasure to sit in this courtyard and think what a physically easy life we have compared to those people of the past who worked all their lives. Beyond the beauty of the place and the ingenious architecture of the houses with their pointed roofs covered with hay, I realized how much easier our life has become, how important is the ingenuity of people, and how important the technical progress of mankind.
The little bird we met at the beginning accompanied us throughout this visit, walk, and adventure. Now I don't know if it's the same one or if there were several, but the pleasure to see it was as great.
I have to admit that it was a bit difficult to put together all these photos, 65 in number, I was curious to count them and realized that they are about 10% of all taken that day. This means there are still many left that I think need to be shown and I promise to do a sequel.
To be continued...
I remember my childhood and the pleasure of watching soap operas on TV. I enjoyed watching this "To be continued..." that assured me I had more to watch!
Astra Museum Sibiu
Pădurea Dumbrava Street, nr. 16-20, gate 1, 550399 Sibiu
Email: office@muzeulastra.com
Entrance ticket prices:
Adults - $7
Pupils/students - $2
Children under 6 years - free
Visit program:
Monday – Sunday: 09:00 - 17:00 (last ticket at 16:30)
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