The Municipality of Baia Mare
The Municipality of Baia Mare

The Municipality of Baia Mare

Obiective turistice

Baia Mare, Romania

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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 Cave and Blue Spring of Iza Nature Reserve

The Cave and Blue Spring of Iza Nature Reserve, because of its mixed geology and landscape, is one of the most visited among the protected areas of national interest in Maramureș County. This area is part of the Rodna Mountains National Park and covers ​​about 100 hectares, and includes caves, rocks and canyons. The name comes from one of the tributaries of the Iza River, whose water is a blue-green rarely found in Romania. Although it is located on the administrative territory of Săcel township, the most accessible route starts from Moisei township, crossing an area of valleys and hills of rare beauty.
Sacel, Romania
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The Prislop Pass, Borșa

The road connecting Maramureș to Bucovina, about 50 km long, reveals one of the most beautiful gorges in Romania. Located at an altitude of 1413 m, the Prislop Pass is steeper in the area of ​​Maramureș County, the slope becoming smoother to the south. The picturesque area, but also the famous Prislop Festival („Hora de la Prislop” Festival), which is organized here every year, attract countless tourists.
Prislop Pass, Romania
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The Royal Forest

The Royal Forest is a green patch of land in surface of 49 ha, which became a seed reserve for oak and larch species in 1964, and in 2000 it was declared a protected natural area, being owned by the Mara Forest District. This forest is special for its unusual blend of tree species: oak, sessile oak and larch, which grow next to hornbeam, wild cherry, hazelnut and blackberry. There are still many monumental oak specimens, over 250 years old, 30 m high and more than 2 m in trunk diameter.
Ocna Șugatag, Romania
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The Kis Miklós Totfalusi Museum

The memorial museum, opened in 1991 in the old parish building of the Reformed church, is a tribute to the first printer in northwestern Transylvania. Totfalusi Kis Miklós was a prominent figure in the Romanian printing industry, being famous for his overwhelming contribution to the printing of the first Romanian books. The famous printer, born in 1650 in Tăuții-Măgherăuș, would begin the studies in his hometown and continued in Baia Mare and Aiud. Although the completion of his studies culminated in obtaining a position of Rector in Făgăraș city, he chose to leave Romania at the age of 30, becoming an apprentice printer in Amsterdam. For two years, between 1684 and 1686, he printed the Golden Bible, a revised copy of the Hungarian Bible. Among the achievements that earned him the title of the most famous engraver and caster in Amsterdam are the editing of the first cookbook and the creation of the first printed Georgian alphabet. Ten years after leaving his home country, he would return to Cluj-Napoca, where he used his valuable knowledge of the art of printing for the management of a book printing house. Unfortunately, some of the printed volumes attracted many enemies, and the unfavorable economic conditions of the time were felt in the declining number of book buyers. The printer passed away in 1702, in Cluj-Napoca. The Kis Miklós Totfalusi Museum presents to the public a valuable museum collection consisting of vintage books, printing press components, alphabet patterns, portraits and lithographs.
Muzeu Obiective turistice

The Pleş Peasant Museum

Not far from the Church on the Hill, we find the Pleş Peasant Museum. It was opened in 2000 and is arranged in a peasant household that includes a house and a household, the wooden constructions being over 250 years old. The twig fence that surrounds the household and the wooden gate through which offer access, ensure the transition to the simple universe of the country man. In the yard one can view technical installations used by peasants, such as a scutcher, brush, spindle, ratchet, spinning wheel, weaving loom, all used in the processing of hemp. In the barn there are installations used in the processing of cereals, such as a hand mill, an oil press or a corn chopper. The interior of the house features objects that were once found in any home in Maramureș, from kitchen utensils and traditional pieces of furniture, to items of folk costumes or fabrics and icons used to decorate the walls. The pieces from this valuable ethnographic collection belonged either to the Pleş family or to the villagers from Ieud, who donated them to enrich the patrimony of the small museum. 
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The Museum of the Romanian Peasant Woman

The Museum of the Romanian Peasant Woman is the only museum in Romania dedicated exclusively to women. The "Maramureș Woman's Museum", as it is also called, was opened to the public in 2001 and includes a household that, both through its interior and its exterior design, pays homage to women. The wooden house on a stone foundation, located in the courtyard, is a telling proof that the things taken care of with dedication and skill survive the time. It was built in 1720 and belonged to Ileana Chiş, the owner's wish being that after her demise, the house be transformed into a museum. The house has traditional household items and furniture, as well as an important textile heritage that includes folk costumes, wedding suits, masks, bags and other pieces that were found in the dowry of the girl, as well as decorative elements. The courtyard is, in turn, a universe of tradition, a ritual area that begins with the passage through the gate carved in Maramureș style, which describes the customs of these places through signs and symbols. On the pillars of the gate we can see a bride and bridesmaids, the rooster, which is also the symbol of the locality, the Dacian flag, the rendering of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, as well as a group of women near a cradle, signifying the baptism. In the yard there is a wooden crucifix and a spindle, but also a group of statues that illustrate the woman in all stages of life, from childhood to old age. Another attraction is the tree in the yard, on whose branches the natives hang the housewife's pots, according to local tradition. At the top of the tree we find the red pot, reminiscent of Ileana Chiş, symbolizing that in the household there is a maiden girl.
Strada 1 Decembrie 1918 103, Dragomirești 437170, Romania
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The Village Museum, Baia Mare

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The Village Museum, part of the Maramureș County Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art, was inaugurated in 1984 and operates outdoors. Its patrimony includes veritable masterpieces of popular architecture, representative of all four "lands" of the county. An imposing Maramureș gate, carved by the popular craftsman Găvrilă Hotico, makes the transition from the city to the village on the hill. The traditional homes and outbuildings gathered in this corner of heaven take visitors back to an era dominated by simplicity, authenticity and beauty.
Strada Dealul Florilor nr. 1, Baia Mare 430165, Romania
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The "Home" Village Museum, Tăuții-Măgherăuș

The name of the museum suggests the destination that this ensemble is trying to describe for its visitors, namely that of a parental home. In fact, the entire ensemble composing this museum and which includes: the house, the barn, the stable, the shed, the wood shed and the coop, once served as a real household. The last host of the traditional household, which is about three centuries old, was auntie Florița from Bozânta Mică. Her descendants decided to donate the ensemble to the Town Hall of Tăuții-Măgherăuș. Once with its relocation it would be arranged as a museum. The museum's patrimony also includes over 300 exhibits that talk about the simple past and the traditional occupations of the locals. This interior collection preceded the arrangement of the museum-house, being initially sheltered inside the Middle  School from Tăuții-Măgherăuș. Over time, the collection has grown considerably through the efforts of teachers Ștefan Rusu and Emil Crâncău, who have dedicated themselves to enriching it. The "Home" Village Museum, beyond the traditional nature characteristic of the hearths of the Romanian nation, offers visitors a sense of familiar comfort, similar to what they once felt in the homes of their parents and grandparents.
Strada 1 227, Tăuții-Măgherăuș 437345, Romania
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The Village Museum of Maramureş

Opened to the public in 1981, the museum, which originally looked like a scattered village, now has more than 40 heritage sites. The oldest building that enriches the museum's collection is the church, moved here from Oncești, where it was brought from the village of Criciova, on the right bank of the Tisza River. The painting of the place, dating from the 16th century, was remade in 1802. The traditional architectural monuments in the museum were arranged so as to describe the specificity of the subzones Cosău - Mara and Lower Iza, Middle Iza, Vişeu - Borşa, Tisza and the Ruscova basin, from Historic Maramureș. The houses and outbuildings were made of wood on a stone foundation or boulders, maintaining a simple floor layout. Each building illustrates the social status of the owners, either through inscriptions or through specific decorative elements. It should also be mentioned that this museum is a true example of the Maramureș village, showcasing houses specific to ethnic minorities in these areas: Jews, Hungarians, Germans, and Ukrainians. The inside of the houses is traditionally decorated, some preserving the original pieces of furniture and others having original features. The museum, included in the ICOM and UNESCO networks, hosted the 16th Conference of the European Association of Open Air Museums in 1993, and the European conference entitled "The Wood Route in Europe" in 2000. One year later, the institution received the "Gheorghe Focşa" Award from the Ministry of Culture and Cults, and in 2019 it was included in the top museums in Romania, according to the prestigious Michelin Guide. 
Strada Muzeului 1, Sighetu Marmației 435500, Romania