The northwestern Romanian region of Maramureş is home to many villages where century-old traditions are still part of daily life. The inhabitants of this area have preserved, to an amazing extent, the rural culture and crafts of their Dacian ancestors. Maramureş villages are distinguished...
Our last stop in the Maramureș region was Săpânţa located about 20 km west of Sighetu Marmaţiei. The village’s graveyard, known as the Merry Cemetery, became famous for its colorful tombstones decorated with witty epitaphs and naive paintings representing scenes from the lives of the...
We have visited one of the most beautiful churches in the historical region of Maramureș. The unique church of Saint Parascheva was built in 1632, it is a classic example of local architecture with its double roof, a tower with three bells (1673), and two-level windows. The church´s...
In the land of the deep forests and high mountains, on the bank of the Wasser river and just a few kilometers south of the Ukrainian border the last forestry narrow gauge steam railway in Europe operates. The Mocăniţa narrow gauge steam train is used all year long since 1932, each day the...
We spent the whole afternoon in Rodnei Mountains around Borșa. Rodnei Mountain National Park has been designated a biosphere reservation by UNESCO for its abundance of glacial features and profusion of flora and fauna species. Borșa is a small ski resort and tourist complex in the...
The Rarău Mountains create a landscape of weird-shaped rock formations and panoramic views, all in the space of a former prehistoric tropical sea. Famous for the unmistakable silhouettes known as the ‘Lady’s Stones’, Rarău offers some of the most scenic mountain views in Romania, despite...
In the morning we have arrived at the most famous and stunning of the painted monasteries – Voroneț (parking 7 ROL / hour). The monastery was founded in 1487 by Stephen the Great to celebrate a victory over the Turks. Widely known throughout Europe as “the Sistine Chapel of the...
After a day filled up with monasteries visits, we have parked next to the church in Gura Humorului (parking fee 2 ROL / hour, Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00). The city is located in the northeastern part of Romania, in southern Bukovina. Between 1774 and 1918, Gura Humorului belonged to the Habsburg...
The highlight of the small Arbore church is a scene from Genesis (entrance 10 ROL), which adorns the western wall. It is the only church in the region with no belfry towers because it was not built by a prince, the monastery was founded in 1503 by Luca Arbore, the advisor of Stephen the...
Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (in northeastern Romania). Their painted exterior walls are decorated with elaborate 15th and 16th-century frescoes featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of...