ASTRA Museum

What makes it special

The grounds fill a stretch of the Dumbrava forest, and 10 km of alleys run between peasant households, craft workshops, sheepfolds, wayside shrines and mills. Many buildings keep their original interiors, so you walk into rooms laid out as they were lived in.

Windmills from Dobrogea line the lake shore beside fishermen's buildings from the Danube Delta, with floating mills and bridges out on the water. Two of the windmills are open, so you can climb up and see the grinding gear from inside.

The watermills range from massive wheels to small ones built for narrow streams, and the working ones are a pleasure to watch turn. Look up at the log houses as well: their tall, steep shingle roofs were pitched to shed heavy snow.

The wooden church dates from 1754 and was moved here in 1990. Inside, frescoes are painted straight onto the timber walls. A small group of painted tombstones, unlike anything else on the grounds, is easy to miss, so keep an eye out for it.

Visiting

Easiest is to enter at gate 1, the main entrance, and buy your ticket at the machine there; card payment is recommended, or buy online beforehand. You get a map of the sections and paths on entry. The Sibiu city app carries audio stories on the main sights, so load it before you arrive.

Most buildings carry a sign saying which village they came from and when they were built. The windmills on the lake make an easy first stop; from there follow the alleys out through the farmsteads, workshops and churches.

Stop for lunch at one of the two restaurants: the Tulgheș Inn by gate 2, or the Cârciuma din Bătrâni near the windmills. On weekends the Country Fair stalls cook pancakes and other dishes in front of you.

Guided or on your own

Guided tours run only from November to April, during visiting hours, for a fee. Request one by email at muzeograf.serviciu@muzeulastra.com at least two days ahead.

From May to October there are no guided tours, so you explore with the map and the city app. Horse-drawn carriages run all year, sleighs take over when snow covers the paths, and scooters are offered in summer.

Tips

Wear shoes made for walking: the paths are gravel, grass and unpaved rural track. In summer bring a hat and sunscreen, because almost all of the visit is outdoors. Pick the sections you care about, since the grounds are too big to cover in one rushed visit.

Leave large bags behind if you want the pavilion exhibitions, which admit only handbag or laptop-bag sizes. Children under 14 may go into the houses, barns and workshops only with an adult. Adults may cycle the grounds, but only in the first and last two hours of opening.

Events run almost every day, some outside normal hours and with their own fee. The biggest, a craft fair held since 1983, brings craftsmen from across the country, so check the calendar before you fix a date.