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The National Village Museum

The Village Museum settled in Bucharest's landscape as a highly important institution where citizens find their roots as well as the lost purity of the traditonal Romanian village. Basically, it is the place where one may find his ancestors' house or even his dream place.

Once being in "The Village Museum", the world changes, and the time gains new meanings. The tourist will live in the so-called "illo-tempore" where is no way of measuring and where he will realise that "eternity started in the village".
Our museum cares very much about preservating and transmitting this feeling to the future generations.

The idea of organising this museum belonged to the sociologist and philosopher Dimitrie Gusti, foundator and leader of the ""Sociology School in Bucharest". He organised between 1925 and 1935 a series of research in 60 villages from different regions of Romania. The preparations for the museum started on March 1936 on a 4500 sqr meters surface, near the street. The project was morally and materially sustained by the Royal Cultural Foundation "Prince Carol". The task of constructing the museum was given to H.H. Stahl and Victor Ion Popa, the last one having to design the plan of the settlement.

The Village Museum was opened for the public on the 9th of May 1936. The aim of it was that of recreating, in a adequate environment (on the banks of Herastrau Lake), the peasants way of life and personality.

The oldest houses date back from the XVIIth century and belong to every zone of the country. They were brought highly original and unique monuments: Zapodeni, Vaslui County (XVIIth century), the church (1773) and a single celled construction (XIXth century) from Rapciuni, Neamt County, Berbesti, Maramures County (1775), Straja, Suceava County (XVIIIth century), Jurilovca, Tulcea County (1898), two half-buried houses ("bordeie") from Olt and Dolj, both dating from the XIXth century, etc.

Starting with 29 households, the museum nowadays has 346 monuments and 51 450 objects organized according to modern museum procedures.
The households include living places and annexes still existing in the Romanian village. The houses are adapted to the environment they come from, a notable aspect in the choice of fabrics, proportions and adequate plans for each zone.
The entirely original monuments are proof of Romanian traditional life, but in the same time an example of good keeping the constructed exhibition.

The rich cultural patrimony, be it material or immaterial, is highlighted by different cultural activities (traditional fairs, demonstration by craftsmen, shows and exhibitions) organised by the museum with a view on the holidays (Dragobete, Floriile, Saints Peter and Pavel, The Cross Holyday, Christmas).
The museum has a great number of visitors, almost 350 000 annualy. "The Village Museum" has become a school where a lot of children are thought history "on the field"; the educational offer is very vast: from workshops of museum pedagogy to art camps ("summer road", 1st of June - Children Holyday). It has also become a nationally and internationally recognized school of museum affairs, a research and informational center concerning traditional lifestyles as well as urban adopting new scientific methods.

"The Village Museum" is the place where you can visit Romania in a few hours, be acquainted with tradition or have a nice walk in the world of Romanian village.
You can stay for a while at La bariera Inn, taste traditional dish and have some Romanian drinks.

"The Village Museum" will remain forever the best keeper of the "Romanian village" integrated in the European culture.

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Attractions

Old house in Village Museum