Maramures is the North-Western region of the country, a place rich both in natural beauty and in the art of carving the wood that surrounds this mountain region. This is the reason Maramures has gained the name of “Wood Country”. Tall, sharp bell towers are representative of the place, as well as the chip roofs and the wooden gates and churches.
Maramures is located in an isolated area of the Carpathian Mountains and, although it has been considered as part of Transylvania ever since the XIVth century, it has always benefited from a distinctly unique character from that of the rest of Transylvania.
Due to its sheltered location, beyond the mountains and oak and fir trees forests, Maramures is not an industrialized are, all the development it earned being thanks to handicrafts and the craftsmanship of the locals.
The most representative place of Maramures in “The Historic Maramures” and is located between four valleys: Cosau, Iza, Mara and Viseu. Everything is better preserved here, it is more pure and more mindful of history, tradition, architecture, music and popular habit.
Maramures has around 100 churches decorated by numerous craftsmen and sculptors of the region, 8 of which are part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. However, master wood carvers show their talent not only when it comes to embellishing the churches and the bell towers, but also in the style of houses, which are also fascinating, many having unique adorned roofs and porches. Their purpose is to show their inhabitants own the land.
What is fascinating to observe as well is that in Maramures, the year is divided a bit differently from the rest of the regions, the seasons being divided according to the agricultural activities, which in turn are marked by annual celebrations.
All these and more can be admired if you choose to use a rent-a-car service in Maramures.