Valea Viilor: Church, Ecomuseum and Musical History

Valea Viilor brings together a church with preserved defensive structures, an ecomuseum and the musical history of composer Marţian Negrea. When planning your stay, architecture, landscape, trails and music are the main themes to consider. The village is Negrea’s birthplace; an annual festival held in November also bears his name.

Landscape and trails

A walk through Valea Viilor and up to the surrounding heights offers views of the residents’ cultivated gardens, the former vineyards and the entire commune. The landscape brings together two different periods: the cultivated gardens and the vineyards as traces of an earlier landscape. The view over the commune complements these details with a broader perspective.

The trails around Valea Viilor can currently be used for hiking, cycling and horseback riding. They connect the village with Ighișu Nou, Motiș, Șoala, Agârbiciu, Axente Sever, Târnava and Copșa Mică. These seven destinations give the trail network a specific regional orientation, while walks up to the surrounding heights focus primarily on the landscape.

Another route to follow is “Pe urmele coloniştilor saşi” (“In the Footsteps of the Saxon Settlers”). It runs from Sibiu through Slimnic, Axente Sever, Valea Viilor, Şeica Mică, Mândra and Ocna Sibiului, and back to Sibiu. This named route complements the trails around Valea Viilor with a route through several places in the region.

Church and preserved furnishings

The church is surrounded by defensive walls and towers. Four towers remain; the walls are 6–7 m high and topped with battlements. The north portal has a portcullis that has remained intact since 1525. The walls, towers and portcullis are distinct elements of the fortifications.

Dated furnishings have also been preserved inside the church: pews from 1528, a pulpit canopy from 1746, an altar from 1779 and an organ from 1807. The dates span the 16th to the 19th century. The preserved heritage thus includes both the exterior defensive structures and various elements of the interior furnishings.

Valea Viilor Ecomuseum

The Valea Viilor Ecomuseum comprises five homesteads that have retained their original appearance, with traditionally designed gardens and courtyards. While the church is defined by its defensive structures and dated furnishings, the focus here is on the homesteads, gardens and courtyards. Valea Viilor is one of six settlements in Sibiu County that belong to the regional ecomuseum network. The topic can therefore be understood both through the five homesteads in the village and through the commune’s membership in the regional network.

Marţian Negrea and the festival

Marţian Negrea was born in Valea Viilor. His four-movement symphonic suite “Stories of Grui” depicts the everyday life, customs and traditions of the people of Valea Viilor. The biographical connection and the subject of the suite complement each other: one connects Negrea to Valea Viilor, while the other focuses on the village’s everyday life and traditions.

The “Festivalul Martian Negrea” takes place every year in November. If you plan to travel for the festival, check the date of the current edition before your trip.

Road access

Valea Viilor lies on a side road branching off the DN 14 national road. This road connection provides an additional point of reference for getting there.

Discover more destinations: Miercurea Sibiului, Apoldu de Sus, Cisnădie, Șura Mare, Gura Raului, Sibiu, Păltiniș, Pojana.

For the broader travel overview: Sibiu.