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Maramures - Wood monasteries
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Maramures is an historical region in Romania, that stretches over one of the largest
depressions of the Carpathian mountain range and includes the Oas, Gutai,Tibles,
Rodnei and Maramures Mountains, covering an area of more than 10000 sqm.
The southern part of the region is on Romanian territory, the northern one belongs to the Ukrainian territory.
This description refers only to the Romanian part of Maramures.
The first thing to be mentioned about Maramures is the incredible beauty of the natural setting,
characterized by a great geographical variety. You will find here depressions and
hills with a minimum altitude of 200 m and high mountain peaks reaching the altitude of 2300 m.
If you are looking for mountain adventures Maramures is definitely the right destination.
The Rodna Mountains with the Pietrosu Peak (2303 m) are the highest in this
region and shelter the most important nature reserve in the northern part of Romania.
You can reach Rodnei Mountains from the Borsa mountain resort,
that offers also good conditions for practicing skiing and snowboarding during wintertime,
or from the charming village Moisei.
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Borsa - Ski resort
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Wooden gate
Moisei monastery
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The Gutai volcanic mountains represent an important geological reserve
with spectacular tourist attractions, such us Creasta Cocosului (The Cock's Crest),
a 70 m high andesite wall. The Vaser Valley in the Maramures Mountains is another
picturesque place to be visited in this area. You can do it on foot on mountain trails or
you can take the steam train in Viseu de Sus, one of the most remarkable railway
heritage attractions in Romania. The train runs every day from Monday to Friday.
The hills and the mountains of Maramures are covered by oak, beech trees and common spruce forests,
that make up more than 50% of the entire surface. This abundance of forests can be noticed
in the day to day life of the inhabitants. The wood is the main construction material used
in this area. You will find it in the architecture of the normal village houses, separated
from the outer world by the traditional wooden gates, in the architecture of the wooden churches
or even in the work tools.
The geographical conditions have influenced not only the architectural conception in this area,
but also the way the villages are disposed in the available space. The houses are spread on a
large surface along the main street, having plenty of space between them, used for gardens or orchards.
Not all the houses have access to the main street, but all have access to the church.
This proves how important is the spiritual live for the Maramures villagers.
The villages are divided in two parts, Susani and Josani, and every part has a church of one's own.
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Many wooden churches in Maramures are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The most important ones are: the Barsana church, that dates back to the beginning of the 18th century,
the St. Nicholas Church in Budesti (17th century),
the St. Archangels Churches in Plopis (18th century),
Rogoz (17th century) and Surdesti (18th century).
The Maramures villages are full of contrasts, the tradition is interlaced
here with modernity. On the one hand the houses are endowed with the newest
technical and kitchen equipment, on the other hand the traditional customs are preserved:
their is the main room of the house, where all the important day to day activities take place,
the walls are adorned with icons and decorative towels, the people still wear their traditional clothes.
All these make Maramures to a veritable open-air museum, a place where you can find out a lot
about the beliefs and traditions of the Romanian people.
In this respect the visit of the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta is a must.
The Cemetery is the creation of a local wood sculptor,
who sculptured for graves crosses in oak wood, painted them in blue and wrote on them
humorous epigraphs, trying to concentrate in a few verses the entire life of the deceased.
The cemetery embodies the Romanian peasant's belief that death is a natural phenomenon one must accept serenely.
In Prislop Pass (1413 m) takes place every year on the second Sunday in
August an important folkloric festival, Hora de la Prislop.
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Merry Cemetery
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Vacations |
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Accommodations |
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