The Easter holiday is the best opportunity to get to know the Romanian village up close. There are two areas where this celebration gathers the most tourists: Bucovina and Maramureș. The guesthouses have already prepared with special programs in anticipation of the guests. In addition to a menu with traditional dishes and a presentation of traditions, tourists are also invited to exercise, as hiking can be done in both areas, the trails being intended for the whole family.
Edit Pop, destination manager at Eco Maramureș, invites us to the villages of Valea Marei and Valea Cosăului. All of them have a lot of traditions and, of course, also many guesthouses that are waiting for their tourists, now, on the eve of Easter.
“For Easter, in general, the offer is for a stay of about four nights and five days, with half board and a festive Easter meal, and with a program with many activities, something every day. Getting to know Maramureș starts right in the authentic village, where tourists and visitors can discover the traditions, they can discover the culinary side, which is ancestral, and with dishes with recipes handed down from the elders. It is healthy and very hearty food, but, of course, one must also experience nature, go hiking. We have hiking trails both for those experienced with the longer trails, but we also have shorter trails that explore the area around the village, for tourists who are perhaps older, perhaps families with younger children and who want a walk in a lovely setting, but maybe a little less strenuous.”
But how does an Easter vacation unfold?
“Tourists are expected to arrive somewhere on Thursday, if not on Good Friday. On Good Friday the eggs are painted. Here everything is done naturally. They go to the garden, pick the most beautiful and showy leaves, after which they are tied tightly on the eggs and dyed, boiled in onion skins. On Holy Saturday, tourists can participate in the preparation of the dishes. The main dish, or the star, so to speak, is the stuffing of the lamb and the preparation of the baskets of food, which are to be consecrated on Easter day. We also have events during this period. For example, in Breb, a fair is organized in the village on the eve of Easter. They have handicrafts and local products that are offered to tourists under the slogan ‘We do well and good in Breb. In all villages, tourists are invited on Resurrection Night to participate in the midnight service. Those who do not want to go out at night can go on Easter day to the consecration of the dishes at church, and then to a hearty festive meal. On the second day of Easter, there are various activities offered to tourists: artistic program with fiddlers and cart rides through the village or the surroundings, along with photo sessions. Tourists can dress in traditional clothes and take pictures, because we can all be on the Internet. Then, in the evening, a campfire, with a pot of balmosh and many, many stories.”
Maramureș is an area where animal husbandry is a basic activity, and hay is necessary for these animals in winter. Hence, the specific landscape of Maramureș is born, that landscape with meadows full of haystacks, which are still mowed by hand. Slowly, the whole area is transforming. Mowers are increasingly being used in the flat areas, which help, and make the work easier. However, the beauty, the fragrance and the story of authentic mowing is one done by scythe, says Edit Pop, destination manager at Eco Maramureș, from whom we also learn about some interesting tourist packages.
“We also have some packages, some ready-made programs in the form of stories: The Story of Hay, The Story of Wood, The Story of Wool, and, in two days, tourists can experience the entire connection with nature in these stories. The story of wood, for example, begins in the forest. On the first day, there is a trip to a virgin forest, with the discovery of all the species that live there. The next day, we discover the life of wood in the village, after it comes down from the forest. We will see wood transformed into everything that the wood civilization means in Maramureș: carved wooden gates, houses, wooden households, wooden tools, folk technology installations. It’s a whole story yet to be lived in Maramureș.”
Also in the north of Romania, this time in Bucovina, we are invited there for Easter by Maricica Cazimirciuc, the manager of the Țara Dornelor tourism destination.
“It’s a celebration that reminds of tradition, faith, love, and that inspires you to think about the really important things, about family, about those who are gone to all corners of the world and who think of us with love and longing. And because we were talking about tradition, the 19th edition of the National Festival of Painted Eggs took place recently in Ciocănești, with an impressive exhibition of painted eggs, an exhibition of Easter baskets, folklore programs, painting exhibitions, and a symposium on painted eggs. It is a unique event in the country, which highlights this beautiful tradition of the area, and at the same time makes the Ciocănești open-air commune-museum known to the world, with hundreds of houses painted on the outside, with patterns inspired by traditional shirts.”
In Bucovina, relaxation is combined with adventure in nature and, last but not least, with local gastronomy.
“Bucovina is nicknamed, and deserves the title of, Sour Cream Homeland, thanks to the milk with a special taste and quality, which is due to the flora of the area. We know very well that only here is the famous Swiss cheese and fresh and aged cheeses made. The offer is completed by outdoor activities on hiking trails and bike trails. There are numerous routes arranged throughout the destination. We have over 420 km of hiking trails, over 180 cycling trails. We can admire absolutely fabulous landscapes and interact with the locals on such walks, we can visit the Visitor Center, for example, of the Călimani National Park. We also recommend a visit to the Băilor Casino in Vatra Dornei, recently reopened after a 35-year hiatus. These are just some of the objectives that we invite everyone to discover in the destination.”
If we have piqued your interest, by accessing the websites of the two tourist destinations, you will find complete information, experiences, and packages and service offers. On ecomaramureș.com and tsaradornelor.ro you will also find a calendar of events that take place throughout the year.