Costești: Churches, Culture and Traditions

Costești lies in the south of Argeș County, on the Pitești Plain and along the banks of the Teleorman River. Churches and local culture give the town a character shaped by a range of buildings and traditions. When planning your trip, both the historic churches and the ethnographic museum and annual fair can serve as points of reference.

Landscape and Churches

The landscape around Costești includes hills and the Teleorman floodplain. The area is suitable for walks, hikes and bike rides. The “Sfântul Prooroc Ilie” Cathedral is a historic monument of national importance. It is also the only church in Argeș County associated with a king’s presence at a consecration.

The wooden church “Sfântul Mare Mucenic Pantelimon” is located on the grounds of Costești City Hospital. It was moved there from Lereni, in the commune of Bârla. The site is secluded and peaceful, surrounded by trees and vegetation. The church was reconstructed between 1997 and 1998 and reconsecrated for worship on 27 July 2001. Its location and building history offer two distinct points of reference for understanding the wooden church.

In Zorile stands the wooden church “Cuvioasa Parascheva,” an architectural monument of national importance officially dated to 1807. It is three kilometres from the centre of Costești. From the town centre, you can reach it via the railway crossing and county road DJ703B. Check road conditions before setting out.

There is also a wooden church in Telești: “Înălțarea Domnului.” From national road 65A, a one-kilometre turnoff on the left leads to the church; check road conditions before setting out. The church is documented as far back as 1773, although this date refers to the renewal of its shingle roof. Its rectangular nave and set-back, also rectangular apse divide the building into two clearly distinct areas.

Museum and Local Culture

Among the listed buildings is Casa Bădescu, a building of national cultural heritage that was restored while preserving its architecture. The Ethnographic Museum of Costești was established in 2013. You can find it on the first floor of the Cultural Centre, at 44 Strada Victoriei. The museum was created as part of the project “Valorificarea tradiţiilor culturale şi spirituale locale,” with the participation of volunteer school pupils, university students and teachers. Its creation thus combines local cultural initiatives with the involvement of different generations.

Singing, dancing, folk costume and the ancient Căluș ritual shape Costești’s local traditions. The “Mugurelul” folk ensemble of the Costești Cultural Centre brings folk dance, folk costume, music and the local Căluș tradition to the stage. Together, these themes show how Costești’s cultural heritage is expressed both through inherited customs and through performance-based folklore.

The “Sfântul Ilie” Fair

The “Sfântul Ilie” fair in Costești takes place every year on 20 July. The venue is the Costești town stadium. The fair includes numerous cultural performances in honour of the town’s spiritual patron saint. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the date in advance. Its fixed date and venue give the fair a clearly defined place in the town’s annual calendar.

Discover more destinations: Corbeni, Bascov, Oarja, Curtea De Argeş, Băiculeşti, Leordeni, Podu Dâmboviței, Schitu Golești

Return to the regional travel overview: Argeş.