Positioned in northern part of Romania, Maramures sides Ukraine to the north, Bucovina to the east, Transylvania to the south and Crisana to the west. With a surface of about 10.000 km² (out of which more than half covered by the mountains), it represents 10% of the total surface of Transylvania.

Part of the Eastern Carpathians, which descend from Ukraine towards Szekely Transylvania, the mountains surrounding Maramures Depression are subdivided in five chains: Oas, Gutai, Tibles, Rodnei and Maramuresului Mountains. The altitude varies between 400 m in the villages on Mara Valley and 2303 m (Pietrosul Rodnei Peak) in the mountains. All rivers (Valea Tisa, Iza, Mara, Vaser, Rona, Cosau, Sasar, Lapus & Viseu) finally end up in the Danube River. Several salt water lakes and glacial lakes can be seen in Ocna Sugatag and in the mountains.

Rodnei and Maramuresului Mountains are mainly limestone composed. Oas, Gutai and Tibles Mountains, on the other hand, are volcanic mountains. This composition is linked to the existence of sulfurous mineral water springs and non-ferrous metal ores (exploited in areas like Baia Sprie, Cavnic, Baiut, Cavnic). Once covered by a sea, the depression is covered by a blanket of salt which has been exploited since the Middle Ages.

> speleological reserves: Poiana Botizii Fossil Bone Cave, Solovan Hill Cave

> botanical & ornithological reserves: Iezeul Mare Peat Bog, Baiut Secular Forest, The Royal Forest (Padurea Craiasca)

> mix reserves: Rooster’s Crest (Creasta Cocosului), Morareni Pond, Tatarului and Lapus Gorges

> parks: Muntii Rodnei National Park, Muntii Maramures Nature Park

At a smaller scale than Transylvania, Maramures has a varied patchwork of habitats: pastures, shrublands, hilly areas with deciduous forests, arable land, hay meadows, orchards, peat bogs, alpine areas with evergreen forests and virgin forests. Not intensive traditional farming, without pesticides and insecticides, with manual mowing by scythe and using organic manure have allowed an ecological balance to persist and therefore a huge density of wild flowers and plants to survive in the area (1600 species).

The hay meadows are particularly flower-rich: spiked rampion (Phyteuma spicatum), brother and sister (Melampyrum nemorosum), Dyer’s greenweed (Genista tinctoria), Carduss personata, bladder campion (Silene vulgaris), Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata), Fox-and-cubs (Pilosella Aurantiaca), Heartsease (Viola tricolor), European centaury (Centaurium erythraea), yarrow (Achilea Millefolium), Brown Knapweed (Centaurea Jacea), Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium Verum), Spiny Rest Harrow (Ononis Spinosa), Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum Vulgare), blue-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium).

Forest and alpine wild flowers from Maramures may also be interesting for botany enthusiasts: spring sandwort (Minuartia verna), Aconitum moldavica, Doronicum carpaticum, spotted gentian (Gentiana punctata), Globe flower (Trollius europaeus), Victory onion (Allium victorialis), the bird’s-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis), Moss campion (Silene acaulis), Bearberry (Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi)

Endemic flowers for the Carpathian mountains: Dianthus gelidus, Lychnis nivalis, Phyteuma vagneri.

Dried, pickled, canned or cooked with sour cream and garlic, mushrooms are abundant and easy to hank pick. The favorite of the locals are the boletus and chanterelle.

With wood representing the main construction material, Maramures still managed to preserve some unspoiled virgin forest, Baiut Secular Forest (UNESCO geritage) being the most famous of them. The low altitude deciduous forest (hornbeam, oak, beech, hazel, alder, silver poplar, birch, ash) offer a real spectacle of color at fall.

The fact that insecticides and pesticides are not used at an intensive scale is denoted by the large array of invertebrates: scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius), Apollo (Parnassius apollo), Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines), black-veined white (Aporia crataegi), brown argus (Aricia agestis), Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus), Peacock butterfly (Aglais io), convolvulus hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli).

> reptiles: lizards, snakes. The only venom snake in Romania is the viper, present with several different species.

> amphibians: newts, frogs & toads

> fish: Danube salmon, brown trout, grayling, minnow, carp, western vairone

With 230 species out of the almost 400 species living in Romania, Maramures proves to be rich in bird diversity. The most difficult to spot, because of their shy behavior, are the western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). But one easily gets to spot spot birds of pray (golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and to hear song birds: Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), Blackbird (Turdus merula), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia).

> carnivores: brown bear, lynx, wild cat, wolf, fox, pine marten

> hoofed feet mammals: wild boar, red & roe deer, chamois

> rodents: alpine marmot, brown hare, badger, least weasel, European polecat, European mink, muskrat, edible dormouse, Eurasian otter

> bats: out of the total of 32 species living in Romania, many found a home in the caves, church attics and under the bridges in Maramures.

Positioned in the north, it is very popular for cultural visits, due to the bid density of wooden churches (many part of UNESCO heritage), well preserved villages, craftsmen, amazing hiking trails and famous spots like the Merry Cemetery or Communist Memorial Museum.

Situated in the south, it is representative for the Doina songs, the bear population and virgin forests.

Laying in the west, it is home of the most richly decorated folk costumes and some of the biggest houses in Romania crowded up in Certeze village.

Placed in the south-west, against it ethnographic heritage is pretty much neglected on the tourism field due to it’s strong regional competitors laying in the north-east.

Similar to all of Transylvania, Maramures region is a real mosaic of populations and therefore confessions and languages. The Romanian population is mainly Orthodox and Greek-Catholic. The Hungarian speaking and the Zipser Germans communities follow the Roman Catholic, Unitarian or Calvinist churches. The Ruthenians or Rusyns respect the Old Rite Orthodox cult, celebrating Christmas on January 6th. With the big Jewish communities being decimated during WWII, the Judaic confession has almost disappeared from the area.

The rich variety of grass and wild flowers make a very good quality hay for the animals. When making the hay, the entire family, from grandparents to grandchildren will participate. Nowhere else in Romania will anyone see such an intensive field hand work. Mowed up to three time per year, hay is pilled up on haystacks and left on the fields over winter. When ever the hay stocks from home are diminishing, peasants use a horse and cart, or even sledges in winter time, to bring some more back home. What an iconic image that is!

Due to the positioning of the region in a mountainous area, the most important crafts preserved, and very popular, are wood carving and tapestry weaving. Visiting some craftsmen is a must in Maramures. Curious by nature, they are always happy to have a chat with far away visitors.

Fencing one’s propriety is very common in Maramures. Fences are used mainly to protect the domestic animals of the wild animals, but symbolism goes as far as protecting the sacred space from the profane space. Used in the past for a different purpose, the huge wooden carved gates are now reason of family pride.

The rich variety of grass and wild flowers make a very good quality hay for the animals. When making the hay, the entire family, from grandparents to grandchildren will participate. Nowhere else in Romania will anyone see such an intensive field hand work. Mowed up to three time per year, hay is pilled up on haystacks and left on the fields over winter. When ever the hay stocks from home are diminishing, peasants use a horse and cart, or even sledges in winter time, to bring some more back home. What an iconic image that is!

Palinca, also called horinca in the area, is one of the various brands of Maramures. Made out of any fruits (most appreciated though being the plum), it is a strong traditional spirit. The brandy is made out of mashed ripe fruit, left to ferment for at least a couple of weeks, distilled twice and then matured. In Maramures home distilling is part of the local tradition and owning a distillery gets one to be regarded as a rich person. It is considered to be a good quality palinca if the alcohol percentage doesn’t go higher than 50-55%. Palinca is consumed on a regular basis, being considered to do you good, both on the inside and the outside, just like medicine or disinfectant. A walking tour of a village in late fall and winter time will mesmerize you with the distilled fruit odors.

Having to work all summer long on the fields and to survive cold winters, the locals have a rather fatty diet, mainly based on pork, dairy products and cold resistant vegetables. Simple peasant meals, made with fresh ingredients people would patiently grow themselves in the gardens or on the fields, this is the charm of the local cuisine. The most popular comfort food in the area is smoked and dried raw pork fat (slanina) served with sheep cheese, home made bread, red onion and tomatoes. Yummy!

Going to church on Sundays and Holy days plays a major role in weekly life. From the old to the very young generation, they all dress up with their colorful folk costumes and walk to the church in small groups, frequently stopping on the way to say hello and have a chat with whoever they know.

Church patron’s day celebration – Maramures is one of the most religious region in Romania and celebrating the patron saint of the local church is a big event in every village. People would go to church nicely dressed and after the mess they would continue the celebration with a big lunch or even a dance or a folk show.

Epiphany (Boboteaza) – Celebrated on January 6th, it mainly feasts the baptism of Christ in the waters of Jordan River. Starting from Christmas Day until Epiphany day, the Orthodox and Catholic priests visit the homes of their believers for blessing.

Resurrection Night (Noaptea de Inviere) – Celebrated on Easter eve, at midnight, when the believers together with the priest surround the church on the outside three time, with lit candles and singing. In Romania Easter is celebrated for three days. In all this period, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers take back home from the church a bread-and-wine mixture called Pasti (Easter). Starting with the Easter Eve mess until Pentecost, the common greetings are substituted with ‘Christ has resurrected!’ and the answer ‘Indeed He has!’.

All Saints’ Day (Luminatia) – Celebrated at dusk, when people visit the graves of the deceased relatives to light candles. An old cemetery, with wooden crosses lit by trembling lights at night can be a very impressive image.

Christmas Eve carols – the young generation, dressed up in the traditional outfits, visits the family members, the neighbors or even the entire community, singing Christmas carols until morning.

The chat on the bench in the evening and on Sundays. Even though popular all over the country, given the profound rural character of Maramures, this practice is much more obvious in this region then elsewhere. After coming back from the fields or after the Sunday church and lunch, the locals sit on a bench positioned in front of the gate, to have a chat with the neighbors, to see who’s passing by or simply to forget their loneliness.

The tree with pots is another iconic image representative for Maramures. A tradition already disappearing, the decoration of these trees, once in connection with social status and economy of space reasoning, ended up being linked with the idea of marriage. Some say that if the top decorative pot is red, the young girl of the house is waiting for young boys to court her.

Traditional weddings are big events in Maramures. Not only because they mark an important event in someone’s life, but because of the massive effort involved: special clothes, all decorated and embroider by hand, would be worn, horses would be decorated, fiddlers would be playing and everyone would be dancing. On top of that, the party sometimes involve up to 2000 participants, thus being the biggest wedding parties in Romania.

Funerals, even though sad events, can still be interesting to assist. Loads of old funeral customs are still preserved, sometimes so varied from one village to another, that not even the locals know all the symbolism behind them. Hiring some old women to mourn the deceased is still practiced in Maramures.

Traditional markets occur on a weekly basis. They are like mobile supermarkets, with traditional products, from where you can buy anything, from vegetable and fruits, to dairy, live animals, clothes, utensils, rubber boots or chemicals. Above all, visiting such a market you get to see the locals doing their daily duties and interacting, which may be captivating.

Saying hello to everyone you meet in the countryside is customary, denoting respect for all members of the community.

April

Udatoriul (The Sprinkler) – folk event, marks the beginning of agricultural year

Takes place in: Surdesti village / Easter Monday (the month may differ, according to Easter date)

May

Mara Spring Ploughing Festival (Tanjaua de pe Mara) – folk event, symbolizes the start of field work

Takes place in: Hoteni village

June

Don’t look at me ‘cause I’m small (Nu va uitati ca-s micut) – folk event for the children

Takes place in: Budesti village

August

For my sweetheart from Botiza (Pentru Mandra din Botiza) – folk event

Takes place in: Botiza village

The Long Way to the Merry Cemetery – folk event

Takes place in: Sapanta village

September

Nativity of Mary – religious & folk event celebrating the patron saint of the local church

Takes place at the churches from: Ieud Deal, Harnicesti and Calinesti Josani villages / September 8th

October

St. Paraschiva – religious & folk event celebrating the patron saint of the local church

Takes place at the churches from: Poienile Izei and Desesti villages / October 15th

November

St. Michael & Gabriel – religious & folk event celebrating the patron saint of the local church

Takes place at the churches from: Surdesti, Rogoz, Plopis, Rozavlea and Stramtura villages / November 8th

Presentation of Mary – religious & folk event celebrating the patron saint of the local church

Takes place at the church from: Barsana village / November 21st

December

Marmatia Winter Customs Festival – folk festival. Good opportunity to see a varied display of traditional outfits from different regions in Romania and not only, together with demonstrations of winter customs.

Takes place in: Sighetu Marmatiei / December 27th-28th

Wooden churches and decoratively carved gates are the threshold of the real Maramures. And behind these symbols lies an entire ancestral living based on wood carving. The care for fulfilling the bare necessities comes together with the care for meticulous work and beauty. Not only are the churches and the huge gates decorated with carved patterns, but so are the wooden houses, the fences or even the smallest utensils.

A traditional Maramures house normally includes two rooms and a small hallway or a pantry. Starting with the late 70s and continuing through the 80s, bigger houses started being built, all following a similar pattern. This practice continued after the fall of communism. Nowadays, brick and concrete architecture is fast spreading, huge houses taking the place of the old charming wooden houses.

> violin (called cetera in the region)

> doba: medium sized drums with two skins and a cymbal mounted on the top; it is struck with a wooden mallet

> zongora: adapted guitar with fewer strings. When played it is held in a vertical position.

The folk bands from Maramures are usually formed of three members, playing the three main traditional instruments. Given the geographical positioning, the tunes from Maramures reveal influences from Jewish, Ukrainian and Hungarian music. To mention juts a few of the famous musicians: Grupul Iza, Grigore Lese, Fratii Petreusi, Cornelia & Lupu Rednic, Ionu’ lui Grigore.

> men’s chain dances: braul

> couple dances: invartita, jurelul

> chiuituri or țâpurituri (rhythmic shouts in verses)

Free-rhythm, richly ornamented improvisational tune, doina is mostly vocal and monophonic. It is often connected to solitude, having a substantial psychological action, that of bringing ease of soul through music and verbalisation. Grigore Lese, originating from Lapus Country, is the best representative for doina songs. Since 2009 doina is included in UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

> wooden churches (Rogoz, Surdesti, Plopis, Budesti Josani, Desesti, Barsana, Ieud Deal, Poienile Izei)

> Baiut secular forest

> Doina (music)

> wooden churches (Calinesti, Rogoz, Surdesti, Plopis, Budesti, Desesti, Barsana, Ieud, Poienile Izei)

> traditional villages (Breb, Botiza, Poienile Izei, Hoteni)

> medieval towns (Sighetu Marmatiei, Baia Mare)

> museums (Communist Memorial Museum, Sapanta Merry Cemetery)

> craftsmen (hat makers, wood carvers, weavers, distilleries)

> traditional agriculture (hay making, plowing)

> traditional fairs & farmer’s markets (Botiza, Ocna Sugatag)

> local food

> mountain trails in the Carpathians

> panoramic roads

> wildlife (bear watching, ornithology)

> wildflowers

> mineral water springs

> reserves & nature parks

> winter sports

William Blacker 

> Along the enchanted way

Elie Wiesel

> Night