Baia Mare in 365 Days: The Northern Gem of Romania

DISCLAIMER
This project has been funded with support from the
European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the
information contained therein.
This brochure has been elaborated during the project
“Baia Mare is Mine” (2020-3-RO01-ESC11-095009), funded
by the European Union through the Romanian National
Agency, in the context of the European Solidarity Corps,
volunteering action.
YELLOW SHIRTS Association
Baia Mare, Romania
www.yellowshirts.org
FB: YellowShirtsRomania
IG: yellow.shirts
PROJECT
Baia Mare is Mine
2020-3-RO01-ESC11-095009
TEXT COLLECTED BY
Anna KURASHVILI

First day of the New Year – considered anciently by
the Dacians as the symbolic funerary ceremony
and the rebirth of the first God of the people, the
Year.
Baia Mare is the capital of Maramureș County.
Baia Mare, once known as The River of the Ladies
(Rivulus Dominarum), is crossed by the Săsar river.
The tradition is that on 6th January, for the
Baptism Day, the priests bless each house.
Single ladies put basil under their pillow on January
6, believing they will dream their future husband.
Baptism Day – the Biblical Day when Jesus was
baptised, has different superstitions in Maramureș,
one of it being drinking holy water for 8 days in a
row before eating, for body purification.
Saint John’s Day – last of the winter holidays, was
celebrated before through a strict ritual, when the
old women were welcoming the young ones by
splashing them with river water and having a
common feast.
Nearly 2 million Romanians bear the name or
derivates of John (Ioan, Ion, Ioana, Ionela, Nelu,
Nela, Ionică, Oana, Nică, Ionuț and so on).
In some regions of Romania, those who are named
Ion get a special kind of celebration, called “Udatul
Ionilor” (Watering the Johns).
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After the Bronze Age, Baia Mare was included in
the Dacian Kingdom formed by the King Burebista
when the mining exploration began, as the area is
rich in gold and silver.
Baia Mare is first mentioned in written documents
released by Charles I of Hungary in 1329 under the
name of Rivulus Dominarum, which means The
River of the Ladies.
The name of Rivulus Dominarum comes from the
legend where a man saw a few women separating
gold from the river’s sand and named the river as
“the ladies’ river”. This later seems to have become
the name of the settlement.
In the far past, while the women were working at
the river, the men worked in the mines from the
surrounding zones.
The main economic activity of Baia Mare has been
based on the mining activities in the surrounding
areas for centuries.
The Chimney of Phoenix Copper Smelter, with a
height of 351.5 meters, is the tallest structure in
Romania. The chimney is no longer in use.
Romanian expressions: i-a picat fața - his face has
fallen off, used in surprising or shocking situations.
The region of Maramureș is famous for its wood,
which includes wooden churches, wooden gates
and wooden handcrafted items.
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Foods to try: papanași - fried cheese doughnuts
best served hot, with sour cream, and preferably,
with blueberry jam.
The history of Baia Mare is related to the Hunyadi
family, who owned the city for centuries.
Places to check: for a wonderful view over the city,
ascend in the Stephen Tower.
Romanian superstitions: if your right palm itches,
then you’ll receive money. On the contrary, if it’s
your left one, beware… you’ll be giving money today.
Romanian superstitions: the "itching superstitions"
can be related to your nose, in which case you
might be slapped or believed to have lied to the
person you’re talking to.
Etymology of Baia Mare's name - the Hungarian
noun "bánya", which means underground mine,
plus the adjective "large".
Unification Day of the Romanian Principalities –
Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler both for
Walachia and Moldova countries. The most
common action related to this event is singing and
dancing Hora Unirii (The unification dance).
Romanian superstitions: if you want to get married
in Romania, then don’t sit at the corner of the
table. Doing so means you’ll never marry.
Places to check: Sfatul Bătrânilor (Elders' Advice).
Artwork of Vida Gheza located in front of the
Maramureș County Prefecture (46 Gh. Șincai st.).
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Romanian superstitions: if you drop a piece of food
means someone is hungry, usually, the person
whose name starts with the same letter as
whatever you’re eating.
The city of Baia Mare is the most populous of
northern Romanian cities (Satu Mare, Suceava and
Botoșani), with a population of approximately
132,000 inhabitants.
Romanian superstitions: the horseshoe is a sign of
wealth and good luck. Many jewelleries and
accessories will contain to bring it good fortune.
On 30 January 2000, Baia Mare was the site of
what has been considered Europe's worst
ecological disaster since Chernobyl, which took
place at gold mining company Aurul. Luckily today
the area has recovered and even exceeded the
state of before 2000.
Romanian superstitions: if your ears are red, it
means someone is idly talking about you.
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Not far from the city there are a few very
important natural reservations, among them being
Creasta Cocoșului, Cheile Tătărului or Lacul
Albastru.
Places to try: Narcoffee (1 Culturii st.).
Baia Mare is the northernmost place where the
chestnut tree grows.
Baia Mare is home to many schools, theatres, art
galleries and museums.
Baia Mare is considered to be one of the most
picturesque cities due to its location in the Eastern
Carpathian Mountains.
Food in the region is influenced by Hungarian and
Austrian cuisines.
Baia Mare has a history of more than 2000 years
of gold, silver and other nonferrous metals
extraction.
Baia Mare has preserved some of its medieval past
around the main town square - Piața Libertății.
The oldest house in Baia Mare is dated from the
1440s and is located on the eastern side of the Old
Town (Piața Libertății).
Places to check: the Miner Statue (1 Piața
Revoluției). Artwork by artist Vida Gheza.
Parks: Regina Maria City Park (57 Valea Roșie st.).
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Queen Mary, wife of King Ferdinand I, was the last
Queen of Romania.
Places to check: Village Museum (1 Dealul Florilor
st.).
Romanian expressions: te aburește - he is throwing
vapours at you, used when somebody is lying to you
or deceiving you.
Outdoor activity: Valea Usturoiului hike.
Foods to try: boiled papanași - cottage cheese
dumplings with semolina, coated in sugary
breadcrumbs.
Places to check: Casa Teleki (5-7 Minerilor st.) is
among the oldest building in the historical centre
and was built by the Satulung Teleki family. Today it
hosts the Hungarian Cultural Centre.
Romanian superstitions: if your foot itches it means
that you will soon travel.
Constantin Brâncuși Day - Romanian sculptor,
world renowned for his sculptures mainly imitating
the nature and the Romanian peasant’s life. Most
known works are The Table of Silence, The Kiss
Gate or the Infinite Column.
In February, Romanians celebrate Dragobete, a
day for lovers, rather than Valentine's Day.
It is a common belief in some parts of Romania
that, during Dragobete, stepping over a partner's
foot leads to the dominant role in the relationship.
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Those who take part in Dragobete customs are
supposed to be protected from illness, especially
fevers, for the rest of the year.
During Dragobete it is said that if boys don't meet
the girl they like, they will have really bad luck for
the rest of the year.
Dragobete – if in the morning both girls and boys
were going in the woods to search for spring
flowers, around noon the girls started running
back to the villages with the boys in love with them
running behind; if the boy was catching up with his
dear one, he was stealing a kiss, which also
symbolized the commitment of love for the following
year; the most famous phrase associated with this
holiday is Dragobetele sărută fetele (Dragobete
kisses the girls).
Grigore Pintea, known as the outlaw Pintea Viteazul
(Pintea the Brave) was born February, 25.
Baba Dochia - The Old Dokia, is a figure identified
with the return of Spring. Baba Dochia's days are
the first 9 ones of March and, by choosing one of
those in advance, it will indicate the way your year
will go in accordance to the weather.
The word Mărțișor is the diminutive of marț, the
old folk name for March (martie, in modern
Romanian), and literally means "little March".
A leap year happens every 4 year, when the date of
29th February appears, and 2024 will be the next
such year.
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Mărțișor - the arrival of spring; on Mărțișor women
receive small gifts with the red & white traditional
string.
The red and white colours of Mărțisor have special
meanings - red is considered the colour of spring
and white the colour of winter.
Mărțișor has been included in the UNESCO
Patrimony’s Cultural Heritage, being celebrated in
Romania, Rep. Moldova and Bulgaria likewise.
Places to check: Piața Izvoarelor (15 Pieței st.), which
hosts Baia Mare’s main open-air food market.
Many places in the region have names mentioning
Pintea and his band of outcasts: Pinteas's Spring,
Pintea's House, Pintea's Fountain, Pintea's Band,
Pintea's Peak and Pintea's cavern. Legends talk
about money hidden in various caverns by Pintea.
Drinks to try: horincă – the rough double-distilled
local drink, made from plums, apples or pears.
Foods to try: zacuscă - vegetable dip - roasted red
peppers as the base, while the flavours can be
given by adding eggplants, mushrooms, beans or
mixtures.
International Women's Day – nowadays celebrating
worldwide the femininity, most common gift being
big bouquets of flowers.
You can find lot of Stibnite (type of mineral) in Baia
Mare, mainly exposed at the Mine Flower Museum.
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Places to try: Rox specialty coffee (9 Culturii st.).
Parks: Buclă Park (61 Victoriei st.).
There were seven defensive towers in Baia Mare,
only one having survived until today.
Places to check: Bastionul Măcelarilor or the
Butchers' Tower (2 Piața Izvoarelor st.).
Romanian expressions: ești varză - you are
cabbage, used when one’s house is a mess, when
being very confused or being totally not good about
something.
Outdoor activity: Blue Lake hike.
Foods to try: salată de vinete - smoked eggplant
salad dip - blended eggplants with oil and onion.
Places to check: Monument dedicated to the
Romanian Heroes of World War II located next to
Baia Mare's Youth Field (9 Valea Roșie st.).
Outdoor activity: Igniș Peak hike.
Sport tips: Ayo Gym (14A G. Coșbuc st.).
Spring Equinox - the beginning of the astronomic
spring, marking the equal night and day; it is the
day from which the nature comes back to life and
gives the start of the new agricultural year.
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Romanian tongue twisters: De gospodărit, mă
gospodăresc, dar de desgospodărit nu mă pot
desgospodări pentru ca desgospodărirea este
păguboasă, meaning Setting up the house I set it
up, but I can't unset up the house because
unsetting up the house is harmful.
Places to try: Vivo Mall, open daily from 10:00-22:00
(73 Victoriei st.).
Transilvania Motor Ring is the first permanent
circuit in Romania, and was opened in November
2018 near Târgu Mureș (206 km from Baia Mare).
Seven Wooden Churches of Maramureş are part of
the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In 2008, at the Beijing Summer Olympics, 38-years-
old Romanian athlete Constantina Diță became the
world’s oldest athlete to win a marathon.
The Danube-Black Sea Canal is the third-longest
human-made navigation path, after the Suez and
Panama Canals.
Sport tips: Peninsula (50 112 st., Bușag).
Places to check: Planetarium and Astronomical
Observatory (16 G. Coșbuc st.).
Outdoor activity: hike to Bodi Lake.
Foods to try: mămăligă în straturi – layers of
polenta with cheese and pork scraps.
Parks: RFN Park (D. Cantemir st.).
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Fools Day – the best day to prank your loved ones
and having an excuse for it.
The oldest existent document written in Romanian
remains Neacșu's letter (1521) and was written using
the Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, which was used
until the late 19th century.
Romanian superstitions: don’t be sad if it’s raining
on your wedding day as, according to Romanian
superstitions, this brings good luck and wealth.
Outdoor activity: Izvoarele in Baia Sprie (14 km from
Baia Mare).
You can find a lot of Chalcopyrite (a type of mineral)
in Baia Mare's Mine Flower Museum.
Romanian expressions: te îmbeți cu apă rece - to
get drunk with cold water, meaning you are fooling,
deceiving yourself.
Places to try: Terasa Tom și Jerry (16 P. Sándor st.).
Food to try: cozonac - a sweet bread traditionally
eaten during Easter, Christmas, baptism and
wedding celebrations.
Parks: Mara Park (Unirii bl.).
Places to check: Casa Degenfeld (5 Piața Libertății).
Foods to try: pască - eaten during Easter
celebrations.
In Romania it is also common to paint eggs with
colorful patterns.
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On the Thursday before Easter people dye the eggs
with red colour.
Orthodox Good Friday – known as well as the
Friday of Passions, as Jesus was crucified on this
day. Lots of Romanians are having a ”dark fasting”,
meaning they don’t drink nor eat anything.
Orthodox Saturday Easter – the Saturday night is
dedicated for going to the church for the mass and
“taking light” with a candle, which after brought
home, is extinguished by the top of the door in the
shape of a cross.
Orthodox Easter Day - it is common to knock eggs
with each other. One person says Hristos a înviat!
(Christ has risen) to which the other person
responds with Adevărat a-nviat! (Indeed is risen).
Orthodox Easter Monday – a popular tradition in
this part of the country is udatul fetelor (watering
the girls); while in some areas the watering
happens literally with water thrown on the girls, in
some the water was replaced with perfume; the
girls are seen as the flowers of our gardens, so they
need to be watered in order to grow beautiful.
Romanian expressions: la Paștele cailor - at horses’
Easter, meaning it will never happen.
Romanian superstitions: if you want a year full of
luck, you should definitely think about wearing new
clothes for Easter.
Foods to try: caşcaval pane – deep fried, bread-
crumbed yellow cheese.
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Outdoor activity: Piatra Tâlharului hike and
viewpoint over the city.
Yellow Shirts Association’s day – the association
has as main purpose the support and integration
of youth in the community, putting a great
emphasis on developing competences and learning
from various educational contexts.
Saint George – the legend has it that George had
killed a dragon with a spear; St. George is the
patron of numerous churches all around Romania,
giving as well the name of one of the Danube arms
before flowing into the Black Sea.
Places to check: The History and Archaeology
Maramureș Museum shows the mining history of
the region and is located in an 18th century
baroque mint building (1-3 Monetăriei st.).
Romanian superstitions: hiccups are a sign that
somebody is thinking or speaking about you - and
they will only stop once you guess who it is.
Sport tips: Temple Gym (17 Traian bl.).
Outdoor activity: Mogoșa, Creasta Cocoșului in Baia
Sprie (14 km from Baia Mare).
Sport tips: Skate park (9 Dealul Florilor st.).
Romanian is a Romance language, belonging to the
Italic branch of the Indo-European family, having
much in common with Italian, Spanish, French and
Portuguese.
Places to see: Holy Trinity Cathedral (17 Unirii bl.).
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Labour Day - initially celebrating the workers, in
the last years Romanians use this day for picnics,
grills, going to the mountain, or “steal” the
beginning of the sea season by having a camp fire
on the beach.
National Youth Day - Baia Mare has been named
the Romanian Youth Capital from 2 May 2018 to 1
May 2019.
Places to try: La Moustache (5 Piața Libertății).
The Scărișoara Glacier can be found underneath
the Bihor Mountains (241 km from Baia Mare) and
is the second largest underground glacier in
Europe.
Romanian expressions: a scoate din pepeni - to
take someone out of his watermelons; your friends
may use it on you if you drive them nuts.
Maramureș County has a total area of 6,304
square kilometres, of which 43% is covered by the
Rodna Mountains.
Mother's Day – celebrated in Romania on the first
Sunday of May, is dedicated to mother and
motherhood, as well as the contributions a mother
brings in the family’s life and education, and wider
in the society.
Foods to try: plăcintă - pastry filled with cheese,
cabbage, apples or other ideas.
Baia Mare used to hold Guinness World Records for
making the biggest Goulash.
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Monarchy Day – this day marked the starting of
Charles I reign, the state independence and
nonetheless the crowning of the first king of the
country.
National Independence Day was celebrated on May
10 to commemorate Prince Charles of
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen’s oath on behalf of the
United Princedoms of Romania, proclaiming the
independence of Romania as a state.
Places to try: Vintage Bar (1 Piața Păcii).
Places to check: wooden churches of Maramureș.
Father's Day - celebrated in Romania on the
second Sunday of May, is to recognize the
importance of fathers in the family and in the
society in general.
Outdoor activity: Firiza Lake hike.
Foods to try: fasole batută – white beans mashed
up, with oil and garlic.
Outdoor activity: Dealul Florilor viewpoint.
Romanian Gymnast Nadia Comăneci was the first
to ever score a perfect “10” in the Olympics and won
three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, all at
the age of 15.
Outdoor activity: Valea Roșie hike.
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Romanian tongue twisters: fata fostului fierar
Fănică face fasole fără foc fiindcă focul face fum,
meaning the daughter of the former blacksmith
Fănică makes beans without fire because the fire
makes smoke.
Romanian nouns are characterized by gender
(feminine, masculine, and neuter), declined by
number (singular and plural) and case (nominative,
accusative, dative, genitive and vocative).
Sport tips: Fitness Revolution (47 Republicii bl.).
Parks: Zeilor Park (49 V. Alecsandri st.).
Places to check: the Art Museum (8 1 Mai st.) -
shows the life in Maramureș from the late 1800s to
today. It is located in a landmark building dating
from 1784.
Orthodox Ascension Day – celebrated 40 days after
the Easter Sunday, is the day when going by
superstitions it is forbidden to work; it is as well a
celebration dedicated to the passed away ones
when the tombs are cleaned and decorated with
flowers and leaves.
Romanian tongue twisters: ciriței de tei pe mirişte
de mei, meaning linden bush on millet stubble.
Chess is fairly popular among some groups,
especially retired people and mathematicians. The
highest FIDE rating Romanian player is the
grandmaster Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu.
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Traditional bark-making techniques in Romania
are a part of UNESCO World Heritage List. You can
see traditional carpet-making techniques of
Maramureș represented by the municipalities of
Botiza (91 km from Baia Mare) and Bârsana (62 km
from Baia Mare).
Romanian expressions: are mintea creață - he has
a curly mind, used when someone has either genius
or strange ideas.
One of the Romanian bookstore chains, called
Cărturești, has been shortlisted for the Bookstore
of the Year Award at the 2018 Excellence Awards of
the London Book Fair. Cărturești has more than 20
bookstores across the country, and each location
has its own unique design concept.
Romanian expressions: a trece ca gâsca prin apă -
to pass through like the goose through water, used
for pupils and students that keep studying and
going through their subject, but they don’t learn
anything (nothing gets stuck in their head).
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Children's Day – celebrating the children, Baia
Mare marks it as well as the opening of the season
for the little train of Regina Maria Park.
Romanian superstitions: if you let your handbag on
the floor, you will certainly lose money.
Places to check: Ethnographic and Folk Art
Museum in Baia Mare (1 Dealul Florilor st.).
Orthodox Pentecost – celebrated 50 days after the
Easter Sunday, is mostly known for the southern
Dance of the Horsemen, being considered a healing
dance, which brings as well health and good luck.
The dance is supposed to shoo away the bad
spirits.
Călușarilor Ritual Dance - part of UNESCO List of
Immaterial Cultural Heritage. The dance is very old
and is believed to represent both the galloping of a
horse and dances with the fairies.
Foods to try: telemea – a salty white cheese similar
to feta, yet not that creamy.
On 7th June 1888 Henri Marie Coandă was born. He
was an aeronautical engineer, pioneer of aviation,
physicists, specialist in aerodynamics, and invented
the reaction engine, among others.
The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the
second-largest administrative building in the world.
Places to try: Log Out (1 V. Lucaciu st.).
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Places to check: Stephen Tower (Piața Cetății).
Maybe slightly surprising for a country of its size,
but Romania has been one of the most successful
countries in the history of the Summer Olympic
Games (15th overall) with a total of 307 medals won
throughout the years, 89 of which are gold medals.
Romanian oars people have brought numerous
successes, including 35 Olympic medals (18 gold) for
rowing and 34 medals (10 gold) for canoeing.
Places to try: Glory Days (11 Unirii bl.).
Outdoor activity: Hike at Piatra Șoimului.
Romanian expressions: se simte cu musca pe
căciulă - he is feeling the fly on his cap, used when
somebody feels guilty for something.
Foods to try: caș - a fresh white cheese made from
sheep or cow’s milk.
Curtea de Argeș (456 km from Baia Mare) - used to
be the royal city of many rulers of Walachia, was
chosen as well by Charles I as a place to work and
be closer to nature than Bucharest.
Baia Mare is the 17th city of Romania given its
numbers of inhabitants.
Sport tips: Temple Gym Inn (3 București bl.).
In 1869, Timișoara (462 km from Baia Mare) was the
first European city to introduce horse-drawn
trams.
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Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year of
the astronomical year has among the traditions of
this day washing the body in a river or lake waters
for curative effects and rebirth of the body.
The movie “Cold Mountain,” starring Nicole Kidman,
was filmed in Romania.
The night of Sânziene – celebration of love, fertility,
aimed to bring wealth and health in the
households, as well as used by the girls to find out
their fated one and the moment when they’ll get
married.
During Sânziene it is believed that people meet with
their beloved ones and they dance around a
bonfire. This day also celebrate the day of ie, the
Romanian traditional blouse.
Romanian tongue twisters: o babă bălană mănâncă
o banană babană, meaning a blonde old lady eats a
huge banana.
Flag Day – the colours of the Romanian flag are
blue (sky), yellow (rich crops of grain) and red (blood
shed for liberty) and have been so since 1848 from
the Romanian Revolution, having changed though
the orientation, size and shades of the colours.
The Romanian flag is very similar to the flags of
Andorra and Chad, the difference being the shades
of the colours.
The similarity with Chad's flag, which is identical
apart from allowing a broader range of shades of
blue, yellow and red, has caused international
discussion.
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In 2004, Chad asked the United Nations to examine
the issue. However, the then-president of Romania
announced there would be no changes to the flag.
Romanian expressions: se uită ca pisica-n calendar
- staring like a cat at a calendar, used when
someone is confused or has been taken by surprise
by a certain situation.
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Romanian tongue twisters: prin Vulturi vântul viu
vuia, meaning in Vulturi the wind strongly howled.
Boxing is popular in Romania, especially in the TV
broadcastings. Famous boxers include: Nicolae
Linca, Francisc Vaştag, Mihai Leu, Lucian Bute,
Leonard Doroftei and Adrian Diaconu.
The tallest sculpture in rock in Europe is in the
west part of Romania. It represents King Decebal,
the last ruler of Dacia. The attraction is more
visible from the Danube.
Romania is the wealthiest country in Europe in
terms of gold resources.
Some archaeologists believe that the three clay
tablets discovered in the village of Tărtăria,
Romania, might be the oldest form of writing in the
world. This could prove the existence of writing
from the early Neolithic (about 6,600-5,500 BC),
but the tablets are still the subject of controversy.
The Romanian language is 1,700 years old.
Romania has a perfectly round-shaped village - just
40 km away from Timișoara, there is the only
circular village in Romania: Charlottenburg (or
Șarlota) built by Germans.
UNESCO: Neamț Monastery (345 km from Baia
Mare) is the largest and oldest religious settlement
from Moldova.
The only whole papyrus in Europe was discovered
in Romania. It dates back to the 4th century BC
and is written in ancient Greek.
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Romania also has a natural bridge and is the only
one in the world open to road traffic (Ponoarele,
Mehedinți county). It is called Podul lui Dumnezeu
(God’s Bridge), and it is a vestige of the Bridge Cave
that resulted from the collapse of its ceiling.
The smallest national banknote put into circulation
was the Romanian 10-bani note in 1917. It measured
27.5 x 38 mm.
Places to check: St. Joseph the Confessor wooden
church (9 Republicii bl.).
Places to try: Neața Bistro (1/7 Școlii st.).
Outdoor activity: Pleștioare hike.
Romanian expressions: frecție la picior de lemn - a
rub on a wooden leg, used when something is
useless.
Romanian tongue twisters: pe cap un capac, pe
capac un ac, meaning on the head a lid, on the lid a
needle.
Sport tips: Seneca Fitness Center (11B Mărgeanului
st.).
Outdoor activity: Ștur Waterfall from Blidari.
Romania is equidistant from the westernmost part
of Europe - the Atlantic Coast - and the most
easterly part - the Ural Mountains.
Oină is a traditional Romanian sport with
similarities to baseball.
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The name oină was originally hoina, and is derived
from the Cuman word oyn (game, a cognate of
Turkish oyun).
Oină and variants of the sport are also played in
neighbouring countries where there has been or
still is a Romanian ethnic or cultural presence.
It is believed that the sky in Baia Mare has a
different blue shade than in other areas of
Romania.
Places to check: Piața Albina open air food market
(Al. Odobescu st.).
As of 2022, there are nine World Heritage Sites in
Romania, seven of which are cultural sites and two
of which are natural.
Outdoor activity: Piatra Virgină hike.
Sport tips: DruRelax (3 40 st., Tăuții Măgherăuș)
Romanian Anthem Deșteaptă-te, române! (Awaken
Thee, Romanian!) was written in 1848 and was
adopted in 1917.
National Anthem Day – the melody of the
Romanian National anthem was created by Anton
Pann. It was first sang in 29th July 1948, having the
lyrics the poem Răsunet (The echo) written by
Andrei Mureșanu, as an answer to Vasile
Alecsandri's poem of Către români (For the
Romanians).
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Romanian expressions: are pitici pe creier - he has
dwarfs on his head, used when someone has gone a
little bit crazy.
Places to check: City Wall of Baia Mare used to
protect the city from frequent attacks. The only
remaining piece of it is situated in the nearby area
of the previous Mint, today's Maramureș History
and Archaeology County Museum (1-3 Monetăriei
st.).
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Places to try: MrBiliard (3 Oituz st.).
Vasile Lucaciu Memorial House (Șișești) - this
museum consists of both a series of rooms tracing
the life and work of the priest-reformer Vasile
Lucaciu and the house where he lived for almost
three decades.
Romania is home for the only museum in Europe
dedicated to gold and is situated in Brad,
Hunedoara county.
The Astra Museum, located in Sibiu, is the second-
largest open-air museum in the world.
Romanian is Eastern Europe’s only Latin language.
UNESCO: the Historic Centre of Sighișoara (301 km
from Baia Mare) is the only Romanian fortress still
inhabited today without having suffered big
changes in its structure.
Places to check: Centrul de Tineret Baia Mare -
Baia Mare Youth Centre (7A Culturii st.).
In 2009 World Records Academy officially declared
Luceafărul by Mihai Eminescu as the longest love
poem in the world.
Places to try: Fredy cakes (44 Victoriei st.).
The tallest wooden church in the world, and the
second tallest wooden structure in Europe, is found
in Săpânța Peri (88 km from Baia Mare). The 78 m
tall church is topped by a 3 m cross that weighs
450 kg.
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Places to try: Buonissimo (3A Şcolii st).
International Day of Youth – aimed to bring
forward the needs of the youth and celebrating the
potential of youth as partners and actors in the
nowadays’ society.
Romanian tongue twisters: Doisprezece cocostârci
pe casa lui Kogălniceanu, meaning twelve storks on
Kogălniceanu's house.
Romanian expressions: a umbla cu cioara vopsită -
walking with the painted crow, used when
somebody is trying to fool or lie to someone else.
St. Mary's Day - among the traditions of today is
the one of the married women taking plums and
grapes to church to be blessed and shared with
the believers, while the single ones pick up flowers
from their gardens and take them to church and
place them around icons to bring protection
against diseases and troubles to their families.
Outdoor activity: Orange route hike.
The oldest oven in the world was discovered in
Câmpeni, Romania.
The city of Brașov, Romania, has the third
narrowest street in Europe, named Strada Sforii
(The Rope street).
Making honey is a traditional practice in Romania
and this dates back more than 2,000 years.
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Romania is halfway between the Equator and the
North Pole.
Places to check: Casa Iancu de Hunedoara -
Transylvanian Prince Iancu de Hunedoara (János
Hunyadi in Hungarian), royal governor of Hungary
(1446–53), successfully thrashed the Turks on the
banks of the Danube close to Belgrade in 1456, and
built this 15th-century house on the Old Town's
main square.
Schola Rivulina was the first school built in Baia
Mare.
August 23 marked the popular revolution in which
Romania turned their weapons against Nazi
Germany.
Romania occupies the 4th place out of 78 regarding
4G internet speed.
“ROM” chocolate is both short form of saying
Romania and also the word for rom as it has a
flavour of rum.
Romania has a type of bee which is in danger of
extinction: the Carpathian honey bee.
EU Commission Report declared Romania as the
“EU’s largest honey producer” with 35,000 tons of
honey.
The first site in Romania, the Danube Delta, was
added to the UNESCO list at the 15th Session of the
World Heritage Committee, held in Carthage in
1990.
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During the Bronze Age the region was inhabited by
Thracian tribes.
Sport tips: Polyvalent Hall ”Lascăr Pană” (14 Unirii
bl.).
Romanian expressions: a-ți lua inima în dinți - to
take your heart in your teeth, meaning to be brave
or to dare to do something.
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During autumn locals of Baia Mare usually make
chestnut puree served as a dessert, with whipped
cream topping.
Places to check: Baia Mare Painters' Colony-
founded by Simon Hollósy (21 Victoriei st.).
Many of the scenes in the movie Borat were
actually shot in Glod, (487 km from Baia Mare) a
tiny village in Romania, not in Kazakhstan.
Ilie Năstase, a famous Romanian tennis player, is
another internationally known Romanian sports
star. He won several Grand Slam titles and dozens
of other tournaments.
Romania has a Merry Cemetery located in Săpânța
(88 km from Baia Mare).
Foods to try: sarmale - cabbage rolls filled with
pork or pork & beef meet, or with mushrooms or
polenta for the vegetarian option.
The American series “Hatfields & McCoys,” starring
Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, was filmed in
Romania as well.
Places to check: Mine Flowers Museum for samples
of local rocks and minerals (8 Traian bl.).
Romania is a pioneer of apitherapy. Apitherapy is
type of alternative therapy that uses products that
come directly from honeybees.
Witchcraft has been a listed profession in Romania
since 2011.
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Almost 18% of the active population from Baia Mare
work in the creative sector.
Outdoor activity: Nistru lake hike.
Places to check: Coltău Memorial Houses of Sándor
Petőfi.
Outdoor activity: Piatra Bulzului Hike.
Romanian expressions: a băga mâna în foc pentru
cineva - to put your hand in fire for somebody,
meaning you’ve vouched for someone.
The most recent site listed in the UNESCO World
Heritage List was the Roșia Montană Mining
Cultural Landscape (283 km from Baia Mare), in
2021, and it was immediately placed on the list of
World Heritage in Danger due to plans to resume
mining.
Romanian expressions: a-ți pica fisa - to drop your
coin, meaning you suddenly understood something.
Gheorghe Mureșan was the first Romanian to enter
NBA and he became known as the tallest man ever
to play in that league.
Outdoor activity: hike to Greek Catholic monastery
St. Mary (29 Plaiului st.).
Chestnut Festival - takes place since 1993, lately in
the last weekend of September. The festival lasts 3
days long and different events take place - cultural,
artistic, sports.
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The first European city to have electric street lights
was in Timișoara, Romania in 19th century.
Romanian tongue twisters: șase saşi în şase saci
soseau pe șosea, meaning six Saxons in six sacks
were coming on the street.
Autumn Equinox – the beginning of the
astronomical autumn, when the day and night are
again equal; in the rural area it represents the
ending of the agricultural work and celebrating the
crops, while storing goods for the winter. The first
must (initial grape juice before fermenting into
wine) is being prepared, while the nuts, apples and
quinces are also being picked up.
Romania’s English name was originally borrowed
from the French Roumania or Roumanie, which
evolved into Rumania. After World War II, this
officially changed to Romania.
Drinks to try: pălincă is a traditional spirit made
with locally grown fruit, the most common ones are
plums, apricots, apples, pears and cherries. It is
not rectified higher than 86% and is bottled with at
least 37.5% ABV.
Pălincă should be served at 18–23 °C because it is
at this temperature that the fine smell and taste of
the fruit can be best enjoyed. If served too cold, the
smell and the taste will be difficult to be
appreciated.
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Romanian expressions - apa trece, pietrele rămân -
the water passes, the stones remain. Used to
emphasis that the valuable things or people will
stay, while the cheap things or temporary people
won’t.
Francesco Illy, the founder of Illy cafè, was born in
Timișoara, Romania in 1892. He also invented the
first automatic steam espresso coffee machine.
Sport tips: go kayaking at the Firiza Lake, at Club
Simared (24-26 Imașului st.).
Romanian expressions: să faci din rahat bici - to
make a whip out of shit, meaning give them any
task, and even if they have never dealt with it
before, they will always find a way.
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The Baia Mare Greek-Catholic Cathedral is now the
ex Orthodox Cathedral, and was built by Greek-
Catholics in the 18th century.
Hoia-Baciu Forest (Cluj county) is considered the
one of the most paranormal area on the planet.
In Hoia-Baciu Forest none of the trees grow
straight inside, but rather in a peculiar twisted
shape. To this day, scientists don’t know why they
grow in this shape and pattern.
Hoia-Baciu is a dense forest, except for one oval-
shaped area known as “The Circle”, where no
vegetation grows. Scientists have researched the
soil here and found no discrepancy between the
soil quality from The Circle from the rest of the
forest.
There are rumours of people disappearing from
Hoia-Baciu, so much so that the forest has been
named "The Bermuda Triangle" of Romania.
Foods to try: ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup).
A national association of beer with mititei (minced
meat mixed with herbs and grilled) came into
existence during the 1877 Independence War of
Romania and after that it saw a spread of beer
pubs throughout the Romanian Kingdom.
Romanians are amongst the heaviest beer drinkers
in the world, with an annual consumption of over
100 litters per capita in 2007.
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The Romanian law considers beer and wine to be
food stuffs and therefore they are not subject to
the usual tariffs and restrictions imposed upon
alcoholic beverages.
UNESCO: villages with fortified churches in
Transylvania.
The Romanian Constitution was proposed on 21
November 1991; it was approved on 8 December 1991
in a national referendum and promulgated on the
same day.
Romanian tongue twisters: Stanca stă-n castan ca
Stan, meaning Stanca is sitting in a chestnut tree
like Stan.
Parks: Dacia Park (2 Culturii st.).
A five-ton flag of 349 x 227 meters was unfurled in
Romania in 2013.
Romanian expressions: i-a sărit muștarul - his
mustard has jumped off, meaning someone has
suddenly lost their temper.
Places to try: Karaffe (2 Traian bl.).
Romania is home to the tallest wooden church in
the world - Săpânța-Peri Monastery is located in
the Maramureș region.
Places to try: coffee to go from 5 Top Go (4 Piața
Revoluției).
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UNESCO: Horezu Monastery (476 km from Baia
Mare).
Romania has one of the oldest wine-making
traditions in the world and its viticulture dates
back more than 6,000 years.
Foods to try: amandină - Romanian chocolate
sponge cake.
The Romania men's national handball team has
won the Handball IHF World Cup a record four
times (1961, 1964, 1970, and 1974).
Places to try: Rocca Pub (6 V. Lucaciu st.).
Petrache Poenaru invented the pen in 1821, while
Romanian Anastase Dragomir designed the
ejectable chair, which is now used worldwide.
Romania also has 4 Nobel laureates: George Emil
Palade (Medicine), Elie Wiesel (Peace), Herta Müller
(Literature) and Ștefan Hell (Chemistry).
UNESCO:

Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie
Mountains (312 km from Baia Mare).
Places to check: St. Nicholas Catholic Church,
which is the oldest church in Baia Mare (8 Piața
Păcii).
Romania is the fifth-largest among European wine-
producing countries, after Italy, France, Spain, and
Germany.
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The current Constitution of Romania is the seventh
permanent constitution in modern Romania's
history.
Romanian expressions: a vinde gogoși - to sell
doughnuts, meaning you are lying.
Sport tips: rent bikes or skis for the winter season
from Ski&Bike Center (30 Griviței).
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Illumination Day - while other countries celebrate
Halloween on 31st of October, Romanians use the
1st of November for prayers and commemorations
of death. It is widely spread the tradition of going to
cemeteries to light candles, decorate it with flowers
and offer food or clothes to other people (in the
name of the deceased). Once the sun sets, the views
over the cemeteries offer a calm light show from
the still burning candles.
Places to try: Baia Mare Shopping Park (21 Unirii bl.).
Romanians drink 14.4 litres of pure alcohol each
year.
With a wine production of about 4.5 million hl/year,
Romania is the thirteenth largest wine-producing
country in the world.
Romania has more than 60% of the brown bear
population in Europe.
Foods to try: jumări (smoked bacon and grease) -
traditional Romanian appetizer.
Brânză is the generic term for cheese in Romanian;
it is originally a Dacian word.
The Transfăgărășan road is considered to be one of
the most beautiful road in the world. It was built in
the ’70s as a strategic military route.
Followers of the Romanian Orthodox Church fast
during several periods throughout the year.
Traditionally, devotees keep to a diet without any
animal products during these times.
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UNESCO: 8 churches of Moldova (in Arbore, Humor,
Vatra Moldoviței, Pătrăuți, Probota, Suceava,
Voroneț, Sucevița).
The site Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the
Carpathians and other regions of Europe is shared
among 18 European countries.
Romanian tongue twisters: piatra crapă capra,
capra crapă piatra, meaning the stone breaks the
goat, the goat breaks the stone.
Parks: Republicii Park (50 Republicii bl.).
Christmas fasting starts on this day and lasts for
40 days, till Christmas.
Romanian expressions: plimbă ursul - walk the
bear, meaning leave me alone.
Places to check: the wooden gate in front of the
County Council Palace (46 Gh. Șincai st.).
Romania holds 65% of the remaining virgin forests
in Europe.
Strâmbu-Băiuț Forest stretches over 250 hectares
and houses huge trees that reach up to 500 years.
The forest is included in the World Heritage List of
UNESCO.
The ancient oak trees of Strâmbu-Băiuț - one of
the best preserved natural areas. Strâmbu-Băiuț is
located in Țibleș Mountains, 50 km away from Baia
Mare.
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Steaua Bucharest is the first Eastern European
football team to win the European Cup and the
European Super Cup in 1986.
The most internationally known Romanian football
player is Gheorghe Hagi, who played for Steaua
București (Romania), Real Madrid, FC Barcelona
(Spain) and Galatasaray (Turkey), among others.
Sport tips: Lascăr Ghineț Rugby Arena (18 Unirii bl.).
Places to try: Reverie (25 1 Mai st.).
Sport tips: Viorel Mateianu Stadium - near the City
Park, north across the footbridge over the Săsar
River, this stadium is home to Baia Mare's football
club (1 Cămpia Tineretului st.).
The St. Stephen tower is the symbol of Baia Mare.
Higher than 40 m is the remnant of St. Stephen's
Church, the church being built in 1387 in Gothic
style and had two naves.
Most popular sport in Romania is football.
Bucharest is also called “Little Paris.” The city’s
Arcul de Triumf was constructed in 1935 to be
modelled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Places to try: Baia Mare Value Centre (53 București
bl.).
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On Saint Andrew night people eat garlic and even
decorate the house with it. It is also believed that
at midnight the skies open and strigoi (spirits of the
deceased ones that cannot cross over or refuse to
do so) may bring danger as taking the lives of close
relatives, bring diseases, hail or other sufferings.
St Andrew's Day – the apostle that brought
Christianity to Romania is therefore to be
considered the protector of the country. A
tradition kept from the Dacian times, St. Andrew is
also known as the day of the wolves, and so you
cannot swipe your house in this day, take the
garbage, comb your hair, make scratches nor
borrow anything and so not to attract the wolves.
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National Day – 1st December is considered the day
when Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș
joined the rest of the areas of Romania (Walachia
and Moldova) through a declaration in Alba Iulia.
The National Day of Romania has been celebrated
on May 10 (King's Day), August 23 (during the
communism), and finally, December 1.
The unification of Transylvania, Basarabia and
Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918 is
known as the Great Union.
Parks: Central Park (Serelor st.).
On 5th December children clean a pair of their
shoes and leave it outside, because the next day,
they might receive gifts.
The winter holidays season in Romania is kicked off
by the arrival of St. Nicholas (Moș Niculae) on
December 6.
Foods to try: alivenci - perfect combination of milk,
sour cream and butter with corn and wheat flour,
raisins and vanilla, served with fresh yogurt and
some caster sugar.
Constitution Day - the first constitution was
adopted in 1866, while the current one is the 7th,
since 1991. The Romanian Constitution is inspired
and updated in the last 150 years from other
countries’ constitutions, as well as imposed by the
societal changes that came with the passing of the
time.
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Places to check: the Reformed Church is one of the
most famous churches in Baia Mare (10 Podul Viilor
st.).
Romanian tongue twister: eu pup poala popii, popa
pupa poala mea, meaning I kiss the priest's lap, the
priest kisses my lap.
Places to try: Supreme Burger (1/11 Școlii st.).
The name Romania comes from the Latin word
Romanus which means citizen of the Roman
Empire.
The Bigăr Waterfall (524 km from Baia Mare)
located in the Anina Mountains was included in the
World Geography’s top of “Unique Waterfalls
Around the World” thanks to the peculiar way the
water falls in tiny streams over moss-covered
rocks.
Places to try: Aushopping (144 București bl.).
Romanian expressions: a freca menta - to rub the
mint, meaning you are wasting time or doing
nothing.
Places to check: the Lutheran-Evangelical church
of Baia Mare was built in the 16th century (18 V.
Lucaciu st.).
Christmas Tradition - the most popular Christmas
dishes are sarmale (minced meet with rice and
rolled cabbage leaves), cartaboș (pork sausage with
rice), tobă (pork meet, fat and garlic), beef salad
(vegetables, mayonnaise, beef meet), piftie (pork
meat jelly) and cozonac (sweet bread).
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New Years Traditions - Onion Calendar - families
would cut onions into 12 pieces and add equal
amounts of salt to each piece. The amount of water
on the first morning of the year showed how much
rain to expect in the coming months.
New Year's Traditions - whatever you do on New
Year's Eve, will determine your upcoming year.
New Years Traditions - there is a tradition of
performance of animal dances. Animals dance
along with fictional characters like the devil.
New Year's Traditions - it is believed that noise
scares evil spirits away, which is why fireworks,
cheering and noisemakers on New Year’s Eve are
very popular.
Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year
brings with it the start of the astronomical winter.
It is perceived as the battle between good and evil,
life and death, that ends with the winning of the
Good or of the Sun. It is said that is not good to
spend this night alone as it is the longest.
Christmas traditions - in the old times of
Maramureș would prepare apples, nuts and bagels
for the guests that are to arriving during the
Christmas days, but also for decorating the tree.
Christmas Eve - destined for Christmas carolling,
spreading the news about the birth of Christ
through songs, as soon as the dawn is set. Viflaimul,
or the theatre scene representing the Biblical
scene of the birth of Jesus is being played usually
by pupils, during the Christmas Eve.
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Christmas Day - some of the Maramureș traditions
for this day are not to swipe the house, no laundry
or not borrowing anything. On the other hand, you
should give plenty of food to the animals, while in
the morning is good to wash your face with spring
water in which you put a silver coin.
Second day of Christmas - Jocul Moșilor (The old
men’s dance) is played between Christmas and New
Year’s Eve as an initiative ritual, where the old men
are invited to protect the house where there are
still single women.
New Years Traditions - on New Year’s Eve children
walk around and recite the poem Plugușorul (the
small plow), and wish people health and rich crops
in the coming year.
New Years Traditions - there is the “dance of the
goat” (Capra), which is about powerful magical
practices that resurrect the animal touched by an
evil spirit.
New Years Traditions - during the evening adults
dressed in traditional costumes start walking
around, play music and recite Plugul (the big plow).
New Years Traditions - the first person to visit your
home on New Year’s Day it’s said to influence the
entire year.
New Year's Eve – the superstitions say it is not
good to throw away your garbage today as you can
throw away your luck and wealth, as well as at 12
o’clock the door of the house must be opened so
the New Year to enter.
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Baia Mare in 365 Days: The Northern Gem of Romania

Baia Mare in 365 Days: The Northern Gem of Romania

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Baia Mare in 365 Days: The Northern Gem of Romania