The Transylvania Museum of Etnografico

The Transylvania Museum of Etnografico is a small museum with a collection of more than 40,000 objects representing the cultural and occupational lifestyles of rural Transylvanians dating back to the early 17th century. Inside you’ll find cookware, books, woven blankets, toys and more depicting everyday life for hundreds of years. It’s an incredibly charming museum that is a must for anyone interested in Romanian folk culture.

Entry to the museum is cheap and there are a few separate exhibits, with the main floor dedicated primarily to small tokens of rural life while the upstairs portion contained costumes and woven tapestry at the time of my visit. There’s also an excellent tactile room for the visually impaired and they also have a special area for small children to touch and play with historical toys.

The traditional costumes and pottery were a highlight of the museum and seemed to be kept in excellent condition. I also enjoyed the focus on rural farming equipment from years back that showcased the ingenuity of Romanians and how they managed to thrive and create a prosperous agricultural society early on. All the exhibits are presented in both Romanian and English so there’s no language barrier.

I was told there is actually a second exhibit on the other side of town connected to the Transylvania Museum of Etnografico, which is open air and further features the farming tools and lifestyle of previous centuries.

Overall, I would highly recommend a visit to the museum — it’s a wonderful, informative way to spend a couple of hours and one of only a few museums I’ve seen that actually lets you handle many of the exhibits.