| Departures | | From April to the end of October. |
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| DISCOVER MARAMURES BY BIKE | price from 479 € | | Romania - Leisure cycling - 9 days |
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Maramures is situated in a hollow ground in the heart of the Romanian’s Northwest Carpathian Mountains. The inhabitants of this region have known how to preserve their traditions and their folklore and you can admire the woollen traditional costumes, the flowery skirts, the coloured head scarves which cover women’s head and the traditional hats which crest the men’s ones.
Although surrounded by Ukraine, Hungary and Transylvania, Maramures presents an unmistakably cultural unity. One of the aspects of this common heritage is the architecture: here, the majority of houses are wooden built, according to an ancestral and proven technique. All the villages count at least a few centuries old wooden church (among which some are registered with the UNESCO world heritage list).
The region lives essentially on its natural resources, especially on the farming and on the forest exploitation. Come and discover the sweet hills, and fields covered with flowers during the spring time, and forests with plenty of mushrooms and wild berries. The fieldworks reflect the seasons and add an undated charm to this bucolic region.
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Day 1 Reception in Bucharest.
Arrival in Bucharest. According to the arrival time, possible tour of the city which was nicknamed during the “Belle Époque”: “Paris of the Eastern Europe”. Transfer to the North train station and travel by night train (5.30 pm, first class sleeping car wagon) to Maramures. |
Day 2 Immersion in Maramures...
Arriving in Sighetu Marmatiei (7.05am). Our host waits for us to take our luggage and give us our cycles. We begin our adventure with a route which will bring us in a charming traditional small village. We will stop on our way to see various sights, notably a wooden votive cross sculptured in the 16th century, as well as a wooden church protected by UNESCO. Night in our guesthouse. |  |
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Day 3 Discovery of the traditional environment.
Today, our route will bring us through typical and charming villages of the region. We can admire houses, churches and wooden monumental portals having sculptured symbols and everyday life scenes. |
Day 4 Crossing of valleys, bucolic landscape.
A cycling day which will make us go down the Iza's valley. Then we will cross hills by a bucolic road to reach the Viseu's valley. This route will offer us an exceptional panorama on the beautiful Maramures landscapes. We can visit along the way "Casa Deac Mosu" a wooden house built in 1760 which has the rare status of “inhabited museum ". |  |
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Day 5 Steam train.
Today, we leave our cycles to take the last steam train which still works in the country! This forest train will allow us to discover, thanks to its plan and its casual rhythm, a wild nature which shelters an extremely rich flora, and also bears, wolves and lynx… |
Day 6 Crafts of the wood and the wool
We get on our cycles for a route which will make us come back to the Iza’s Valley. We will stop in a small village to discover the oldest wooden church of the region, set up to the 14th century, as well as a small museum of local crafts. We’ll arrive, at the end of our route, in the traditional village of Botiza, known for its coloured carpets with vegetable dyes, and can attend a demonstration of weaving by a highly skilled craftswoman. |  |
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Day 7 Traditionnal villages.
Our last day of cycle will make us cross small traditional villages and we will so have the pleasure to admire, for the last time, life scenes disappeared from western countries, but which remain vivid here. We will stop along the way to visit the incredible Barsana Monastery. A convent set up in the 1990s, observing the style and the traditional methods of construction. The result is a masterpiece of Maramures crafts. |
Day 8 Joyful cemetery and the communism victims Memorial
We leave cycles to take a minibus to Sapanta, a village known for its unique "Happy Cemetery". Every grave is accompanied by a wooden sculpture and painted steel, with very vivid colours, which describes the life of the deceased person. Then, we will go to visit “the Memorial of the Communism victims”, a museum situated in the former political prison, which will give us a sad testimony of the Romanian dark years. |  |
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Day 9 Bucharest between east and west.
Arrival (7.20am) in Bucharest, a city between east and west, between communist stigmas and triumphant capitalism. Possible extra night in Bucharest. |
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| Details | Starting point
Bucharest airport or Bucharest train station.
End
Bucharest airport or Bucharest train station.
How to get there
By plane: Otopeni or Baneasa airports in Bucharest.
By train : Bucharest train station.
Accommodation
Nights in guest-houses in rooms of 2 persons exceptionnaly 3. Generally one bathroom accomodation for 2 bedrooms.
Number of people
Minimum of 2 persons.
Level of difficulty
9 days of which 5 cycling. Medium level (40Km a day, with usually gentle climbs and a few steeper parts).
Carrying
Luggage will be transferred from one guesthouse to the other.
Options
- Bike rental : 70€
- Single supplement : 75€
- Extra night in Bucharest (double room with breakfasts included) : 115€
- Price from 6 to 9 persons : 499€
- Price from 10 to 14 persons : 479€
Included
The nights, meals, roadbook, maps, luggage transfer, permanent local assistance.
Not included
Bikes rental, transfer to the meeting point and to the drop off point, insurances, drinks and personal expenses.
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