St Nicholas' Church, Budești-Josani: UNESCO wooden church

The largest church of historic Maramureș

The village of Budești lies in the valley of the Cosău river at the foot of the Gutâi Mountains, about 30 km south of Sighetu Marmației. It was first mentioned in a charter of King Louis the Great in 1361. The village has two old wooden churches, in its "upper" part, Susani, and its "lower" part, Josani. The lower one, St Nicholas' church, is one of the eight churches inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as the "Wooden Churches of Maramureș".

According to tradition, the village community built it in 1643, and it has been dedicated to St Nicholas ever since. It is the largest wooden church of historic Maramureș: about 18 m long and 8 m wide, with a tower reaching 26 m. The walls are made of thick oak beams on a foundation of river stones. The church stands on a small hill above the village centre, in the middle of the cemetery. Since 1948 it has belonged to the village's Orthodox parish.

Why go

Budești is one of the most attractive villages of the Cosău valley, with carved Maramureș gates, and St Nicholas' church impresses with both its monumental size and the fine work of its carpenters. Its tower, with four small turrets around the spire, is a rarity in historic Maramureș. Inside is an object surrounded by legends: the chain mail of Pintea the Brave (Pintea Viteazul), the region's folk hero, who according to tradition brought it to the church himself.

What to see

• The tower with four turrets around its steep spire, and the open belfry gallery with three arches on each side.
• The double-eaved roof running around the whole church to protect the log walls from moisture, and the carved entrance doorway.
• The 1762 paintings by Alexandru Ponehalschi: light, clean colours and scenes separated by bands, like miniatures from old manuscripts. The sanctuary painting is dated 1812.
• The iconostasis painted on the east wall of the nave: apostles under arches with the Deesis in the centre, prophets in medallions and the Crucifixion at the top.
• Icons of the 17th–18th centuries, including an old image of St John the Baptist with a Slavonic inscription, and a collection of icons on glass.
• Pintea's chain mail, a relic associated with the outlaw who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Practical information

The church stands in the Josani part of the village, on a hillock above the main road, reached by a flight of steps. From Sighetu Marmației it is about 30 km via Vadu Izei and the Cosău valley, and about 32 km from the Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației border crossing. From Baia Mare the road leads over the Gutâi Pass. There is no fixed timetable: to see the interior, phone the keyholder Ileana Godja in advance, +40 764 206 302 (contact from the Maramureș County Council brochure, as of March 2026). This is a working church: dress modestly, speak quietly, avoid entering during services unless you are attending, and ask the keyholder before taking photos inside. Allow 30–45 minutes for the visit.

Nearby

• The old church in the Susani part of the same village (1760), with paintings of Paradise and the Passion.
• The village of Sârbi, with carved gates and traditional water-powered installations that still work.
• St Paraskeva's church in Desești in the neighbouring Mara valley.
• The old wooden church of Bârsana above the Iza valley.
• Eco Maramureș: tours to the craftspeople of Breb, Sârbi and Călinești.

Photos: Victor Sasu, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Josep Renalias Lohen11, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; DimiTalen, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Țetcu Mircea Rareș, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Utilizator:Țetcu Mircea Rareș at ro.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.