The tourist who comes to Maramures for the first time is pleasantly surprised by the lifestyle of the locals, which is so simple and in tune with nature. Once you pass beneath the tall wooden gates, you discover lands seemingly taken out of a tale, from long forgotten times. These are the places where fir trees stately grow, watered by crystalline brooks, where the green of the pastures shines under the sun, where the golden haystacks inundate the valleys with their smell.

Maramures is much more than a historical region in Romania; it represents a state of mind, a place where you can feel like home no matter your origin, where time seems to have stopped. Here, you will find out why they say that ‘Eternity was born in the village’, especially after you walk through Breb or Ieud. As a matter of fact, you can experience the rural atmosphere right in Sighetu Marmatiei, at the Maramures Village Museum. However, we recommend you live among the cheerful and hospitable people who are eager to open the door of their house to you for a few days. Don’t miss the beautiful natural landscapes revealed to you during a walk or a ride with the Mocanita steam train, or the relaxing moments in Ocna Sugatag or Mogosa resorts.  We invite you to discover these fairytale-like places filled with traditions and to rediscover some of life’s simplest joys.

Sighetu Marmatiei

Situated at the confluence of the most important valleys in the Maramures Depression, Sighetu Marmatiei had an essential administrative and socio-cultural role in this region. Attested at the beginning of the 14th century, it became one of the most important medieval cities in Romania. The city keeps the customs of the area and the history of the past centuries alive, meant to be passed on to future generations as authentically as possible. By visiting the Maramures Village Museum you can admire genuine art monuments and rustic architecture. Situated outdoors, the museum presents itself as a genuine Maramures village, with alleys, footpaths and houses. All the roads lead to the center of the village, where the church is, the oldest building preserved in the museum, dating back to the 16th century.  You will also see Slavic, Jewish, German and Romanian dwelling places, surrounded by fences and household annexes, reflecting the traditional style of the Maramures community. Furthermore, at the History and Archeology Museum, records of past events are kept and displayed, from the Paleolithic to present day: weaponry, tools, Bronze Age collections, guild documents, books, objects used in agriculture, traditional clothing, ceramics and pieces of furniture. The charming rustic universe in the north of the country will attract you from the first meeting, making you want to discover its mysteries.

An important tourist attraction in Sighet is the penitentiary in town, which in 1992 became The Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance, one of the leading places which commemorates the history of communism. Those who opposed the system were imprisoned here - students, ministers, cultural figures, members of the clergy, the jail being a safe place,  two kilometers away from the frontier with the Soviet  Union.  The prisoners were condemned to hard sentences and kept in insalubrious conditions, not being allowed to look out the window or sit on the bed throughout the day. A symbol of the repression inflicted on the Romanians, the edifice is now a museum in which the letters and the clothes of the imprisoned are preserved, as well as the small, dark cells in which many gave their last breath. Apart from sending shivers up the visitor’s spine, the Pain Memorial is a generous history lesson about the people who were brave enough to fight for Romania.

If you wish to visit Sighetu Marmatiei, a good period would be that around Christmas, as the Marmatia Festival takes place on the 27th of December. For two days on a row, folkloric ensembles from various regions of the country march on the streets of the city, holding recitals and demonstrating winter customs. An occasion of holiday and joy, the festival is one of the events reflecting the spirituality and creativity of the people of Maramures.

Sapanta - A different Kind of Cemetery

You have definitely never seen a more colorful cemetery than the one at Sapanta. At a first look, it doesn’t seem to be a place destined for the departed; only the shape of the crosses reminds you you’ve entered a cemetery.

The legends say that the Dacians believed in eternal life and considered death to be a passing of the deceased towards a better world, where they would meet the supreme god Zalmoxis. The people of Maramures inherited this relaxed attitude, laughing at almsgiving ceremonies, making jokes and playing all sorts of games. The idea of the Merry Cemetery at Sapanta started from this custom. In 1935, a local artist and stonemason carved crosses shaped like roadside crucifixes, which he then painted, adding some lyrics about the deceased. Nowadays, the apprentices continue his craft, creating genuine works of art.

In the cemetery you will be amazed by the bright colors, unusual for such a space. On the vibrant blue background of the crosses, relevant scenes from the life of the deceased are painted, mainly representative of the person’s occupation. Thus, you will see women handling the chores of the household, or men working on the field, fiddlers, shepherds. Underneath these simple, naïve images, the life of the deceased is briefly described in lyrics. Ironic confessions, written in an authentic archaic style include details about the person’s family, habits and vices. Don’t be surprised if these epitaphs speak about unfaithful, lazy wives or about men who really enjoyed hitting the bottle.

Among the alleys full of flowers in the cemetery, you will discover the spirit of the people of Sapanta, their lifestyle and the customs that they keep alive. Thus, don’t hesitate to visit Sapanta, the place where you can learn the craft directly from the local artisans.

Resorts in Sighteu Marmatiei

South from Sighet city, at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by Gutai and Tibles massifs there is the Ocna Sugatag Resort. Up to the beginning of the 20th century, the locals dealt with salt exploitation, then the underground galleries caved in, giving birth to salt water lakes. The health oasis at Ocna Sugatag offers facilities to treat rheumatic, posttraumatic and gynecological conditions, due to the curative properties of the mineral waters here. You will also find Lake Gavril here, the biggest anthropo-saline lake in Romania, which keeps a layer of fresh water at the surface, making fish survival possible. If you want to relax on your holiday and take advantage of the fresh air, the resort has its doors open all throughout the year.

During your journey in Maramures, don’t hesitate to make a layover in Breb, a charming village in its simplicity. Here, time seems to have stood still one hundred years ago, as peasants still live a leisurely lifestyle, unnoticeably disturbed by modernity. The traditions have remained unchanged, the wooden gates stand tall and proud, the traditional courses are still as appetizing. If when closing your eyes you see a fairytale-like land, you should know that’s Breb, with its delightful sceneries, rich forests, golden haystacks and crystalline brooks. The joy of living at the countryside, amongst kind, cheerful folks will win you right over.

Those who love winter sports are advised to visit Mogosa Resort, situated in a fairy-like setting, in the region of the Gutai Mountains. During the cold season you can have fun with your friends on the two slopes - Mogosa and Moski, which have a chairlift, and during the rest of the year you can practice mountain climbing and paragliding. Moreover, the hikes on the trails of the massif will unveil the beauties of the altitude. You can also enjoy the fresh air and the mountain sceneries at the Izvoare Resort, a place shielded from urban agitation, perfect for a relaxing holiday. The ski domain is generous, made of four slopes of medium and low difficulty. Furthermore, thanks to the favorable climate, pulmonary and neurological conditions can be treated at Izvoare. You can also find ski slopes in Cavnic, where the snow layer is preserved until the beginning of April.

The Beauties of Nature on the Iza Valley

The Iza Valley is an extremely picturesque area in Maramures, a place where man has always cherished nature and its riches. Along it, you can admire the smooth flowing of the rivers, the wilderness of the views and the authentic Maramures villages. The road to Iza Valley starts in Bistrita-Nasaud, goes through Sacel, an important pottery center, then reaches Dragomiresti. Don’t hesitate to stop and visit the Museum of the Romanian Peasant Woman in Maramures here. Inside an old household, there is a space dedicated to the Maramures woman, honoring her role at the heart of her family and community. Among several domestic objects, in the yard you will see a tree whose branches are adorned with pots. The elders say that when the pot on top of the tree is red, there is a young woman in the household preparing to get married. After the girl gets married, a pot of a different color is placed on top of the tree. With its traditions, Dragomiresti village maintains its rural charm, so impressive in its simplicity. Up to Vadu Izei you will discover many villages with sculpted gates, wooden churches and authentic traditional costumes.

Furthermore, on the Izei Valley nature has created impressive landscapes. Around Sacel, there is Iza’s Blue Spring Reservation, a protected area with beautiful sights. The waters in Iza’s Cave came to surface as a green-bluish intermittent spring, a phenomenon which gave the name of the area. Through the rocky walls of the grotto waters pierce like through a canyon with cascades. The image is surprising, worth admiring for a couple of minutes. 

An important tourist attraction in Maramures is the Vaser Valley, a defile you can visit in Viseu de Sus city. The last forest railway in Europe functions in this area, with a steam train riding along it. Each morning, from May to October, Mocanita sets on its way, taking the passengers through wild valleys, rich forests, tunnels and over bridges. Following the river which forms small cascades, the train goes by the steep rocks mirrored in the water, bright glades, places which are home to wild animals. After a fascinating trip of almost two hours, the Mocanita stops in Paltin, a train station where you can enjoy a meal and explore a few short routes to admire the surroundings.  On the way back, the train takes the cars full of logs and follows the same route, piercing nature’s quietness with the whistling of the locomotive. Mocanita takes you on a journey in time, going through places with no phone signal or stores, with only a few scattered villages. In the Viseu train station you can sleep in a hotel-train made of one dining-car and two sleeping wagons, to end the unforgettable experience. The forest railway and the Mocanita steam train are historical jewels, highly appreciated by the tourists.

In this region of Maramures, south from Sighetu Marmatiei, you will also find the Lapus Defile, a law protected natural area, spectacular in its sceneries. Along its course, the Lapus River unveils narrow valleys, wooded versants, cascades or caves, and from its belvedere points you can admire amazing views. Moreover, those who love adrenaline can practice rafting, mountain cycling or hiking here.

Maramures is the land where history and tradition have been kept, carved in the wood of the mighty gates and on the merry crosses of Sapanta. The pure beauty of this area, the wild sceneries, the alleys where you can meet simple, friendly people, the tall churches and the simple houses, they all make you fall in love with this corner of Romania and come back any time you wish to relax or visit amazing places.

[An article written by Andreea Bertea]