When to Go
AMay & Sep Warm temperatures, meadows strewn with wildflowers and cooler temperatures for touring.
ADec–Mar The best time for skiers to head for Maramureş' snowy slopes.
AJun–Aug The hot summer months are the perfect time for hiking and cycling in the Carpathians.
Best Places to Eat
A Michael Pascale
A Village Hotel
A Butoiașu' cu Bere
A Restaurant Casa Iurca de Călineşti
Best Places to Sleep
A Village Hotel
A Floare de Colţi
A Casa Iurca de Călineşti
A Casa Muntean
A Cobwobs Hostel
Maramureş Highlights
1 Vişeu de Sus Chugging through the beautiful Vaser Valley on Europe's last steam-powered forest train.
2 Budeşti Knocking on the door of this village's wooden church – one of the most beautiful (and largest) in Maramureş.
3 Merry Cemetery Wandering through Săpânţa's colourful and humorous forest of painted wooden grave markers.
4 Iza Valley Travelling back in time with a rustic homestay in this isolated valley.
5 Poienile Izei Witnessing the fiery visions of hell at this village's scary church.
6 Breb Observing traditional ways of life in Maramureş's most folkloric village.
7 Borşa Hiking in the hills above Maramureş' best ski resort.
History
Maramureş (of which Baia Mare is the capital) was first documented in 1199 though Dacian tribes are thought to have settled here around 1000 BC. When the Roman emperor Trajan conquered the rest of Romania in AD 106, his forces never made it over the range of mountains protecting the villages of Maramureş.
Hungary gradually exerted its rule over the region from the 13th century onwards. Tatar invasions continued into the 17th and 18th centuries; the last documented battle took place on the Prislop Pass in 1717. Numerous churches were erected in Maramureş around this time to mark the Tatars’ final withdrawal.
Maramureş was annexed by Transylvania in the mid-16th century and then ceded to the Austrian empire in 1699. It was not until 1918 that Maramureş – or part of it – formally rejoined Romania; the remainder went to what is now Ukraine. Between 1940 and 1944 Maramureş – along with northern Transylvania and parts of Moldavia – was ruled by Hungary, which had allied itself with Nazi Germany. Toward the end of the war the entire Jewish population of Sighetu Marmaţiei and surrounding villages was shipped to Nazi Germany’s extermination camps in Poland.
Baia Mare
Pop 136,480
Lying at the foot of the Gutâi Mountains, Baia Mare does not offer a particularly attractive first glimpse, but press on through the bleak husk of socialist tenements to the inner pearl of the medieval Old Town. Its centerpiece, the attractively renovated Piaţa Libertăţii, is flanked by cheerily hued 16th- and 17th-century buildings bursting with lively bars and chic cafes.
The town was first documented in 1329 and developed as a gold-mining centre in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1469, under the rule of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus, the town was fortified, and thrived for hundreds of years as a largely Hungarian city. Baia Mare prospered during the communist period, becoming the centre of the country’s non-ferrous mining and smelting industries.
Baia Mare
1Sights
1Butchers' BastionD3
2Casa Iancu de HunedoaraA1
3Central MarketD3
4County Art MuseumD3
5Dealul Florilor Municipal StadiumC1
6Ethnographic & Folk Art MuseumC1
7Romanian Soldiers MonumentC2
8Stephen's TowerA2
9Village MuseumC1
2Activities, Courses & Tours
10Travel KristakisB3
4Sleeping
11Floare de ColţiD2
12Hotel CarpaţiC2
13Rivulus HotelC3
5Eating
14BarbarossaA1
15BudapestaA2
16Butoiașu' cu BereA1
17Hanu IgnişA1
18LumiereA1
19Michael PascaleA1
20MillenniumA1
21RusticB4
3Entertainment
Agenţia TeatralăA2
22Teatrul Municipal Baia NareA2
1Sights
Village MuseumMUSEUM
(Muzeul Satului; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-227 517; Str Bernard Shaw; adult/child 5/3 lei; hTue-Sun 10am-6pm, shorter hours in winter)
The Village Museum displays 15 traditional wooden houses (plus gates, barns and even a pigsty), for which the region is famed. The 16th-century Church of St George relocated here from Budeşti is still used for services on Sunday.
Stephen’s TowerTOWER
(Turnul Ştefan; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Cetăţii; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun, shorter hours in winter)F
Looming above newly created Piaţa Cetăţii, this 40m-high Gothic-style tower dating from the mid-15th century once served as the belfry for an adjoining church destroyed in 1847. The four-faced mechanical clock dates from 1628, with the two-tonne bell from the early 20th century. The tower can be climbed via 136 mostly spiral steps for stunning 360-degree views over the city. Don't miss the Gothic chapel with wall paintings at the base of the tower.
Ethnographic & Folk Art MuseumMUSEUM
(Muzeul de Etnografie şi Artă Populară; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-276 895; www.etnografie-maramures.ro; Str Dealul Florilor 1; adult/child 5/3 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun, shorter hours in winter)
Northwest of the stadium in the City Park, this comprehensive collection in four large rooms traces traditional life in Maramureş from cradle to grave, with especially interesting exhibits on local trades and architecture. The collection of carriages should not be missed.
County Art MuseumMUSEUM
(Muzeul Judeţean de Artă; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-213 964; www.muzeumm.baiamare.rdsnet.ro; Str 1 Mai 8; adult/child 7/3 lei; h10am-4.30pm Tue-Sun)
Founded in 1896 by the Hungarian painter Simon Hollósy and dedicated to the famous Baia Mare Artist Colony (Centrul Artistic Baia Mare), this museum exhibits some 400 paintings by Romanian and Hungarian artists over two levels.
Butchers’ BastionTOWER
(Bastionul Măcelarilor; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://muzeubaiamare.ro/category/bastionul-macelarilor-baia-mare; Piaţa Izvoarelor; adult/child 3/1 lei; h10am-4.30pm Tue-Sun)
This circular tower, the only remaining fortification of the 15th-century city walls, is where famous brigand Grigore Pintea Viteazul was shot in 1703. It is now used for temporary exhibitions.
2Activities
Baia Mare is home to several private tour guides offering regional trips of a few hours or a few days.
Rada PavelTOURS
(%0753-780 800; www.maramurestourism.com)
A long-term employee at the Tourist Information Centre Maramureş in Baia Mare, where she impressed even hard-to-please Lonely Planet writers, experienced guide Rada knows Maramureş like the back of her hand and can unlock both proverbial doors and some of those impressively carved gates for you. Join one of her existing tours or have her tailor-make one for you.
Travel KristakisTOURS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0374-367 139; www.kristakistravel.ro; Str George Coșbuc 5; adult 100-120 lei, child 85-105 lei; h8am Tue, Wed, Sat & Sun May-Sep, 8am Sat & Sun Oct, Mar & Apr)
This agency runs two circuits through Maramureş, taking in some of the region's wooden churches and other cultural landmarks, such as the Merry Cemetery in Săpânţa.
4Sleeping
Floare de ColţiGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-250 216; www.floaredecolti.ro; Str Dr Vasile Lucaciu 48; s/d 105/140 lei; paW)
Cosy and spotlessly clean, the 'Edelweiss' is within easy walking distance of Piaţa Libertăţii. The 13 rooms are sizeable, with en suite bathrooms and cable TV. Excellent value.
Hotel CarpaţiHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP
; %0262-214 812; www.hotelcarpati.ro; Str Minerva 16; s 170-240 lei, d 280-300 lei; paW)
With its shimmering lobby ablaze with mirrors, the pink-hued, flower-bedecked Carpaţi presents a pretty face on the north bank of the Săsar River. The 92 rooms are mostly fresh and welcoming, dominated by flat-screen TVs and retro art-deco-ish furniture.
Rivulus HotelHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-216 302; www.hotelrivulus.ro; Str Culturii 3; s/d 179/219 lei; paW)
Overlooking busy Piaţa Revoluţiei, the 60-room Rivulus has a workaday lobby and rooms to match, with comfortable, standard-issue furniture. Cable TV, choice oils on the walls and the warm welcome are incentives to stay.
5Eating
Hanu IgnişROMANIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0362-405.503; Piaţa Libertăţii 16; mains 14-24 lei; h10am-midnight)
As authentic a Romanian han (inn) as you’ll find, with colourful plates on the wall, embroidered covers on the tables and folk music in the air, this place serves rib-sticking specialities such as polenta with, well, ribs (20 lei) and the very porky, very cheesy 'Shepherd’s Purse’ (22 lei). You won't eat again for a week.
Butoiașu' cu BereROMANIAN$$
(Beer Keg; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0751-409 057; Str Gheorghe Şincai 15; mains 10-39 lei; h8am-midnight)
One of the most fun places to eat in town, this rustic eatery with its stone walls, exposed wooden beams and encyclopedic 'newspaper' menu is the place to sample Romanian cuisine for the first time. There's an energetic quartet playing gypsy music most nights.
Michael PascaleFRENCH$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0362-807 078; www.michaelpascale.ro; Str Gheorghe Şincai 2; mains 26-62 lei; h9am-midnight Mon-Fri, noon-midnight Sat & Sun)
This stylish but casual French-owned bistro has helped pull the Baia Mare dining scene into the 21st century. On the walls, fabulous prints from dynamic American artist Mike Lana. On the table, the likes of chilled red gazpacho and calamari with chorizo and risotto. The three-course lunch is a snip at 29 lei. The English breakfast is 18 lei.
LumiereITALIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-214 020; www.restaurantlumiere.ro; Piaţa Libertăţii 3; mains 16-45 lei; hnoon-midnight Mon, 8am-midnight Tue-Sat, 10am-midnight Sun)
This rather chichi Italian restaurant with the French name and lovely terrace with decked floors offers the finest dining directly on Piaţa Libertăţii. Excellent soups, bruschetta (10 to 15 lei), pasta (16 to 45 lei) and more elaborate mains. Professional service.
BudapestaHUNGARIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Victoriei 94; mains 20-50 lei; h8am-10pm)
It's a bit of a schlep at the western end of Str Victoriei and randomly located above a shopping complex, but Budapesta offers excellent Hungarian cooking in a rather refined setting. Goose liver with crispy fried onion and lamb cutlet with rosemary jus are just two of the dishes on offer.
8Information
Baia Mare Visitor CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-211 003; www.baiamare.ro; Piaţa Libertăţii, Stephen's Tower; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat)
At the foot of Stephen's Tower, this centre deals primarily with Baia Mare and its immediate surrounds.
Tourist Information Centre MaramureşTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-206 113; www.visitmaramures.ro; Str Gheorghe Şincai 46; h9am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 2pm Fri)
This jewel of a tourist resource is hidden in a communist-era building with a verdigris roof. Helpful staff can recommend homestays, suggest itineraries and trekking guides, and sort out transport options.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Infrequent services run from the bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-221 777; Str Gării 2) to outlying villages. There are daily buses to Satu Mare (15 lei, 1¼ hours), Cluj-Napoca (30 lei, three hours), and Sighetu Marmaţiei via the Gutâi Pass or Cavnic (15 lei, 1½ to two hours).
Maxitaxis, also departing from the bus station, run daily (except Sunday) to Satu Mare (15 lei) and Bistriţa (25 lei).
Fulop Impex ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0745-600 796; http://efitravel.ro) operates both daily and overnight bus services to Budapest, with departures from Baia Mare's bus station. Satu Mare–based Janosi Trans ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0749-268 676, 0261-758 620; www.janositrans.ro/en; B-dul Unirii) also operates bus services to Budapest, departing from the McDonald's parking lot (80 to 95 lei, about seven hours).
Train
Advance train tickets are sold at Agenţia de Voiaj CFR ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-219 113; Str Victoriei 5-7). From Baia Mare's train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0262-220 950; Str Gării 4) there are around four daily trains to Satu Mare (8 lei, two hours), two to Bucharest via Braşov (from 141 lei, 13 hours), one to Cluj-Napoca (27 lei, four hours) and one to Timişoara (80 lei, 6½ hours). At the time of research there were no direct trains to Budapest, but you can catch an early train (departing just after 4am, arriving 8.50am) to the Hungarian city of Debrecen, from where there are frequent departures to Budapest (60 lei, 5½ hours).
Around Baia Mare
From Baia Mare, there are easy excursions southeast and southwest to a number of villages with some of the finest wooden churches in the county. Most of the churches now have wooden info kiosks and regular opening times, though some still post a telephone number for you to locate the church's key-holder. A trip northeast passes remote villages en route to some natural springs.
Surdeşti & Around
Approaching Surdeşti via Hwy 184 from Baia Sprie, after 5km you'll pass through Şişeşti village, home to the Vasile Lucaciu Memorial Museum (%0262-298 024; Şişeşti; donation requested; h10am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Fri). Vasile Lucaciu (1835–1919), a reformer and activist who was appointed parish priest in 1885, built a church for the village in 1890 that was supposedly modelled on St Peter’s in Rome. Now Greco-Catholic, the church is signposted about 2km from the main road.
The church (Surdeşti; 5 lei; h10am-6pm (shorter hours in winter)) at Surdeşti, with its 54m-high steeple, is one of the most magnificent in the Maramureş region and is listed as a Unesco monument. It's well worth a visit for its splendid wall and ceiling paintings of Christ's Passion and the Apocalypse (note the seven-headed dragon). The church, signposted ‘Biserică de Lemn' (wooden church) from the road, was built in 1721 as a centre of worship for the Greco-Catholic faithful. Two kilometres south in Plopiş is another Unesco-protected church (%0757-333 731; Plopiş; 10 lei; h10am-4pm Tue-Sun) dating from the late 18th century, with a towering steeple and paintings of Christ's Passion, Adam and Eve and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. A further 7km southeast is the town of Lăschia. Its church (Lăschia; 2 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun (shorter hours in winter)) dates from 1861 and has an unusually bulbous steeple.
Baia Mare to Izvoare
North of Baia Mare a small road designated Rte 183 twists and turns through the remote villages of Firiza, Blidari and Valea Neagră, culminating some 38km from the centre of town at Izvoare, where there are natural springs.
Viewing churches is not on the agenda here; come to enjoy the mountainous countryside dotted with the odd wooden cottage and ramshackle farm. The most popular hiking destination in the area is Igniş Peak (1307m), which is used by paragliders.
This route is not served by public transport and, if driving, you must return the way you came as there is no exit onto Hwy 18 from Rte 183. A hiking trail (five to six hours, waymarked with red triangles) leads from Baia Mare to Izvoare; it starts about 3km north of the city along the Baia Mare–Izvoare road.
Ţara Chioarului
The Ţara Chioarului region in the southwestern part of Maramureş takes in the area immediately south of Baia Mare. The numerous villages, most of which contain traditional wooden churches, form a convenient loop that is ideal for a two-hour drive, though hard to do by public transport.
1Sights & Activities
From Baia Mare follow the main road (Hwy 1C) south towards Cluj-Napoca for 17km to Satulung. Three kilometres south of Satulung, take the unmarked turn-off on the lef
t (east) to Finteuşu Mare and continue for 5km until you reach the village of Posta. A small wooden church (1675) opposite a more modern one sits at the top of the hill.
Nine kilometres south of Şomcuţa Mare lies Valea Chioarului, the southernmost village in Ţara Chioarului. Its delightful tall church (Valea Chioarului; hhours vary), with decent interior wall paintings, stands next to the bus stop in the centre of the village. Seek the key in the shop opposite.
From Şomcuţa Mare, 5km south of the Posta turnoff, a largely unmade road wends its way to Remetea Chioarului, 8km to the northeast. Its tiny church (%0757-617 349; Remetea Chioarului; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 2-8pm Sat & Sun), dating from 1800, is the highlight of Ţara Chioarului, with its interior paintings and vaulted ceiling.
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