Maramureș Guide: The Wooden Heart of Northern Romania

Maramureș lies in northern Romania, near the Ukrainian border, in a mountainous landscape. Its fame rests largely on its wooden churches, painted grave markers and the steam forestry railway. Around 100 wooden churches still stand today, several of them on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Village life, carved gates and handcraft shape the visit. Current schedules, entry fees and opening hours are not stated without sourced confirmation; where details are missing, we say we don't know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

The wooden churches of Maramureș were built from oak logs between the 17th and 19th centuries. Eight of them were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999: Bârsana, Budești Josani, Desești, Ieud Hill, Plopiș, Poienile Izei, Rogoz and Șurdești. They are known for slim, tall bell towers at the western end and naïve biblical paintings. They stand without nails, joined only in wood. Visiting hours and service times are not stated without sourced confirmation; where details are missing, we say we don't know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

The Merry Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel) in the village of Săpânța is famous for its brightly painted wooden crosses. The local craftsman Stan Ioan Pătraș (1908–1977) carved the first epitaph in 1935; by the 1960s more than 800 oak crosses had appeared. Each cross carries naïve paintings and inscriptions that describe the deceased in a humorous, poetic way. The cemetery is counted among the Seven Wonders of Romania. Current entry fees and opening hours are not stated without sourced confirmation; where details are missing, we say we don't know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

Bârsana has two separate churches. The old wooden church of 1720 is one of the eight UNESCO churches. The main church of the monastic complex founded after 1989, however, was raised in 1993; at about 57 metres it ranked among the tallest wooden churches in Europe and held that title until 2003. It was built of oak in the Maramureș style, without nails. Today it is an active women's monastery. Visiting hours and service times are not stated without sourced confirmation; where details are missing, we say we don't know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

The Mocănița is a 760 mm narrow-gauge steam forestry train that departs from Vișeu de Sus. The line was built in 1933–1935 to haul timber and runs through the Vaser Valley toward the Ukrainian border; the main route is about 43 km long. Today it serves both timber transport and tourism and counts as one of the last of its kind in Europe. The steam engine runs along the river through forest. Departure times, ticket prices and the timetable are not stated without sourced confirmation; where details are missing, we say we don't know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)