www.business-review.eu Business Review | November 2021
36 TOURISM
Discover Romania: Maramures Way A local NGO from the Maramures region has created an alternative map to help tourists discover the wonders of northern Romania. BR talked to Matei Tiboc, president of the Origini Maramures Association and initiator of the Maramures Way project. By Oana Vasiliu will not encounter people
legends, creativity in handicrafts, simplicity
dressed in folk costumes
in country life, joy in music, and more.
Photos courtesy of Maramures Way
in Baia Mare, for example, but that they will be able to
What is Maramures Way and how did you come up with the idea?
find great craft coffee there.
Do you see this project as complementary to other existing activities in the region?
The project aims to increase
This project also includes some well-known,
the amount of time people
short-distance mountain trails, and it also
spend in Maramures, by
aims to gather multiple tourist services in the
offering a diverse choice of
region: not only natural and cultural attrac-
activities and improving the
tions, but also craftspeople, experiences (like
quality of tourist services.
on Airbnb), accommodation, and restaurants. There are many other such routes in the
ties. It can be seen as the backbone of the
Can you present some of the experiences included in this programme?
Maramures region as well as a chance to make
We want to show
history. The route is designed to be completed
people that there
on foot or on a bike, and on it tourists will find
is a Maramures for
extraordinary landscapes, ancestral traditions
everyone, especially
and customs, adventures, relaxation, and all
for those who like
kinds of tourist attractions and beautiful peo-
taking walking trips
ple. But most of all, they will find themselves.
and have a desire to
On this fairy tale road, travellers will discover
dedicate more time to the area. We also target
world: Camino in Spain, Lycian Way in Tur-
stories, legends, characters, and places that
those who are passionate about traditions
key, Juliana Trail in Slovenia, Via Francigena
can enrich and heal the mind and the soul.
and folklore, nature lovers, creative people
in Italy, and many more. In Romania, the
We were inspired by Via Transilvanica and
or those who just want to take a break from
first route of this type was Via Transilvanica,
other similar routes from all over the world,
everything.
which took shape 2018, while Maramures Way
Maramures Way is a 700 km tourist circuit route that connects and develops communi-
such as El Camino de Santiago in Spain, but
Maramures Way offers all kinds of experi-
we adapted it to our region, which is unique
ences, from learning about a local family’s
in many ways.
household chores to pottery, horseback riding or even experiences that give you an adrena-
Why the need for such an initiative in one of the most well-advertised regions of Romania?
line boost, such as tandem paragliding.
It is a project that was born out of passion for
What types of travellers are you looking to engage?
one of the most special places on earth, Mara-
Maramures Way has something to offer to all
mures. We want to offer tourists more ac-
kinds of people, with all kinds of motivations.
curate information in order to create realistic
Tradition is, indeed, at the centre of life, but
expectations. They must be aware that they
there is also spirituality, nature, history and
followed in 2019.
