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7 days trip
Price: from 768 EURO / trip / person (depending on group size)
Package includes: 6 nights of accommodation in 3 star (***) classified rural pensions, full meal services, visitor fees, lessons from craftsmen’s, meal at sheepfold, guide and transportation throughout the holiday period with the takeover from Baia Mare, photos / video of the vacation on DVD.
10% discount is given for children up to 12 years.
Package does not include: souvenirs, drinks and personal expenses.
Day 1 . Step back in time – from modern Baia Mare to the historical Maramureş. You will get to know the city of Baia Mare – important cultural, historic and mining center, with a history of over 700 years. Then you will pass the Gutâi Mountains towards historical Maramureş, experiencing a strange phenomenon, a fraction of road where the car goes up the hill with stopped engine, on the fracture line of the former volcano –mountain that now is declared a protected area of European interest.
Day 2 . History of Maramureș carved in wood. You will visit the Cosău River Valley that is one of the best preserved areas with traditional architecture. Households here keep both the wooden constructions as well as the usage of peasant technical tools made from the same material. The massive carved wooden gates are true architectural jewels of folk art and are considered a regional symbol of identity. In Budești, you will visit the UNESCO heritage wooden church, sheltering the mail shirt of Pintea the Brave. In the small settlement Mănăstirea, you will find one of the smallest wooden churches, built from a single oak wood.
Day 3 . Birds of prey and carnivorous plants on the dormant volcano. You will hike to the Rooster Crest Nature Reserve that is the most spectacular protected area in the region, declared natural monument as well. The andesitic rock formations, shaped like roosters crest is part of the volcanic cone that erupted with nine million years ago. It is the perfect sight-seeing point towards the historical Maramureș and to observe birds of prey flying over the mosaic landscape of meadows and beech forests. In the company of one of our guides you will discover the spectacular volcanic landscape, and learn about the geological processes that occurred 9 million years ago and observe current evolution that allows the survival of tiny carnivorous plants – the ice age relict species.
Day 4 . Salt baths and old forests. A day of relaxation: reinvigorating at Ocna Șugatag with salt baths and massages, followed by a refreshing walk in the nearby Crăiască forest reserve. You will get acquainted with local products from herbs and berries harvested from the ecologically clean regions. These natural handmade remedies are famous for increasing one’s life force, and for treatment of various diseases.
Day 5 . Taste of the freshly prepared cheese at the sheepfold. A wonderful opportunity to discover another face of Maramureș: the traditional activities that enriches and modeling the landscape. You will have the opportunity to experience the life at the sheepfold, taste freshly prepared cheese and learn the secrets of living in the vicinity of large carnivores, accounted by shepherds.
Day 6 . Crafts and handicrafts. Spend your day with local craftsmen’s and artisans and learn to create products bearing the identity of the region: “zgardane” the local traditional jewelries, the small Maramureș hat, wool clothing and small wooden carvings. In addition to the products, you will have the opportunity to take home the regional stories about these objects – enriching your memories of an unforgettable holiday.
Day 7 .The journey ends – but the experience remains. Return to Baia Mare through the Gutâi pass, at 1,000 m altitude – a stop at monument of Pintea the Brave and at the Virgin Stone – the perfect sight- seeing point towards the forests of Gutâi Mountains, the green gold of these lands.
