Maramures, one of the most popular counties of Romania, is more than just a geographical region, or a place filled with historical villages and tourist attractions, or a region which has proven to be a great place for a vacation, a long vacantion. Maramures is a region which has it's customs, architectural and culinary identity, beautiful villages and landscapes, churches and monasteries, houses and songs, legends and sense of humour, folk costumes and cities or towns. Oas, Lapus, Satmar , Baia Mare, Sighet, are all parts or cities of Maramures, as this is one of the largest regions in the country.
Habit Maramures, Vasile Pop Negresteanu
The main advantage and charm of Maramures is given by it's traditional villages, where you can discover the beauty of the folk costumes and especially the love of the villagers for sculpting and using the wood - wooden houses, wonderfully carved gates and doors, small examples of folk art with items made out of wood. The traditional house, also made out of wood, is usually interesting for visitors if the owners have preserved the ancient tools and furniture or works of art. It is really a huge open space museum, and the last two centuries have done little to change for the worse this traditional customs. The houses are sometimes new and very modern, yet the icons and folk art examples are still exhibited. This makes Maramures one of the best places to visit for someone who wants to see a traditional place of Romania.
Places to see
The Merry Graveyard / Cimitirul Vesel : this special cemetery in Sapanta is very popular and known throughout the land and even abroad, as it is quite a place. All of the graves here are embelished with tall wooden crosses, large and coloured with vivid nuances, in a naif style, and each having an eulogy in folk verses. With an often dark sense of humour, which makes sometimes fun of the deceased, of his qualities or characteristic, tells a moment in his life. It all began in the 1930s when a local graveyard sculptor had the idea of writing such a text and build a richly and naif painted cross.
Rohia Monastery : those who need the peace and quiet of a holly place must visit some of the wooden churches and monasteries in Maramures, the Rohia Monastery is one of the most important. Very popular as the place where Nicolae Steinhardt - a writer and political prisoner during the Communist years - became a monk and spent the last part of his life, the monastery is a traditional complex, with local architecture, beautiful inscriptions and wooden carvings, customs and traditions.
Mocanita : this is a small train, which dates from several decades ago and was used at first for transporting wood and the likes. It's way start at a small village called Viseu de Sus and ends up in the woods, and has become a favourite tourist attraction. You just get on the train, wait until the wood and water is put into the train, then go slowly to the woods, for a picnic and relaxation. Afterwards the train makes it's way back. The railway for the Mocanita was built in 1930 - 1933 and is 56 kilometers long, connecting Viseu de Sus and Comanu, and can take both passengers and wood.
Maramures Mountains Nature Park : a splendid natural reserve with a grand surface, beautiful mountains and landscapes, several unique species of plants and several local animals, it is a wild and fascinating place. Those who come here generally search for the nature and to discover what it is particular for the Maramures region. You can take a walk, have a picnic, look at the flowers, admire the landscapes or even go hitchhiking.
The Memorial for the Victims of Communism : an unique museum in Eastern Europe, this memorial institution can be found in Sighetu Marmatiei, where in 1950 functioned a feared prison for high-ranking officials from before or during WW2. Here the new Communist regime imprisoned and killed several dozen politicians, priests, writers, militaries, historians, journalists and so on, all of them important names in the previous regimes. This is a place for remembering and honouring their sacrifice and suffering, and the permanent exhibition presents in detail how the prison worked, how the extermination and persecutions were carried out and who were the victims
The Village Museum : found on Dobaies Hill, near Sighetu Marmatiei, it is a splendid museum dedicated to the traditional village in Maramures, with old houses, a wooden church, antique folk objects, wells, wooden sculpted gates.
