The “St. Nicholas” wooden church of the Lupșa Monastery

If you cross the beautiful Arieș Valley, through the Apuseni Mountains, you can see, besides spectacular landscapes, the oldest wooden church in Transylvania. Founded in 1429, the wooden church dedicated to “St.  Hierarch Nicholas” of the Lupșa Monastery has the shape of a ship. At first, it had only an altar and the nave. The narthex and the bell tower were added later. 

Inside, you will discover exquisite elements such as the Calvinist-inspired coffered ceiling, which replaced the semicircular vault of the church in 1694. The entrance door to the nave, with an interesting decoration, is dated in the same year. The interior painting was made in 1997, in the fresco technique, by professor Nicolae Sava.

The truly divine beauties will touch your soul and you will always be welcomed in the atmosphere of holiness at the Lupșa Monastery!

Built on a river stone boulder foundation, the wooden church stands out due to the height of the roof and the harmony of proportions. It initially had only an altar and the nave. In 1810 the narthex and the bell tower were added.

Over time, the construction was modified, the walls were raised and the vaults were replaced with straight coffered ceilings, with a décor inspired from the ceilings of Reformed churches. 

In the nave, there are floral and geometric motifs. On the ceiling of the altar, there are only the sun and the moon and an inscription in Latin, but the year is in Cyrillic script. The iconostasis preserves the royal icons, the register of apostles and some feast icons from the 18th century. With the floral decoration on the frames and the halos, the combination of Moldavian art with that from the south of the mountains becomes even more evident. 

In the 18th century, the church was in danger of being demolished because Hieromonk Procopius, a monk of the monastery, was involved in the movement against the Uniate movement. At the intervention of Petru Pavel Aron, the Uniate bishop of Blaj, the place was saved, on condition that it would be offered to the Greek-Catholic believers. The Orthodox monks were then banished.

From 1948, the church passed into the administration of the Orthodox parish in Lupșa, as its branch. His Grace Emilian, the Bishop of Alba Iulia at that time, gave the church its due importance. The Monastery was dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which is held to this day. Then, a series of restoration works followed. The building was re-consecrated in 2009, and the wooden church was dedicated to “Saint Hierarch Nicholas”.

Right next to the wooden church, there is the New Church of the Lupșa Monastery, which we recommend you visit. Also, the “Saint George” Church in Lupșa, dating from the 15th century and called by the locals “the Church on the Hill”, awaits you to admire it and to raise a prayer. 

And, in order to immerse yourself as well as possible in the atmosphere of the place, learn its history. Go to the “Pamfil Albu” Ethnographic Museum in Lupșa, where you will discover a collection of objects and pieces from the history of the place, starting right from the primitive communism.