The wooden church "Three Holy Hierarchs" in Goiești

Have you ever been up in the mountains, to Vidra de Sus? You will remember the famous song if you go through the Apuseni Mountains and have the opportunity to visit the wooden church dedicated to the "Three Holy Hierarchs" in Goiești. It is considered the most beautiful church in Transylvania and one of the most valuable monuments of religious architecture in Romania.

The monument impresses above all with the exceptional value of the interior painting and icons. The painting, made in 1791, is the work of Simion Silaghi from Abrud, nicknamed "The Painter of the West". The naturalness of the characters, the colors that blend harmoniously, but also the unity and coherence of the scenes represented make the wooden church in Goiești a true masterpiece of Romanian folk art.

You will first stop in the porch, where you will discover the icons and even a beautiful poem dedicated to the little church. It is said that here, in the old days, the Moti cleaned or changed their dusty shoes when they came down from the mountain, for Sunday service and on holidays.

Visiting the church in Goiești, you too will feel like you are on a day of celebration. And because you are in the land of the Apuseni Mountains, between Găina Mountain and Scarișoara Cave, you can enjoy a wonderful journey!

Raised on a foundation of river stone boulders, the church has a rectangular plan and a spire which is believed to be the tallest in the area of the Apuseni mountains.

The building is partitioned according to a custom of these places, so that the "men’s church" is at the front of the place, and the "women’s church" at the back, here the place being darker and narrower. The two rooms are separated by a wooden wall that has two openings, like windows. Women and men enter the church separately, through two different doors.

Inside, the "women's church" is covered by a straight ceiling, and above the nave and altar are semi-cylindrical vaults. 

Among the elements in the church that present an inestimable artistic value, we should mention the interior painting, as well as the royal icons, all dating from the 18th century.

Also, the wooden chandelier from 1791 is also a piece of high interest, along with hundreds of years old books, the church's iron semantron and the bells cast in Sibiu in 1923. 

Arriving in the Apuseni Mountains, you have the opportunity to explore wild nature, impressive through the spectacular landscapes. We recommend just a few of these beauties: Cheile Văii Morii, Pișoaia Waterfall, Glacier Cave from Scărișoara, but also Snail Hill, where there are petrified snail shells, no less than 65-70 million years old.

And those who want to know more about the "Crăișorul Munților", Avram Iancu, can visit the Vidra Church where he was baptized and the Avram Iancu Museum Complex, where the house where the hero of the mountains lived is located.