UNESCO World Heritage

Maramureș County, also called "the Land of wooden churches", shelters over 100 such edifices, proof of the rich spiritual heritage of these places. Since 1999, eight of these monuments of traditional architecture have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition to these architectural emblems, Maramureș County takes great pride in other attractions, that have included it on the world heritage map. The virgin forests of Strâmbu-Băiuț and Groșii Țibleșului were, in turn, included in an UNESCO site, as an expression of the greatness of nature Maramureș was blessed with.

Erected at the beginning of the 18th century, as a place of worship for an important monastic community, the current UNESCO heritage church was the cathedral of Bishop Gavriil of Maramureş. 

The rich forests in the area of ​​the Cosău River offered the people the wood used for the construction of the beautiful church in Budeşti-Josani, located about 30 km south of Sighetu Marmaţiei, in the direction of the Cavnic town. Dedicated to Saint Nicoară - the folk name of Saint Nicholas - the edifice was erected in 1642 and is part of the group of large churches in Maramureş.

At the foot of the Gutâi Mountains, at the intersection of the roads that connect the towns of Baia Sprie and Cavnic, there is a beautiful hilly area, surrounded by mountains. Here, the splendor of nature's harmonies is matched only by the monumental wooden church that rises in this depression. Raised above space and time, the 54-meter tower of the church in Şurdeşti gives the feeling of complete peace between people and nature.

Located right in the heart of Lăpuş Country, Rogoz village boasts one of the most beautiful wooden churches in Maramureş. It was erected in 1663, on the site of a church burned by the Tartars during their invasion in 1661 and legend says that it was built from two huge pieces of woods brought from Popii Hill. The church dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel is, in general, part of the architecture specific to this region.

Along the Iza Valley, the road that accompanies the Botiza and Poieni streams leads to the village of Poienile Izei, where the impressive wooden church "Pious Parascheva" is located. Built in the first half of the 17th century - a period when the Moldavian voivode Vasile Lupu brought the relics of the Pious Parascheva to Iaşi - the church is a testament, over the years, of the cultural and religious ties between the Romanians from Maramureş region and the Moldavians.

*Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The road from Baia Mare to Sighetu Marmaţiei crosses the Gutâi Mountains, passing through the township of Deseşti. On these lands stands one of the most important churches of Maramureş, not far from the sources of the Mara River. Erected in 1717 - according to other sources, in 1770, on the site of an older one, this place of worship was dedicated to the Pious Paraschiva and was painted around 1780 by Radu Munteanu and Alexandru Ponehalschi.

The ancient hearth of human habitation, Iza Valley, is home to several villages whose history is lost in the mists of time. The village of Ieud was part of the domain of Bogdan from Cuhea, the legendary Maramureș voivode who, by conquering the lands east of the Carpathians and declaring independence from the Kingdom of Hungary, later became the founding Prince of Moldavia. According to legend, the Church of Ieud Deal, dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary, was erected in the second half of the 14th century, but recent research dates it to the beginning of the 17th century. Built of fir wood, the monument is a testament, centuries later, of the mastery of carpenters in this region.

*Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The village of Plopiş located in the Cavnic Valley is truly amazing in terms of how man's creativity intertwines with the beauty of the nature. Harmony, elegance and suppleness make the whole area a true temple, whose central point is the wooden church dedicated to the "Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel". The church cemetery can be entered through a gate which opens the path crossing through the tombs of the founders of this monument.

Part of the history and cultural identity of Maramureș, the secular forests of Strâmbu Băiuț are an expression of natural balance, unhindered by human intervention. The virgin and quasi-virgin forests found here, which in some cases are over 500 years old, have been included in a site of Community importance, with the main purpose of protecting and conserving them 

Along with other traditional techniques from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the traditional wall-carpet craftsmanship from Maramureș has proven its importance as an element of the intangible cultural heritage, especially with its inclusion in the UNESCO World heritage. At the county level, the representative centers for the conservation and perpetuation of this technique are represented by the communes of Botiza and Bârsana.