Located in northern Romania, Maramure\u0219
\nCounty is an area with plenty of tourist attractions, largely due to its
\nlandscapes, its ethno-folk legacy and local hospitality. Over the centuries,
\nthe surrounding forests have provided the local population with the raw
\nmaterials to defend their area and develop a genuine timber civilization.
\nEvidence of that are the wooden churches and the grandiose traditional wooden
\ngates, which are genuine works of folk art. Our guide today is Petru Daniel M\u0103ran,
\nthe director of the Sighetu Marma\u021biei Center for Information and Tourism.<\/p>\n
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The best starting point for
\nvisiting the area is Sighetu Marma\u021biei, which starting last year is a resort
\nof local interest. The city was first documented in 1326. Over the years it was
\na princely see, an administrative center of Maramure\u0219 shire and a county residence. Tourists visiting Sighetu Marma\u021biei
\ncan opt for a large plethora of tourist objectives and cultural events. The
\ncity’s museums are the most important: the Communism Victims and Resistance
\nMemorial, the Maramure\u0219 Village Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Elie
\nWiesel Jewish Culture Museum, the Museum of History, Archaeology and Natural
\nSciences, the Dr. Ioan Mihalyi de Ap\u0219a Memorial House. The city’s anthropic heritage
\nis exceptional. The city has 99 historical monuments, of which most are old
\nbuildings or architectural ensembles. Starting 2017 Sighetu Marma\u021biei has been listed
\nas a European destination of excellence. The city was enrolled in the
\ncompetition in the movable cultural tourism section. I am happy to invite you
\nto visit Sighetu Marma\u021biei this December, although unfortunately, due to health
\nsafety restrictions in place, we won’t be able to observe the traditional
\nwinter pageant held as part of the Marmi\u021bia Festival. We do have an ongoing Christmas
\nfair, held over December 5-26. Every weekend, groups of carolers will perform
\nlive in front of the Christmas tree for all guests at the fair. <\/p>\n
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We continue our journey in Maramure\u0219
\nCounty, and Petru Daniel M\u0103ran told us what else is worth seeing in Maramure\u0219. <\/p>\n
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For starters, I would suggest
\na trip to S\u0103p\u00e2n\u021ba village, on Tisa Valley. The first objective here is the
\nMerry Cemetery. This cemetery is a genuine museum of folk art. In 1935, Stan Ioan
\nP\u0103tra\u0219 started sculpting the first crosses that earned S\u0103p\u00e2n\u021ba its fame. The
\nvividly painted crosses depicting caricatures from the lives of the departed
\nturned the cemetery into a living chronicle of the local community. And while in
\nS\u0103p\u00e2n\u021ba, you should also visit the artist’s memorial house. Another major
\nobjective, which brings in many tourists every year, is the S\u0103p\u00e2n\u021ba-Peri
\nmonastery, situated in a lovely oak forest called Dumbrava. Tourists should
\nalso plan a visit to the wooden churches, which make Maramure\u0219 so famous. Many
\nof these churches are clustered in villages on Iza, Mara and Cos\u0103u river
\nvalleys. I recommend a visit to the wooden churches in Dese\u0219ti, Bude\u0219ti,
\nB\u00e2rsana, Poienile Izei and Ieud, which are all UNESCO World Heritage sites.
\nTourists can also stop at B\u00e2rsanaMonastery, known for its traditional wooden
\narchitecture. In terms of accommodation, you should try booking a stay in Breb,
\nBotiza, Ieud and Once\u0219ti villages, which all preserve the architecture, garments
\nand customs specific to Maramure\u0219. Once here, you can also visit the Ocna
\nSugatag spa resort, known for its therapeutic benefits. <\/p>\n
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Petru Daniel M\u0103ran, the
\ndirector of the Sighetu Marma\u021biei Center for Information and Tourism, also recommends
\nbooking a trip on the narrow-gauge train known as moc\u0103ni\u021b\u0103 in Vi\u0219eul de Sus. The
\nsteam-powered train goes up the Vaser Valley and offers tourists a panoramic
\nview, highlighting the region’s beautiful scenery and cultural richness. In
\nwinter time, tourists also have a number of leisure time opportunities at their
\ndisposal.<\/p>\n
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It snows a lot in wintertime here, and the place is ideal for winter
\nsports. You can ski in Bor\u0219a Complex, Prislop Pass, Izvoare or Cavnic resorts.
\nHikers can opt for low-difficulty trails in the nearby hills, linking one
\nvillage to another in a picturesque setting. The most spectacular trails are
\nthose in Rodna Mountains, with altitudes exceeding 2,000 meters at times. Besides,
\nlocal guesthouses often offer carriage or horse-drawn sled rides. The winter
\nholidays are a good opportunity to showcase the region’s traditions and customs.
\nUsually, in December, a number of cultural events take place, but due to the
\nglobal pandemic, the events were adjusted this year in order to offer both participants
\nand hosts a high degree of protection. Our guesthouses are always full around this time of the year, which is telling of local hospitality. Once they get
\nhere, tourists will spend a lovely time and I guarantee they will be delighted.
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There are many projects aimed at developing tourism in Maramure\u0219, our guide today, Petru Daniel M\u0103ran,
\nhas told us.<\/p>\n
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Some projects are aimed at
\ndeveloping ski slopes, others to improve hiking trail markings or rehabilitate
\nthe local heritage in villages. I can go through the specifics of a number of projects
\nin Sighetu Marma\u021biei, where we want to rehabilitate a number of buildings that
\nare either home of museums or are historical monuments. Right now, we are
\nimplementing a cross-border project to renovate the Elie Wiesel Memorial House.
\nWe also have a plan to set up tourist promotion panels and come spring we will
\nstart refreshing markings on tourist trails around the city. I wish you Happy
\nHolidays and invite you to visit Maramure\u0219 and discovery yourself all the
\nmarvels of this area. <\/p>\n
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The invitation has been made
\nso make sure you put down Maramure\u0219 on the list of destinations in Romania if you
\nplan on visiting soon. (VP)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the most sought-after destinations for spending the winter holidays<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":84179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[44262,42510,44265,44264,39536,44263],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-150660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide","tag-maramures-county","tag-sighetu-marmatiei","tag-traditions-and-customs","tag-unesco-world-heritage","tag-winter-holidays","tag-wooden-churches"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n