| Maramures the lost world |
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| Thickly forested mountains, rounded hills with clumps of oak and beech,scattered flocks of sheep... Nowhere else in Europe do folk costumes persist so strongly-the men wearing tiny straw hats and medieval galoshes,the women weaving boldly striped aprons and wide-sleeved cotton blouses. An area situated in the northern part of Transylvania(a region from Romania ,Central Europe),which covers 3330 square kilometres. HISTORY Inhabitated since Stone Age(100000-40000 BC),during the Bronze and Iron Ages,here followed the Celts and Dacians ,around 3th century BC-3th century AD. The Slavs came over in the 7th century,later the Hungarians,around the year 1300. During the 18th century Habsburgs took control of Maramures and,in 1918,the Romanians(in the southern part of the shire,the Cehoslovaks in the north). During the second WW,we were under Hungarian rule,again,in 1945 The Soviet Red Army occupied us,and today, Maramures county is a part of Romania but the north is a Ukrainian region. MARAMURES'S MINORITIES -the Magyars-most of them are living in the Sighet town and the sorrounding area. -the Germans-can be found in the town of Viseu de Sus. -the Gypsies-spread everywhere,are in number of 2-3000 people(out of 250000). -the JEWS-came here first in 1720. Before second WW their comunity numbered around 38000,but were butchered at Auschwitz,and today are still here only about 100 people,in the town of Sighetu Marmatiei. -The Ukrainians-represent the biggest comunity of this kind from Romania.In Sighet they have the only one Ukrainian High School in the country and the beautiful Ukrainian church. RELIGION Here are worshipping Romanian Orthodoxes,Roman Catholics,Uniates, Calvinists,Baptists or Yehova witnesses. WHAT TO SEE: The wooden arhitecture is the main atraction in Maramures;you can see wooden gateways,houses and the most elaborates structures,the wooden churches like : -Desesti-built in 1770,with"double roof" and wall paintings executed by R.Munteanu in1780. -Calinesti Josani-built in 1663,one of the loveliest in the county,with beautiful paintings dating from 1754. -Poienile Izei-the church is filled with nightmarish paintings of hell.Processions of sinners are driven into the mouth of hell-an enormous bird's head,women violating traditional morality face torments in the afterlife,adultresses are courted by loathsome demons. -Ieud-The church on the Hill-was supposedly raised here in 1364(but more probable in the 17th century).The paintings(from 1782),show scenes with Abraham,Isaac and Jacob welcoming people in their arms. -Barsana-the Old Church,dates from 1720,with florid paintings,among the best in Maramures.At the end of the village is a new nunnery,with a hideous wooden church,a kitsch,raising a 54 m steeple(the highest from Eastern Europe). Also,you can find some fine watermills in Sat Sugatag,Desesti,Sarbi,Budesti,Ieud or Dragomiresti. The Merry Cemetery from Sapanta, features beautifully worked,colourfully painted wooden headstones,inscripted with witty limericks. ACOMODATION IN MARAMURES: -Sighetu Marmatiei-a couple of hotels like:Tisa Hotel(two stars,phone +40262 312645),Motel Flamingo(+40262317265) ,Motel Perla Sigheteana(\+40262310613) or Motel Buti,Motel Siesta. -Borsa Complex ski resort-Stibina Hotel(two stars,+40262343466),Hotel Cerbul(+262344199) and others. -Borsa town-The Perla Maramuresului Hotel(+04262342529) and Didiana Hotel (+40262344134). -Acomodation in the rural area: homestays all inclusive can be found in: Desesti,Vadu Izei(+40262330171), Sapanta(+40262318498),Barsana,Ieud (+40262336100),Botiza(+40262334233) or at the local spa Ocna Sugatag,a former salt mining centre,which today hosts three hotels and lots of cheap homestays. |
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| THE SIGHETU MARMATIEI TOWN: Stands exactly near Ukrainian border and has the air of a frontier town but is a peacefully settlement,with 44000 inhabitants.Around 27 December here take place a winter carnival,when many of participants wear shamanistic costumes and masks. Here you can see;The Calvinistic Church dating back from 14th century,The Former County Hall(built in 1690),The Roman Catholic Church(Baroque,raised in 1730),The Synagogue(from 1902),The Jews Cemetery,The Former Piarist Monastery(dated 1730),and museums like: -THE MUSEUM OF JEWS COMMUNITY (ELIE WIESEL HOUSE) ,displays about former lively Jewish community and the Nobel Prize winner,an Auschwitz survivor. -THE MARAMURES ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUMexhibits pottery,woodcarvings, masks-a must for every visitor. -THE VILLAGE MUSEUM-is situated out of the town,on the Dobaies Hill-showing dozens of wooden medieval houses,farm buildings and a church-very interesting! -MEMORIAL MUSEUM of the VICTIMS of COMMUNISM and ANTI-COMMUNISM RESISTANCE-displays about deportations,torture or the demolition of much of the Bucharest. -THE ART GALLERY AND MIHALY DE APSA HOUSE-situated in the town center ,displays paintings by HOLLOSY SIMON (one of the best Transylvanian artists from turn of 20th century) and other local painters.At first floor see the memorial house of Mihaly de Apsa,an historian and member of Romanian Academy,showing old furniture and decorative art,dating from 19th century. -THE PIPAS PRIVATE MUSEUM-is located about six kilometres away from Sighet town;displays Romanian contemporary art and traditional carpets from Maramures area. GETTING THERE AND AWAY: -by plane-flights from Bucharest to Baia Mare(40 miles to Sighet) or from Bucharest,New York and Brescia to Satu Mare(80 miles from Sighet).About 100 international conections through Budapest Airport(Hungary),200 miles to Sighet. -by train-arrivals from Budapest to Baia Mare and Satu Mare. -by bus-from Budapest to Baia Mare,Satu Mare and Sighetu Marmatiei. -by car-follow E60(through France, Germany,Austria and Hungary to the Bors crossing point,near Oradea(170 miles to Sighet). GETTING AROUND: -Only a train railway passes Maramures, along Tisa and Viseu valleys,linking the region with Cluj Napoca,Timisoara or Bucharest cities. -many buses and vans are crossing the area,all the day. -cycling(no cycling rentals),is maybe the best way to discover the rural Maramures during the summer,or the lower mountains,on the immense network of forestry roads. -hitchhiking-it's common and not risky,but be aware if you are a lonely woman or during the night. DANGERS: Nothing special,is a quiet area,but of course be aware during the night,or if you are alone. FOOD AND DRINK: In Maramures are'nt plenty of restaurants or cafe's(with the exception of the towns and ski resorts),but don't worry,every homestay acomodation offers you meals included in price.Also,everywere are plenty of food stores,stuffed also with alcohol and cigarettes. Every small village has at least a bar or pub,where you can drink a cofee,juice ,beer or wine(the Romanian wines are very tasty!). |
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| THE MARAMURES MOUNTAINS: Are the wildest in the Eastern Europe;you will find here virgin beech forests,where live stags,bears,deer,wolves and lynxes. The acces is from the Viseu de Sus or Borsa towns and also from Poienile de sub Munte and Petrova villages. Here are not touristic facilities,except the Vaser Valley(Viseu de Sus),where from it's possible to go up,in the wild,catching the logging train,hauled by a steam engine built in 1953 ,41 kilometres along the river to Comanu,at lumberjacks camps,near Ukrainian border, For kayaking enthusiasts,Vaser Valley is a good location.Also Maramures Mountains are one of the best places for hiking,paragliding,climbing ,caving or birdwatching and photosafari. The mountains are plenty of beautiful landscapes,small lakes,caves and a very interesting and rare flora. The only acomodation posibilities are on the Vaser Valley(a camping and chalets at Faina point),and a couple of forestry and hunting houses . THE RODNA RANGE: This massif,the higest in Eastern Carphatians,high up to 7000 feet(2305 m) ,still snowy in the middle of the summer, represent one of the best preserved natural regions from Europe. It houses The RODNA NATIONAL PARK,which contents The Pietrosu Mare Biosphere Reserve(included in UNESCO world heritage list,covering-only the scientific reserve,about 4000 acres). The park preserves untouched echological systems,with many very rare flora and fauna species(like "lychnis nivalis",a small flower,found nowhere else on the Earth!) Here you can see waterfalls,like Cascada Cailor waterfall(over 80 metres high), ,wonderfull glacier lakes(over 20 of them, ,like Iezer Lake,Lala Lake and others). This is also a good place for paragliding, climbing,caving or photosafari. The acomodation is hard to find.On the northern mountains border is located The Borsa Complex ski resort(with a couple of hotels) and the Borsa town. In the southern side,is more difficult,the settlements are 40 kilometres away,also the only possibility is to camp wild or to sleep at forestry and hunting huts.Near Ineu Peak,is located a rangers hut,another one is in the middle of Pietrosu Scientific Reserve,and others are found on the eastern and western Reserve's boundary THE GUTAI AND TIBLES MASSIFS: Are voulcanic mountains,part of the longest voulcanic chain from Europe(600 km long),situated mostly in Romania,a very small part been in the Ukraine. Here you'll see old caldeiras,peaks between only 1000 to 1830 metres(but astonishing),small lakes and waterfalls or nice forests and alpine meadows.Over ten Natural Reserves are hosted on this places like: -Creasta Cocosului Natural Reserve (protecting a part of an old dyke,a geological site),Cheile Tatarului Natural Reserve(the only andesitic gorges from the country),The Morarenilor Lake (behind a natural dam,preserving rarely flora and birds) or Tibles-Bran-Arcer Natural Area,on the highest peaks,at 1500-1830 m altitude,instituted for the protection of wild grouses and rarely flora (like a small plant found exclusivey here). In the Gutai Mountains are touristic trails, also on the Tibles Crest,and two touristic and ski resorts:Izvoare and Mogosa Resorts.Here are acomodation faciities (hotels and chalets) and also cable transport for ski lovers. Those mountains are renowed for their good forestry roads(available for mountainbiking and offroaddriving,or for climbers,hikers,hunters,fishers and birdwatchers. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMPLAINTS OR NEED MORE INFORMATIONS,MAPS ,NEWS, THEN PLEASE CONTACT ME. |