Holy Archangels Church, Plopiș: UNESCO wooden church

The church of forty-nine families

The village of Plopiș lies on the left bank of the Cavnic river, on the southern slopes of the Gutâi Mountains, in the Chioar region (Țara Chioarului), a few kilometres from Baia Mare. It was first mentioned in 1583 among the settlements belonging to Chioar fortress. The villagers were known as skilled carpenters, and at the end of the 18th century they set about building a new church to replace the old one. In 1999 the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the eight "Wooden Churches of Maramureș".

Construction lasted from 1796 to the early 19th century, and the church was consecrated on 12 November 1811. The consecration document was found in the base of the altar table together with 49 coins, one from each founding family. The church was repaired in 1901 and 1961, its roof was replaced in 1990–1991, and a full restoration of the architecture and paintings took place in 2018–2021; it was reconsecrated on 29 May 2021. Today it is an Orthodox parish church; its feast day is 8 November.

Why go

Despite its modest size — 17 m long and 7 m wide — the 47-metre-high church impresses with the harmony of its proportions; it is considered one of the most unified religious buildings in Maramureș. It stands on the plateau of a hill and, together with the valley landscape, makes a very picturesque scene. Because of the similarity of form and decoration, it is regarded as the "twin" of the church in neighbouring Șurdești and probably the work of the same master.

What to see

• The bell tower with an open gallery, fretwork parapet and a tall pyramidal spire surrounded by four turrets. According to local explanation, they showed that the village had a council of elders with the right to judge.
• The trefoil vault of the nave: in section it consists of a half-cylinder resting on two quarter-cylinders, a form found nowhere else in the wooden architecture of Transylvania and Maramureș.
• The carved decoration of the façades: ogee-arched windows on two levels, a rounded moulding, a dovetail frieze under the cornice and a western porch with scalloped arches.
• The 1811 paintings by Ștefan the Painter of Șișești (Ștefan Zugravul): the Holy Trinity, scenes from the Apocalypse and the Passion on the vault, and the iconostasis and choir gallery by the same hand.

Practical information

The church stands about 2 km from the main road in the village of Plopiș, Șișești commune. It is about 25 km from Baia Mare and about 60 km from Sighetu Marmației and the Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației border crossing, over the Gutâi Pass. There is no fixed timetable: to see the interior, phone the keyholder Silvia Pop in advance, +40 757 333 731 (contact from the Maramureș County Council brochure, as of March 2026). This is a working church: dress modestly, keep quiet and ask the keyholder before taking photos inside. Allow 30–40 minutes for the visit.

Nearby

• The Holy Archangels church in Șurdești, its "twin" on the opposite side of the valley.
• The Holy Archangels church in Rogoz in the Lăpuș region.
• The city of Baia Mare with its old centre and museums.
• The ski slopes near the town of Cavnic, further up the valley.
• Rohia Monastery in the Lăpuș region, known for its library and its quiet.

Photos: Alina Belascu, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Emanuel Luca CM, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Victor Sasu, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Thaler Tamas, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Andrei kokelburg, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Țetcu Mircea Rareș, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons.