You’ve heard so much about Maramures… “nature at its glorious best, friendly locals, tasty food, and traditional crafts” as a Canadian described it . That’s right! Both foreign and Romanian tourists say so. You really feel like you’re going back to a different world.
If you decided to have a vacation here, congrats! Either you want to visit just the area or you are doing a longer road trip in Romania, there are lots of things to do and visit, so let’s see where to stay in Maramures, Romania.
Viseu de Sus – you have to get here. The famous mocanita (the last steam forestry train still circulating in Europe) will take you to the top of the mountains on a dream trip. It’s worth all the money and you won’t regret it. As the trip lasts from morning to evening, it is worth staying at least one night or more in Viseu. The first time we visited Maramures, we had our base camp at Viseu for 4 days and it was perfect for discovering the region.
Sapanta – a must see! Tourists are coming from all over the world for the Merry Cemetery (an open-air museum) in Sapanta and for the largest wooden church in Europe, also located in Sapanta! In addition, you can visit the house of the artist who created the blue tombstones with humorous paintings. Also on the main streets in Sapanta, if you feel like shopping, you will find traditional ia, Romanian traditional clothing for sale and many authentic souvenirs – the perfect traditional gifts from Romania for taking back home.
If you are looking for traditional accommodation with rooms decorated with Maramures rugs and traditional food, you should arrive in the villages of Desesti – Mara. In addition to the authentic accommodation, there are about 2 trout farms and a traditional Romanian restaurant: La Bica Haiducul. You have to try them. Even more…. in Desesti there is a on old wooden church – part of Unesco Heritage. There are 2 more in Budesti and Barsana, the nearby villages!
You can also find traditional accommodation in Breb and at Poienile Izei. Here you can also see an ancient washing technique called “la valtoare” and visit a traditional brandy (tuica) factory. And yes, you can buy tuica to take it home!
Another place you shouldn’t miss is Sighet (Sighetu Marmatiei) where you must visit The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance. I don’t know if there is another museum in Romania that impressed me so much. Plus if your children are over 10 years old, you would be surprised to see that they will like it because it is not the kind of classic museum, it is completely different! If you prefer to stay in a bigger city instead of the traditional villages, Sighetu Marmatiei is a good option. So are the cities of Baia Mare and Satu Mare.
If you want to get to Horses Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Romania, find accommodation in Borsa. That way you will be the closest. Get on the chairlift, then follow a path through the woods and then reach the Waterfall.
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