Situated/located in the heart of Europe, Maramures is a fairy land, a land of an almost untouched beauty that gives it a distinct/unique character. Rural areas which make up the most of the Maramures region preserve the old traditions, rural cultures, architecture, music and popular costumes and crafts in a purer form than in any part of Romania. Rich in forests of fir and oak, Maramures is often called „the land of wood„. As witness to this there stay the nearly one hundred wooden churches, eight of which were included in the UNESCO world Cultural Heritage -Bârsana, Budești, Desești, Șurdești, Ieud, Plopiș, Poienile Izei, Rogoz, and also other buildings such as wooden homes and carved wooden gates.
Some of the most visited cultural highlights in Maramures:
BAIA MARE
Baia Mare History & Archaeology Museum – Imperial Treasuring Building , built between 1734 and 1737 and used for minting coins. Today the building serves as headquarters of the History and Archaeology Museum of Maramures.
Baia Mare Art Museum – the museum collection includes more than 3,300 art pieces made by artists who have worked in Baia Mare`s Artistic Centre since 1896 until today, but also some other valuable pieces illustrating the eighteenth-twentieth century European Art, as well as modern Romanian art, works that have been valued in various temporary exhibitions.
Baia Mare Ethnographic Museum – displays the traditional craftsmanship, technical equipment, traditional costumes, and religious objects from the four ethnographic areas: Maramures, Lapus, Chioar and Codru
Baia Mare Village Museum presents the four ethnographic areas in northern Romania known overtime as countries: Chioar Country, Lapus Country, Maramures Country, Codru Country. Each area has a peculiar character which is very well emphasized by the architecture units that are representing. The museum has also tried to present the different types of households according to the main occupation of the inhabitants from the origin of the households. Thus we have farmer households from Lapus, vineyard households form Baia Mare, a household of a fruiter from Maramures Country etc. Technical installations such as oloinitele, fulling mils, whirlpools and water powered mills are presented in the same way.
Butcher`s Tower / Butchers Bastion was built in the 15th century. The legend says that this is the tower from which Pintea the Outlaw was shot.
Hunyadi House , or House of Elisabeth built in 1446, is part of the old medieval castle built by Iancu for his wife Elisabeth.
Stephen`s Tower is an annex of ” St. Stephen Cathedral ” built by Hunyadi during the 15th century. Built in Gothic style the tower is 40 feet height. The tower was used for monitoring any possible fires and strategic oversight of the city.
Baia Mare Mineralogical Museum is the largest regional Museum in Europe, many of the samples are being considered unique and world heritage values. .
Its unofficial name, cultural and unanimously used is The Museum of Mine Flowers„. The mine flower is a mineral sample collected from underground, mono-mineral or multi-mineral, which has special aesthetic qualities due to the crystal growth, colour, and shape, unique dimension of the crystals which altogether make the piece unique and different from all the others. (Victor Gorduza-manager) .
SIGHETU MARMAȚIEI
The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance
Maramures Village Museum , a set of folk techniques and architecture is the most important highlight of Maramures Museum Complex
“Ellie Wiesel&rdquo Memorial House and The Jewish Culture Museum in Maramures are sheltered in the house where Elie Wisel has spent his 15 years of life.
“ Ioan Mihalyi de Apsa ” Memorial House is housed in the building where this illustrious politician and Maramures culture man has lived.
Șișești Village
“Vasile Lucaciu&rdquo Memorial Museum;
Desești Village
The wooden Church sec XVII – Unesco Heritage
Șurdești Village
The wooden Church sec XVII – Unesco Heritage
Plopiș Village
The wooden Church sec XVII – Unesco Heritage
Budești Village
The wooden Churches from Josani 1643 – Unesco Heritage and Susani (1628)
Rogoz Village
The wooden Church sec XVII Unesco Heritage
Bârsana Village
Monastery Church with “Intrarea Maicii Domnului în Biserică- Unesco Heritage-
Barsana Monastery
Ieud Village
The Church on the Hill is the oldest church in Maramures, beginning of 17th century – Unesco Heritage
Poienile Izei Village
The Wooden Church- Unesco Heritage
Moisei Village
Martyr`s House – illustrates the sad episode held on 14 October 1944 when 29 Horsthysts Romanian patriots were killed in this house.
Săpânța Village
Merry Cemetery – famous for its colorful, five-foot, carved oak crosses, featuring carved portraits or scenes from the deceased’s life.
Băița Village
Memorial House Ion Siugariu – contains original pieces of the parental home, photos, documents, manuscripts, books belonging to the poet. .
Cernești Village (Țara Lăpușului)
Florean Museum – is a contemporary art institution. The museum contains many collections of contemporary art, about 10.000 pieces from all continents.
Coltău Village
Sandor Petofi Museum is hosted by the castle built between 1740 – 1760 by the Teleki family.
Rohia Village
Rohia Monastery Museum – hostes an old religious book collection as well as and a collection on icons of wood and glass. .
NATIONAL PARKS
Rodnei Mountains National Park- Biosphere Reserve-Unesco Heritage
Maramures Mountains National Park
Scientific Reserve Pietrosu Mare
Natural Rezerve Creasta Cocoșului
Scientific Reserve Izvorul Albastru al Izei
