The Happy Cemetery from Sapanta
Situated just 4 km away from the Ukrainian border, the commune of Sapanta is worldwide famous for the original "Merry Cemetery" hosted by it. Such a cemetery has crosses painted in lively colours over which a predominant blue catches the eye that has long been named after the places: Sapanta blue.
Craftsman Stan Ioan Patras, the creator of this cemetery, carved the first cross in 1935. Following his death, in 1977, his craft has been inherited and continued to the present time by his apprentice, Dumitru Pop.
Each cross is different from another: the images carved in wood are naive illustrations of one characteristic activity of the buried one, and epitaphs are meaningful short poems without the usual clichés, written at the 1st person, as a confession of the deceased.
Barsana Monastery
The wood church of Barsana, patronized by the "Entry in Church of the Virgin Mary", was built in 1720 on the place called the "Monastery Bridges" and later on, in 1806, was moved on the Jbar hill, where it is presently situated. In 1999 it was included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage.
The legend tells us that back in time, on the Jbar hill there was a cemetery for the plagued. People dying of the plague were buried in a hurry, without any religious rituals. The villagers moved the wooden church on the Jbar, being convinced that the victims of the plague could only find their peace and quiet if a religious ceremony was held for them.
Even at the present time, many people living in Barsana believe that with the church, the dead buried at the Monastery Bridges followed underground, desirous to continue their rest in the church’s shade.
Monastery St. Ana of Rohia
The Monastery of Rohia is surrounded by forests and amazing landscapes. It is a true place of spirituality – calm and welcoming. Also, the monastery is known and visited by many people because of the fact that Nicolae Steinhardt, who converted to the Orthodox religion toward the end of his life, spent the last years of his life there.
The monastery’s foundation was built in 1926 by Nicolae Gherman to the memory of his daughter Ana, who fell ill and died in 1922. In his dream, his daughter urged him to build a monastery on the outskirts of Rohia.
A complex of buildings is dedicated to the monks’ prayers and meditation. In the communist time only one monk was permitted to stay at the monastery. He is still here today, caring for the good development of the monastery activity. The monastery welcomes visitors throughout the year.
Tara Lapusului (Lapus country)
Today’s Lapus country offers us a view on the life lived by the people here; they live modern times, and they also preserve ages-old traditions. Old and new wood manufacture and processing techniques combine harmoniously.
There are many roads to reach the Lapus country, which is also famous because of its monasteries, the most visited being the Rohia.
The route from Baia Mare to Lapus via Surdesti, Cavnic and Rotunda Straits is impressive for its special landscape picturing the variety of Maramures’ relief forms. Springing up in the mountains, the Lapus River continues its flow through the valleys opening to offer walkers the possibility to stop for a picnic by the river side or chill in its waters.
The Ethnographic Museum of Sighetu Marmatiei
The present collection, organised in a modern concept, has been given a final shape and opened to the public in December 1971.
The Ethnographic Museum is an open circuit of rooms and is structured according to the main categories of popular culture.
The entrance hallway harbours a stall, where visitors can buy craftsman’s art items, copies or replicas of patrimony objects, books, cards, advertisement items.
The actual museum circuit starts by presenting the primary occupations of the inhabitants of the Maramures area.
It is continued with an exhibition dedicated to all objects used in shepherding and agriculture, followed by an area dedicated to tools and techniques used in the manufacture of home textiles. Follows an exhibition of country furniture, in a great variety, elements of traditional architecture, interior textiles, traditional clothing items, ceramic, and, finally, in a more generous space, winter habits are presented as an exhibition of a selection of traditional masks.
The wood churches from Maramures
The history of Maramures is told by the wood of its churches.
Along centuries, the foreign leaders of Maramures did not allow the native people to build churches in stone or materials that would make the construction last through the years; the villagers did not feel intimidated and have erected wonderful wood churches, to get closer to God. Click for pictures:
Ski slopes: Suior, Cavnic, Mogosa
Ski slopes at Suior
Altitude: 668 m
Dimension of ski trail: 900m-1500m
Distance to the hotel: about 15km
Distance to Baia Mare: 18 km
Access to the Tourist Complex at Suior is on the national road DN 18, route Baia Mare - Baia Sprie - Sighetu Marmatiei. The location is signalled by indicators at the crossroad between DN 18 and the secondary road leading to the complex.
Ski slopes at Cavnic - Icoana
Altitude: 1.000 m
Dimension of ski trail: 120m-800m
ROATA ski slope – skiing area of about 3000 m
Distance to the hotel: about 16km
Distance to Baia Mare: 32 km
Access to the ski trail called Roata de la Cavnic is done on the county road DJ 109F, connecting the Cavnic and Ocna Sugatag. The slope is situated on the right side, on the climbing direction.
Ski slopes at Mogosa
Altitude: 750 m
Dimension of ski trail: 2200m
Distance to the hotel: about 18km
Distance to Baia Mare: 22 km
Access to Mogosa is on the national road DN 18, route Baia Mare - Baia Sprie - Sighetu Marmatiei. The location is signalled by indicators at the crossroad between DN 18 and the secondary road leading to the complex.
Tourist objectives and points of interest
Maramures is a tiny part of Europe that is very little known. In the middle of a relief of hills and rich valleys, most of the people living there still follow a traditional agrarian lifestyle. Their life may seem hard and simple – and so it is – a millenary fight against weather in order to grow crops and raise animals, working from dawn to dusk without many mechanised and electronic facilities we would believe essential. However, this kind of life may be repaid by the simplicity given by every day of work, while family and friends guarantee there often are plenty reasons to celebrate.
The commune of Sisesti, first mentioned by documents in 1411, is situated at a height of 300-450m, with the massifs of Gutai (1443m) and Ignis (1307m) to the north-east and north. The place is situated on the Negreii piedmont, sheltered by volcanic mountains. The commune of Sisesti and the villages administratively belonging to it are scattered villages, with well-defined dwelling areas. Here has developed a complex economy, based especially on animal breeding, fruit growing and wood processing.
The commune benefits from a moderate continental climate, protected from East-European weather influences that are barred by the volcanic mountains of Ignis-Gutai-Tibles.
Sisesti is linked to the name and destiny of the great advocate of the union of Transylvania to Romania, the Greek-Catholic priest Vasile Lucaciu (1852-1922), one of the leaders of the 1892-1894Memorandum movement. The Vasile Lucaciu memorial museum includes the Romanian School created in 1905, the Priest’s House, the Place of Gathering and Romanians’ Spring. In the museum’s premises there is the bust of "The Lion from Sisesti" – the work of sculptor G. Abrihan.
In Danesti there is a park of secular coniferous wood, at the base of the Mandra Verde hill. From Danesti there is an unmarked tourist route, on the Valea Bulzului (Bulz Valley) to the Mogosa Peak (1246m). The Negreia (549m) and Mandra (410m) Hills impress by beauty, being excellent panoramic viewpoints.
In Plopis there is a wood church built at the end of the 18th century, an architecture monument that was built in 1798 and a part of the world heritage.
The Cavnic, because of the great number of winter days there, is known as the snow pole of Maramures, which is an advantage for winter sports lovers. Following the works done in the past years, the surface on which ski may be practiced in the ex-mine town has increased to 8.5 kilometres. The seven ski slopes, three of which are new, have a length of 800-2000m and a slope between 19 and 37 degrees, which make them appropriate for both beginners and advanced, and even professional skiers.
