What To Expect When You Travel To Maramures

I won’t tell you what to expect when you travel to Maramures from my imagination. Last week I have actually done that for you and other guests who are planning to come for a trip in summer and fall.

We already wrote about Maramures, what is there to see and why you should go. But that was a while ago. I wanted to see how the region changed, what’s new. To be very honest, I also wanted to try out the traditional guesthouses I know had opened in Botiza, one of the villages where you can have an authentic experience of the region.

So what did we find? In a few words: beautiful landscapes, wonderful accommodation, and extremely welcoming and warm people.

We stopped for a night nearby Alba Iulia, the city known for Romania’s unification in 1918. We strolled around the Alba Carolina citadel before heading towards the mountain villages nearby.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral from Alba Iulia. Source: BD

The morning after we woke up to an amazing view of this oddly shaped mountain.

Morning view from Coltesti, Alba. Source: BD

Speaking of views, the week continued with beautiful, picture perfect images that I can only wish to wake up to more often. Here are some from Viseu and Botiza.

Morning view from Viseu de Sus, Maramures. Source: BD

Morning view from Botiza, Maramures. Source: BD

But while driving we also came across bee keepers, visited Mr Barsan and stopped by to visit some of the wooden churches that make Maramures famous and that are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Bee keepers on the side of the road in Maramures. Source: BD

Wood carving in Mr Barsan’s workshop in Barsana, Maramures. Source: BD

The places of accommodation we found? I’ll tell you this: you will get more than what you’ll expect when looking from the outside. Centuries old traditional wooden houses have been tastefully restored to allow guests to enjoy their stay in authentic locations while having excellent levels of comfort. Whether in Breb or Botiza, you can actually choose from the various guesthouses depending on what you expect your experience to be.

Traditional gate from Maramures, in Botiza. Source: BD

Beautiful guesthouse in Botiza, La Sesuri. Source: BD

We ended our trip with the loveliest of drives coming down from Maramures into Transylvania on a narrow mountain road, crossing very few cars and enjoying the views. Our last night before returning home was in Cluj, the NW gateway into Transylvania, home to more than 80.000 students, bubbling with life, and very inviting to stay for longer.

Statue of Matei Corvin from the Union Square in Cluj. Source: BD

As the week starts and so many memories from this trip are still very fresh on my mind, I can only plan to travel to Maramures again later this year. I’d recommend you do the same 😉