A land of mysteries, with legends about women who come from a different realm and appear during the day in the glades of thee woods, with carols that sound as if the earth was mounting towards the sky, with people clad in a many colored attire.
Land of Wood
The state of amazement never quits you, even for a minute , and even less than that when you become acquainted with the fabulous images acquired by the wood. This land has been called , until quite recently, the "Land of Wood". The woods have obviously a soul and by seeing them you become aware of the warmth of the wood, as a genuine poem.
Borsa
A picturesque place always benefits from the quality of opening new roads towards other picturesque areas. Borsa is such a settlement; this is a balneary resort but its position at the foot of Rodnei Mountains has endowed it with the privilege of benefiting from an extremely spectacular scenery. Moreover, the visitor who travels on the mountain paths can make attractive ascents, such as that to the Pietrosu peak (2305 m. high) a zone where an interesting natural reserve can be found. But before reaching it, he can admire the Horses Waterfalls...
The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta
Sapanta's "Merry Cemetery" is an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction known throughout the world due to the talents of local sculptor, poet and painter Ion Stan Patras.
He created a great number of grave markers which are painted in distinctive "Sapanta Blue" and visually depict the deceased along with an often humorous poem about their lives, habits, personalities and how they died. Ion's intention was to create a place of celebration for the loved ones.
He ended up creating one of the most visited attractions in Romania, as well as a truly unique site in the world.
The Merry Cemetery is famous for its colorful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons that are buried there as well as scenes from their lives.
The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies - a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn.
Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life.
Wooden churches in Maramures - UNESCO
The Maramures wooden churches are outstanding examples of vernacular religious wooden architecture resulting from the interchange of Orthodox religious traditions with Gothic influences in a specific vernacular interpretation of timber construction traditions, showing a high level of artistic maturity and craft skills.
Maramures wooden churches UNESCO protected:
- Church of the Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple - Bârsana
- Church of Saint Nicholas - Budesti
- Church of the Holy Paraskeva - Desesti
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin - Ieud
- Church of the Holy Archangels - Plopis, Sisesti
- Church of the Holy Parasceva - Poienile Izei
- Church of the Holy Archangels - Rogoz, Târgu-Lapus
- Church of the Holy Archangels - Surdesti, Sisesti.
Maramures is one of the few zones where the folk costume has been preserved almost unaltered by urban influences. And although it can be admired only on Sundays when Morosenii go to church, or on the occasion of religious feasts and great fairs, each Morosan, without exception, owns a traditional costume.
Not only old people dress in traditional clothes but also "coconii" (preschool children), which explains the continued use of the costume.
Maramures - There is no place in Romania where people, nature and tradition would form such an indestructible unity!
