Authentic & beautiful, for you ...
Private tours of Transylvania & Romania, tailor-made
Private tours of Transylvania & Romania, tailor-made
Said to be Europe's last truly rural region, in Maramures you'll feel like you're stepping back in time when seeing many traditions still kept here like wearing traditional clothes, weaving, making plum brandy, washing clothes at the river whirlpool, or decorating Easter Eggs by hand.
We invite to discover the famous wooden churches of Maramures, 8 of them being UNESCO World heritage sites. But you'll probably remember the most meeting local craftsmen, learning their craft and making friends with them.
Day 1
Getting to Maramures region and meeting your first local hosts: a very talented potter and his wife from Baia Sprie.
We’ll have a traditional welcome dinner.
Day 2 – creating your first bowl and see the first wooden church
First you’ll see the potter at work and then you’ll have two practice sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For the beginning you will start with a bowl and maybe a vase, something easy to make. His pottery style can be called figurative ceramics, creating human and animal shapes alongside bowls, pots and vases. In between pottery we’ll visit the tallest wooden church in the world at Şurdeşti and the one Plopiş.
Day 3
The bowl previously made has dried a little so now you can get to stage two: polish it and give it a good luck so you can take it away as souvenir.
We then visit the wooden church in Desesti, having the clearest paintings of all. Then we’ll take a horse drawn carriage ride for 2-3 hours over rolling hills and passing by peasants working the fields, fascinating wooden traditional gates and we’’ll have a picnic lunch in the fields. We’ll finally arrive to Breb village set at the food of the mountain. In the afternoon we can walk to the nearby village of Desesti, as beautiful as Breb.
Day 4
We’ll visit a blacksmith making horseshoes, a gifted wood carver, women sewing traditional clothes and a whirlpool natural washing machine.
In the afternoon we’ll visit the craftman making the famous crosses at the Merry Cemetery in Săpânţa. Along the way we can pass by the impressive Museum of the Victims of Communism, situated in a former prison.
Day 5
Maramureș experience is not complete without a narrow-gauge steam train ride on the spectacular Vaser valley; the ride will definitely confirm the feeling of being back in time. On the way back to Breb you can pass by Bârsana, a calming and energy filling monastic place on top of a hill overlooking the green valley.
Day 6
A day at your choice, depending on your interest, season and what is happening then in Maramureş. You can spend the day learning to sew traditional clothes, weave carpets or carve objects in wood. Or you can go to a sheepfold and give a helping hand to the shepherd in herding sheep, milking them and making cheese. Or in the summer you can mow hay with a scythe, gather it and pile a haystack or you can pick up berries and mushrooms. In autumn you can help with making plum brandy or jams. If you are lucky you could attend a traditional event like milk measurement in spring, a traditional wedding or a festival.
Day 7
Unless you fall in love with the region and decide to stay longer, it is time to say farewell and continue your trip.
| Group size | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 190 | EUR |
| 7-9 | 220 | EUR |
| 6 | 240 | EUR |
| 5 | 260 | EUR |
| 4 | 290 | EUR |
| 3 | 340 | EUR |
| 2 | 400 | EUR |
If the itinerary will be tailored, the price will probably change.
To confirm the booking 50 EUR/person should be paid. The remaining amount can be paid on the first 2 days of the tour. Payments can be done through bank transfer or cash; through paypal transaction fees apply.
Travelers are financially secure given our globally valid travel agency insurance. Please also read our terms and conditions.
Please confirm the dates with us before booking your flights.
In rural guesthouses owned by locals. In Baia Sprie will stay in a new building having a charming rustic interior. In Breb we'll stay in an old traditional wooden house.
Meals are cooked by traditional recipes and most ingredients come from local farmers. The food is very tasty as it is grown through traditional farming methods.
Baia Mare or Sighetu Marmatiei are ideal.
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