10 reasons to visit Maramures

10 reasons to visit Maramures

Maramures, a county in the north-west of Romania, has often been mentioned as a time-forgotten place, with wooden churches and long-lasting traditions. Tourits who have already been there no longer ask “why Maramures” the momories and stories they recall speak for themselves.

For these of you who have not dicovered yet, here are 10 reasons to visit and enjoy this "land of old".

1.Superlative Sceneries

As soon you pass through the “Maramures gate” , amazing landscape enchant the eye. Forest covered mountains lined with rivers and streams, green hills and pasture interspersed with friendly haystacks, serene lakes, springs and wtaerfalls, exceptional floral species, all waiting to be captured by your camera.

2. Friendly locals

With barely any exception, the visitors to Maramures, declare themselves in love with its inhabitants. The people’s simple, honest and straightforward, their wise words, the way they invite you in their houses, their passion for dancing and singing, and the pride they take when they talk about their places of birth – all these make you happy that you have met them their guest, and quite often, become their friend.

3.Wooden Churches

A substitute name  for Maramures is “The land of wooden churches”. When you travel through small villages, you can easily notice how they preserve their old wooden churche, a testament tolocal builders. With high steeples, meant to take people closer to God, heavy hand sculpted fir tree or oak logs, shingle roofs, and antique paintings and frescoes,  every such  church has its history and tales carved in its woods.

4. Wooden Gates

The wooden gates are symbols of the Maramures village. The themes carved in the poles of the gates show a symbolic territory located between the outer world and the homestead, between the neutral space and the sacred realm; their role is to protect the house and the family. he twisted rope, the sun, the tree of life, they are all expressions of some of the great myths in Romanian culture.

5.Life in the Countryside

Visiting Maramures provides the opportunity of leaping bach into time to an era of simplicity and archaic. Activities which are part of a daily routine for the Maramures villager have a certain charm for the tourist who comes visiting from places far away. The first thing wich enchants such a tourist is the friendly host, welcoming them with a warm and hearty traditional meal. Watching work done in the field, feeling the smell of fresh cut  grass, wood fragrances, the taste of fresh milk, enjoying carriage or sledge rides, and a relaxing sleep are just a few of the region’s ingredients the tourist falls in love with.

6. Customs an Celebrations

The people of Maramures know how not to forget their ancient traditions. Rural life in Maramures is timed in accordance with the agricultural calendar and the main Chirstian events.

7. The Merry Cemetery

In Sapanta you will discover an unusual graveyard wich intrigues and impresses everyone with its originality. It is the Merry Cemetery, named this way due to the lively colours on its funeral crosses, particularly the striking blue wich bears the name of the place – Sapanta Blue.

8.Horinca. The local spirit

The horinca is not only a traditional drink, but also the pride of every villager. Courtesy seuggests that you enter a house in Maramures and the host welcomes you with such brandy, you have to drink it all straight down; otherwise, it brings bad luck to the host. As concerned as you  may feel for the welfare of your host, keep in mind that horinca is “fire water” : after a shor or two, you may not feel your legs anymore!

9. Outdoor activities

After your host fed you, you will undoubtedly needsome exercise. The region of Maramures will be delight to reveal its hiking trails, its lakes and rivers, wich are perfect for summer bathing, and its ski slopes in winter time. Cyclist can enjoy tours away from the crowded towns, on village trails flanked by gourgeous landscape.

10.The steam train on Vaser Valley

Untill four decades ago, in Maramures, there were over 200 km of narrow-gauge railway, serving steam trains wich transported salt, timber, various other goods, and people. Today, the Mocanita on the Vasser Valey is the only narow-gauge railway in the European Union wich a forest train stillruns out. The entire system is over 50 km long, streching both alaong the wooded gorge of the river and two side valleys.

Come visit Maramures and dicover its charm and stories!