The Municipality of Baia Mare
The Municipality of Baia Mare

The Municipality of Baia Mare

Obiective turistice

Baia Mare, Romania

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http://www.visitmaramures.ro
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Hearing the heart’s call, Baia Mare we shall explore

We must admit that rural Maramureș is the favorite of tourists, but any route you would follow through our beautiful county must have as a starting point the urban center of Baia Mare, a city with a rich past and a promising future. It is no coincidence that we mentioned the rich past of the city, documented since 1329, which developed as a gold center during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Two fragments of the defense wall of the Baia Mare fortress can still be seen today in the city. One of them is in the immediate vicinity of the Maramureș County Museum of History and Archeology, while another fragment is visible on Podul Viilor Street, near the Săsar River. The fortification system was built in the time of Matthias Corvinus (Matei Corvin) and included four gates and seven towers, of which only the Butchers' Bastion survived until today. The latter's name comes from the butchers' guild, to which the bastion was entrusted, but it is also known as the Ammunition Bastion, as it served as a place to store ammunition to protect the fortress. The death of Pintea the Brave (Pintea Viteazu) is connected to this Bastion: he was shot near the South Gate of the city during the anti-Habsburg uprising. The Bastion currently hosts ethnographic and folklore exhibitions and fairs.

The former Central Square of the city, known today as the Historic Center, also tells us about the past. Those who fall prey to the medieval air of the area, surrounded by centuries-old buildings, with the status of a historical monument, feel like in a time machine. The Iancu de Hunedoara House is such a building, that has carried the story of its erection across the centuries. It is joined by other architectural gems such as the Degenfeld House, the beautiful building of the former King Stephen's Hotel, the Agricultural House, the Harácsek House, the Lendvay House, the Husovski-Petrescu House or the Black Eagle Inn.

No matter how beautiful all these buildings are, the star of the city remains Stephen’s Tower (Turnul Ștefan), located in the Citadel Square. Dating back to the 14th century, the Tower is a symbol of the city of Baia Mare, and has served as a bell tower for the former "Saint King Stephen" church. The construction of the massive stone tower with a height of 50 meters was ordered by John Hunyadi (Ioan de Hunedoara) to celebrate a victory. The moon clock, installed in 1928, completes the medieval characteristics of the monument. The bell, about five centuries old, found its place in the tower only in 1925. A total of 165 narrow stairs give access to the turret at the top, which reveals an unparalleled view over the city. On the southern side of the Citadel Square we also find the "Holy Trinity" Roman Catholic Church of the former Jesuit monastery, which was built in Baroque style between 1717-1720 and belonged to the Jesuits until 1773. On its facade are two side niches, with the statues of the Jesuit saints Ignatius of Loyola and Alois Gonzaga, but also a central one, where you can see the statue of St. Joseph holding the baby Jesus in his arms. The murals on the vault, made in the early twentieth century, are attributed to the painter Károly Kiss, while the painting of the main altar, made in 1823, is the work of the painter László Kármán. Not far from this place we find another historical monument of Baia Mare. It is the "Saint Antony of Padua" church (Sfântul Anton de Padova) in Liberty Square, which was erected in 1402 by the Order of Minorities, underwent extensive rehabilitation works in the 19th  century. The small place of worship is surprising due to its simplicity, having a modestly decorated interior. The altar painting is the work of the painter Megyeri Mayer, from Budapest. Another emblem of the city is the Reformed Church on Podul Viilor Street. It was built between 1792 and 1809, in Neoclassical style, its church tower, with a height of 50 meters, being erected in 1836. The place of worship with the red dome tower became, along with Stephen Tower, a symbol of Baia Mare. The interior of the church houses a beautiful priestly tribune built in 1786, an altar table completed in 1873, but also an organ made in 1828 and refurbished in 1891. Keeping the spiritual register, we turn our attention to the Evangelical Church. Although the conversion of the entire city of Baia Mare to the Reformed religion was recorded in 1547, the current Evangelical Church was built only in 1912, after the first church, built in 1693, was demolished and the second, built in 1805, was replaced. The current church was built in the Art Nouveau style and still houses the pews, organ and altar of the old church. The painting of the altar bears the signature of the painter Iványi Grünwald Béla, completed in 1903. Among the holy places are the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Adormirea Maicii Domnului) and the imposing Orthodox Episcopal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which today is 85 meters long, 50 meters wide and 85 meters high. 

The city of Baia Mare also boasts a generous cultural offer. The Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art, “Victor Gorduza” County Museum of Mineralogy from Baia Mare, the Baia Mare Museum of Astronomical Sciences, the Maramureș County Museum of History and Archeology and the Maramureș County Museum of Art - Baia Mare Artistic Center - are some of the cultural institutions that greet their visitors with a unique museum background. Another representative place for the cultural life of Baia Mare is the Painters’ Colony (Colonia Pictorilor). For  over a century, it has been the meeting point for artists from the country and abroad, who have defined and refined their style at the Baia Mare School of Painting. The Painters’ Colony ensemble was included on the List of Historical Monuments in 2010, being subjected to a rehabilitation project that was completed in 2017. The exhibition complex reveals the identity of the Baia Mare artistic guild, in a space that combines the past with the present, being an expression of its continuity. Art lovers can also admire three statuary complexes in the city, namely the Monument dedicated to the Romanian Soldier (Monumentul Ostașului Român), the Council of the Elders (Sfatul Bătrânilor) and the Miner’s Statue (Statuia Minerului). Theater enthusiasts will not be bored in Baia Mare either, as they can opt for the performances of the two artistic institutions in the city, namely the Municipal Theater or the Puppet Theater. 

And when you thought we had finished the journey through the tourist heritage of Baia Mare, we have kept some recommendations for those who want to enjoy nature. On the administrative territory of the city you will find the "Sweet Chestnut Tree Baia Mare" Natural Reserve, the Columns of Limpedea Reserve and the Firiza Dam, three attractions for those who prefer to spend time outdoors. If we were sober to the end, you would say that we are not true "moroșeni"- Maramureș dwellers, so we promise you that in our city you will find as much fun as possible, the nightlife being just as effervescent in the city at the foot of the Gutâi Mountains. 

We finished talking / Now you are free to visit!

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The Breban Village Museum, Chiuzbaia

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The Roots Museum

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The Museum of Maramureş - The Natural Sciences Department

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The Museum of Maramureş - The History-Archeology Department

The History-Archeology Department of the Maramureș Museum operates in a beautiful historical monument building which is almost 300 years old. This department of the Museum of Maramureș brings to the attention of visitors the exhibition entitled "Sighetu-Marmației - 680", which first opened its doors to the public in 2006. The valuable museum collection includes Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic exhibits, as well as one of the more comprehensive collections from the Bronze Age, comprising over 140 exhibits. The collection of knives and firearms, which still bear the marks of the conflicts that have left deep wounds in our past, is particularly interesting. Here, visitors can observe pages from the history of Sighet, the documents exhibited recreate the course of the political, economic and cultural life of this area, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The historical testimonies take us through the key moments of our national past, such as the Great Union that gave life to the centuries-old wish of our people, the horrors of the Second World War or the turning point of the Revolution of December 1989. The museum's efforts to preserve and promote Romanian cultural values ​​were recognized in 2020, when the institution was awarded the Anniversary Medal "Centenary of the Great Union", conferred by the President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Iohannis.
Piața Libertății 15, Sighetu Marmației 435500, Romania
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The "Victor Gorduza" County Museum of Mineralogy from Baia Mare

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The "Victor Gorduza" County Museum of Mineralogy from Baia Mare, an institution that initially operated within the Natural Sciences Department of the Maramureș County Museum since 1976, received the legal status of museum in 1992. During its approximately 45 years of activity, the "Victor Gorduza" County Museum of Mineralogy from Baia Mare succeeded to be on top of geological museums in Romania. The museum’s heritage, which comes exclusively from the outcrops and mines of the northwest of the country, has brought the institution the status of the largest museum of mineralogy with regional representation on the entire European continent. The museum's four collections, namely the mineral, fossil, rock and ore collections, include over 20,800 pieces. In addition to the permanent exhibition, organized in four different departments, namely petrography, mineralogy, deposits and mine flowers, the famous museum brought to the public's attention over 195 temporary exhibitions, organized both in the country and abroad. During the permanent exhibition, the unique samples of stibin, calcite, barite, pyrite, rhodochrosite, fluorine, quartz, amethyst, gypsum and realgar fascinate visitors, revealing never-before-seen shapes, varieties, sizes and colors. Precisely this character of rarity of such exhibits, doubled by their spectacularity, gives some of them the quality of treasure of the national cultural patrimony of Romania. 
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The Maramureș County Museum of History and Archeology

The Maramureș County Museum of History and Archeology is a public cultural institution with a long tradition in the cultural life of the county. It was originally founded in 1904, under the name of Baia Mare City Museum. Since 2006, it has been operating under the name County Museum of History and Archeology, having its headquarters within the Mint Office building, which was included in the list of historical monuments. In addition to this location, the museum also comprises the Butchers' Bastion, another emblematic objective of the city of Baia Mare. The permanent exhibition of the Maramureș County Museum of History and Archeology includes cultural items describing  the evolution of the communities in this area, some of the archeological vestiges dating back to the Bronze Age and others from the medieval or modern period. Visitors have the opportunity to discover over 1500 pieces that reconstruct the mining history of this area, from tools and means of transport, to documents and photographs. Also, one should not miss the collection of clocks exhibited in the museum, which includes about 300 exhibits, with an invaluable cultural and scientific value. This "journey" takes visitors through various and interesting items of all types and sizes, which have served several purposes over time: tower clocks, table clocks, pocket watches, wall pendulums and more.
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The Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art

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The County Museum of Art " Baia Mare Artistic Center"

The County Museum of Art " Baia Mare Artistic Center" is an institution that brings to the attention of art lovers the art created in the Baia Mare Artistic Center, ever since 1896, when it was under the careful guidance of the painter and pedagogue Simon Hollósy. Works belonging to over 3000 visual artists from the country and abroad are today part of the generous heritage of the institution, including paintings, graphic works, sculptures, decorative art and photography. The artistic colony founded in Baia Mare more than a century ago has a unique character, strengthened by the continuity of this guild to this day. Many renowned artists have refined their talents here, becoming part of avant-garde movements and exhibiting their creations along with famous names in the field. Approximately 4,500 artifacts, as well as a generous documentary collection (documents, photographs, catalogs, prints, negatives, medals, graphic works) complete the collections of the County Museum of Art "Baia Mare Artistic Center". In addition to the works that bear the artistic print of the Baia Mare colony of artists, which constitute 95% of the museum's fund, in the museum one can admire other exhibits of modern Romanian art, but also works that restore the European art route across two centuries, respectively from the 18th to the 20th century. The museum has been operating in the current building since 1984, but the construction dates back to 1748, initially serving as the headquarters of the Maramureș Salt Office, later becoming private property.
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The Florean Museum

The Florean Museum is the first private museum of contemporary art in Romania, and boasts a unique monumental sculpture park, located in a meadow that stretches over more than 40 hectares. The Florean Museum was founded in 1997, through a combined effort of the entrepreneur Victor Florean and of the artist Mircea Bochiș. The limestone, andesite or marble statues have come to compliment the landscape of "Sun Meadow" ("Poiana Soarelui") so beautifully, that they seem to have always belonged there. The collections of the Florean Museum have grown over time, comprising nowadays more than 10,000 pieces of contemporary art, signed by artists from several continents. In addition to its valuable heritage, the Florean Museum is also famous for its commendable initiatives to promote young talent. Annually, the institution implements three such initiatives, namely: the Cărbunari sculpture camp, the International Small Engraving Salon and the International Experimental Film Festival. The sculpture camp from Cărbunari has a unique nature considering that all the works are designed to fit into the landscape of the sculpture park, where they are eventually installed at the end of the event.
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