Baia Mare, Romania

Baia Mare is the largest city in the region of Maramures with a population near 125,000. Founded in the Middle Ages, Baia Mare (= the large mine) is nestled in the Somes River valley in the midst of the northern Carpathians. It was an affluent mining and manufacturing center in relatively close proximity to Budapest. Today, the city is an important business and political center as well as stepping stone into nearby ski and trekking resorts.

The city's economy is based upon services, manufacture, and natural resources. Mining is not as prevalent as it was between the Middle Ages and the communist period; however, there are still companies that mine gold, copper and other minerals and ores. The timber industry is also very strong and, naturally, the production of wooden goods. The largest foreign company is Italsofa. Tourism is important in the city and the region - in addition to mountain resorts, the people of the region have maintained many traditions, such as wood-working, textile manufacture, and cuisine. Such traditions are especially charming to visitors.  

Because Baia Mare does not attract the number of tourists as its Transylvanian neighbors, the number of hotels and restaurants remains limited. Most of the hotels qualify as 2- or 3-star hotels and visitors who wish to take day-trips into the surrounding countryside will find comfortable accommodations. There are many good restaurants with traditional cuisine - and you can always find pasta and pizza.

List of attractions:

The city center is relatively small, but there are a number of interesting sites and museums: King Stephan's Tower, Medieval walls and bastion, the house of Iancu de Hunedoara, the Adormirea Maicii Domnului Cathedral, the Planetarium, the Mining Museum, and the Regional History Museum of Baia Mare.
(composed 2015 for website of Transylvania Alive Association for Cultural Heritage) 

 

Members of the 2008 Porolissum Forum Project team