Europe is not all about Switzerland,
Italy or France, beautiful as these countries are.
At Trippin, we love exploring the unfamiliar
and we have a peculiar fondness for the offbeat.
When we came across the Visit Romania Stall
at Mumbai’s Outbound Travel Mart earlier in this year,
we were fascinated.
We were even more fascinated once we started delving deeper,
and found this utterly magical place that’s as far from
Bucharest as you can get.
It’s the region of Maramures.
The name itself sounds magical.
So where is Maramures?
In the far North of Romania, in the heart of Transylvania,
lies the region of Maramures.
Unscathed by the industrialization of Romania’s communist period,
the Maramures region showcases a spectacular landscape married
with centuries-old agricultural and pastoral traditions.
Snow-capped mountain peaks, ancient forests,
and an amazing diversity of fauna and flora – some of which are long lost
and forgotten in other parts of Europe – all combine with an ancient way of life.
Ringed in by mountains,
Maramures has long been kept isolated, thus preserving a way of life,
which has been passed by in Western Europe.
As you travel through the enchanting countryside,
you’ll see farmers making hay against the backdrop
of spectacular wooden churches.
Entering the towns and villages of Maramures is
the closest you can get to stepping back in time: farmers plowing with bulls,
carriages pulled by oxen, rugs dyed with natural plant extracts,
beautiful wooden houses with intricately carved wooden gates;
historic churches, regional customs, dances and traditions.
This is no Disneyland, there is no performance for the
benefit of the tourists – this is real, authentic life in Maramures.
You didn’t imagine Europe looks like this, did you?
And there’ s more.
The Rodnei Mountains with the Pietrosu Peak – at 2303m the highest
in the Eastern Carpathians – are made up of volcanic rock
and their inner rim forms the longest chain of volcanic mountains in Europe.
With their deep valleys, sharp crests, and glacial lakes,
the Rodnei Mountains provide a natural reserve for a breathtaking
array of flora and fauna: chamois and marmots or, if you’re lucky,
eagles, capercaille, and black grouse.
The Waterfall of The Horse (80m high) is a worthwhile day excursion,
and you may also come across some of the many undiscovered
and unmapped caves of the region.
The Cresta Cocosului offers spectacular views and,
for the more adventurous,
some fantastic climbing routes on its abrupt cliffs.
Away from the mountains are the country’s vast
and ancient forests of spruce and oak.
Here bears, lynx, and wolf still roam in evidence of Romania’s healthy
and unique biodiversity.
The alpine pastures are still used by shepherds who keep a watchful eye
over their flock.
The water habitats of Maramures, from the glacial lakes
with their clear pure waters, to the marshes of the wetlands,
offer an unexpected beauty to those who discover them.
The rivers of the Viseu, Vaser, Mara, Cosau, Isa and Tisa populate
this region where the otter and the Danube salmon still live,
along with dragonflies and water birds.
Here traditional fishing is still practiced, women wash their clothes in the rivers,
and giant watermills dot the river banks. From the mountains to the meadows,
forests and wetlands, this landscape presents a wonderful world.
When you enter a traditional Romanian village in Maramures,
you will see this rural life in close up: the traditional wood carver and hatter;
women who produce wonderful jewelry,
woolen rugs, clothes, and traditional costumes.
Here you will see people at work in regional clothes that have barely
changed in hundreds of years;
and a wide variety of ethnic groups – Romanians, Hungarians,
Germans, Jews, Ukrainians and Gypsies – all mixing
to provide a unique combination of architecture, clothing and traditions.
You can stay in a Romanian farm, witness at first hand the villagers’ life,
eat their food, and share a palinca with your hosts.
Palinca is the traditional drink of the region brewed from plums
and double distilled, this so-called fire water is a part
of the villagers’ lives as well as the visitors’.
Sighetu Marmatiei,
the center of historic Maramures, was first mentioned in 1326.
Seen from an elevated position from the top of the Solovan Hill,
the town is seen to be dominated by churches many centuries old.
A tour of the old city center will familiarize you with
the old Jewish merchant houses and old administrative buildings:
the former County Council, the City Hall, and Culture Palace.
Ecological and cultural tourism in Maramures can open up
new perspectives for the visitor in a place where nature and traditions
survive and co-exist in the geographic center of Europe.
A visit to Maramures can be an enchanting and fulfilling experience,
opening up new horizons and giving us a greater understanding of our complex
relationship with nature and our surroundings.
Are you dreaming about your Romanian holiday yet?
Suggested Reading:
0
