The Village Museum of Maramureş

By far one of the most famous tourist attractions of Maramureș County, the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța is a unique place in the world, which fades away the boundaries between the worlds and brings a glimpse of optimism over the perception of death, and removes the element of classic tragedy. Becoming, once with the increasing awareness, a veritable open-air museum, the cemetery that replaced the oppressive gray of the funerary monuments by the already famous "Săpânța Blue", surprises at every step. The specificity of the Merry Cemetery is given by the fruit of the lifelong work of the carpenter Stan Ioan Pătraș, from whose gifted hands genuine artwork was created. After the passing of the master cross-maker, his legacy is carried on by his successor, Dumitru Tincu Pop, who continues his work. About 800 crosses, brightly colored and carefully carved, complete this valuable heritage site. In addition to the specific colors and unique bas-reliefs, what make the crosses remarkable are the epitaphs describing  sometimes in a funny register, events from the life of the deceased. 

Anyone who visits the land of Maramureș must board the train that puffs and meanders slowly on the Vaser Valley. This narrow-gauge railway used for transport of woods in Maramureș County is located in northern Romania, close to the border with Ukraine and stretches over an area of 46.3 km. The steam train in the Vaser Valley attracts thousands of tourists every year, willing to experience a journey, as it was almost 100 years ago, when the old locomotive was built, being recognized as the last forest railway powered by steam. In fact, in addition to the tourist component, the steam train still serves its original purpose to this day, namely the transport of wood. The route of the steam train starts in the Vişeu de Sus Railway Station, which has been operating since 1930. At kilometer 21.6 of the forest railway, the train stops at Paltin station, giving tourists enough time for a picnic or a short hike, before returning to the starting point.

The Stephen’s Tower, located in the immediate vicinity of the Liberty Square (Piața Libertății), served as the bell tower for the former church dedicated to the "Holy King Stephen", which dates from 1347, but which was officially inaugurated only in 1387. The construction of the massive stone tower was ordered by John Hunyadi (Ioan de Hunedoara), after the victory in Ialomița against the Ottomans. In 1468, more than two decades after the beginning of the works, the tower was completed. Over time, the tower would undergo several stages of restoration and rehabilitation, the last of which restored the building to its current appearance in 2013. The moon clock, which completes the medieval character of the monument that is 50 m high, was installed in 1628, and it also underwent a vast process of rehabilitation. The bell, although cast in a foundry in Arad about five centuries ago, found its place in the tower only in 1925. A total of 165 narrow stairs, some of which made of stone and some of wood, allow access to the steeple at the top of the tower, which reveals an unparalleled view of Baia Mare.

One of the most appreciated tourist objectives of Maramureș is the Rooster’s Ridge Reserve. The formation of volcanic rocks, which have made their way to the surface in the high area of ​​the Gutâi Mountains and which from a distance resembles a rooster’s crest, reveals a beautiful panorama over the vast mixed forests and areas of juniper and mountain pastures. Extremely generous in terms of habitat, but also of activities and sports that can be practiced outdoor, the Rooster’s Ridge Reserve was, still is and will remain one of the favorite destinations of tourists visiting the county.

The road from Baia Mare to Sighetu Marmaţiei crosses the Gutâi Mountains, passing through the township of Deseşti. On these lands stands one of the most important churches of Maramureş, not far from the sources of the Mara River. Erected in 1717 - according to other sources, in 1770, on the site of an older one, this place of worship was dedicated to the Pious Paraschiva and was painted around 1780 by Radu Munteanu and Alexandru Ponehalschi. The architecture of the building is in line with that of the traditional churches of Maramureș, the harmony of its proportions strengthening the impression of simplicity and elegance, specific to these monuments. The upper beams that support the frame are carved in the shape of a ladder, giving the ensemble a special line. The layout of the place of worship comprises a rectangular main body - which, on the outside, resembles the layout of a hall-type church - which consists of a narthex and a nave, continued by the detached altar. The nave has a semi-cylindrical vault and double eaves. Above the ceilinged narthex rises the bell tower with a sharp coif, the entire architectural ensemble being supported on a stone pedestal. Access to the interior of the building is done through a portal inlaid with geometric and vegetal decorative motifs, but also with the element of the twisted rope, a symbol of Christian unity. The exceptionally well-preserved painting has undergone a complete restoration, giving the monument its original appearance. The iconographic themes of Deseşti are common to all churches with post-Byzantine paintings, but here they can be observed much more easily. The narthex develops the theme of the Last Judgment, and here - but also at Poienile Izei - the moralizing valences of this theme can be easily identified. If in the art of Byzantine tradition of previous centuries the main characters painted in Hell were heretics and persecuting emperors, here we can easily see how the theological valences of the scene diminish, carnal sins prevailing over faith sins. Thus, the one who steals land without respecting the border, the one who steals taking advantage of his job as a miller or merchant, or the one who destroys families, become the main characters in scenes that show us a Hell full of torture tools used in the Middle Ages. The value of the monument lies in its technical construction, in the perfect science of execution and assembly of wooden elements. The architectural harmony and the perfect integration of the wooden decorative elements with the iconographic ones created an ensemble of remarkable simplicity and elegance. 

Erected at the beginning of the 18th century, as a place of worship for an important monastic community, the current UNESCO heritage church was the cathedral of Bishop Gavriil of Maramureş. Born in Bârsana, the bishop patronized a monastery school and a book distribution center there. The events that have taken place in the last three hundred years on the Iza Valley have left their mark on the beams of the church in Bârsana, more than on other monuments.  At the end of the 18th century, the imperial court in Transylvania and Maramureş would impropriate the monastic properties and the close down of the monastic communities. This campaign directly affected the monastic community, which was forced to withdraw to Moldova. Left unprotected, the church would be saved by villagers, who dismantled it piece by piece and, around 1800, would rebuilt it on its current site. For a proper reassembly, the beams bear signs that can be admired today. Standing on a pedestal, the beams carved from large oak trunks - from which the walls were built - were joined at the corners in a "swallow's tail" pattern. For two hundred years, the church has been guarding the peace of the people of Maramureş, buried in the cemetery on Jbârului Hill, to the left of the road that starts from Sighetu Marmaţiei, along the Iza River. The layout of the church is rectangular, composed of four rooms: porch, narthex, nave and altar. The apsis of the altar has five sides, being covered with a simple roof. Above the other rooms of the worship place, the roof has two ridges, housing a balcony to the west. The ornaments and the manner in which the western façade is made are identical to those of the porches of traditional houses. The carved wooden decoration uses motifs common in Maramureş, such as the twisted rope or the solar disk. The whole church seems to be surrounded by a twisted girdle, discontinued by a circle-shaped solar motif. After moving to the village, it was painted by Toader Hondor and Ioan Plohod, the iconography of the monument being considered to be the best expression of Baroque and Rococo in folk painting, in this part of the country. The scenes are depicted within stylized medallions binding the entire iconographic ensemble. The impressive wooden church from Bârsana is an example of perfect stylistic unity and an impeccable artistic sense.