Vâlcean Village Museum Bujoreni

Founded in 1969 and opened to the public in 1974, the Vâlcea Village Museum in Bujoreni is the most representative open-air ethnographic museum in Vâlcea County. Spanning approximately 8 hectares, the museum showcases nearly 80 original traditional buildings and over 12,000 ethnographic artifacts, offering visitors an immersive journey into the rural life of the 19th and 20th centuries. Located at the crossroads of Muntenia, Oltenia, and Transylvania, the museum reflects the architectural and cultural diversity of the historic Vâlcean countryside.

The museum’s core developed around the Bujoreanu Fortified House (Cula), built between 1806 and 1812, and expanded gradually between 1966 and 1969. Over time, several important structures were relocated here, including:
• The Belciu Maria House from Măldăreștii de Jos (late 19th century), a traditional home with two rooms and a clay stove;
• The Giblescu Sinculescu House from Milcoiu, a rural household specializing in viticulture;
• The Iacobescu House from Nicolae Bălcescu commune, a prosperous peasant home with a porch and stone cellar;
• The Persu Nicolae House, typical of the Subcarpathian zone;
• Bogdan’s Inn (1889) from Malăia – the first rural inn ever relocated to an open-air museum in Romania, complete with wine cellar, upstairs rooms, cart entrance, and wooden stairs;
• The Spiru Haret-style primary school from Cacova (early 20th century), featuring an authentic rural classroom and a collection of glass-painted icons.

Today, the Vâlcea Village Museum in Bujoreni is more than just a historical site – it’s a living cultural space, hosting craft workshops, traditional fairs, and educational activities that help preserve and share the customs and heritage of the Vâlcean rural communities.