Next up you will visit one of the most peculiar cemeteries in the world, the Merry Cemetery. Local craftsman and woodcarver Stan Ioan Pătras sculpted the first tombstone in 1935 gave birth to this tradition, and today the cemetery is filled with more than 800 colorful wooden crosses, with epitaphs.

Next, we will see the religious side of the people from Maramures, by visiting some of the most beautiful churches in Romania, included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will admire two of the Wooden Churches of Maramures, Poienile Izei and Barsana, built and carved by local craftsmen as a gratitude to God. Our journey will then take us to the homes of some local craftsmen, where we will admire some of their work, such as the hand-carved traditional wooden gates, and the pottery. You will also be introduced to the most natural and ecological washing machine, Valtori – The Whirlpools of Maramures, the place where local women still go to wash their woolen, hard to handle rugs.

Romania is well known for its mountains, forests, beautiful landscapes, gorges, and waterfalls, and on our way back to Cluj we will stop to admire the beautiful landscape from Maramures. One of the attractions that you will surely fall in love with is the last virgin forest in Maramures, a place that is still pure and untouched by humans, home to more than 10,000 species of animals and plants, and a paradise for any tourists that steps inside. Next, we will be climbing heights to admire the lovely hill villages, beautiful scenery that will make you feel like in a Lord of the Rings setting.