Romania's largest museum, the Astra village museum near Sibiu, further expands to become Europe's largest

The largest museum in Romania, the “Astra” Folk Civilization Museum in Sibiu, will expand with around 35 hectares, adding to the existing 96 hectares. The museum, which is home to 300 traditional houses and other buildings from all of Romania's regions, will expand so as to include more traditional households, as well as some touristic paths through the nearby woods. Once expanded, the Astra museum will become the largest open air museum in Europe. It was opened in 1967, and currently hosts over 16,000 patrimonial items, including traditional tools from all across Romania, most of which are no longer in use. The museum is located near the city of Sibiu, in Central Romania, in a natural park called Dumbrava Sibiului, at the city's exit towards Rasinari. The other village museum in Romania, the one located within the Herastrau park in Bucharest, was opened in 1936 and covers some 12 hectares. It hosts 322 buildings. editor@romania-insider.com