Baia Mare · Sighet · Sapanta · Viseu · Borsa · Barsana
What do you see in Maramures?
Short version — memory: the Sighet Memorial; family: the Baia Mare Planetarium; traditions: Sapanta + Barsana; narrow-gauge railway: Viseu; mountains: Borsa; museums: Baia Mare Mineralogy. Six stops with official fares where published and measured access from 3 bases. Below: the full verdict, the fares and measured access.
The quick verdict
Pick by what you want: memory, family, traditions, narrow-gauge railway, mountains or museums. Stop-to-need matches are editorial recommendations; fares are the operators' published ones, where published.
| Memory | Sighet | The communism victims memorial: 25/15/10 lei. Summer daily 9:30–18:30; winter Tue–Sun 9:30–16:30, Monday closed. From Baia Mare 66.4/76; from Cluj 180.1/205. |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Baia Mare | Planetarium: 20/5 lei, free for pensioners/pupils/students; Tue–Sun 9–16, hourly shows. From Cluj 131.8/157; from Sighet 66.5/76. |
| Traditions | Sapanta + Barsana | The Merry Cemetery (no official fare found — uncited) + Barsana Monastery (weekday services 7:00/19:00; Sundays and feasts 9:30/17:00). From Sighet: Sapanta 19.0/25, Barsana 19.7/28. |
| Narrow-gauge railway | Viseu de Sus | Fares, schedule and access: the dedicated narrow-gauge guide — not duplicated here. |
| Mountains | Borsa | Gateway to the Rodna Mountains; no official fares read — measured access only. From Sighet 78.7/111; from Cluj 167.4/195. |
| Museums | Baia Mare | Mineralogy: 20/5/10 lei, Tue–Sun 9–17 (last entry 16:30), guiding 50/100 lei. From Cluj 131.8/157; Monday closed. |
Access, measured by road
Three bases, six stops — Viseu is missing from the table: access is in the narrow-gauge guide. OSRM times are continuous driving, no stops, no traffic — mountain roads (to Borsa, Viseu) stretch them.
Method: OSRM car routes on OpenStreetMap, measured on 17 September 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops and no traffic, one way.
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cluj-Napoca | Baia Mare | 131.8 | 157 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Sighetu Marmației | 180.1 | 205 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Săpânța | 198.4 | 229 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Borșa | 167.4 | 195 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Bârsana | 171.5 | 195 |
| Baia Mare | Sighetu Marmației | 66.4 | 76 |
| Baia Mare | Săpânța | 84.7 | 100 |
| Baia Mare | Borșa | 125.3 | 158 |
| Baia Mare | Bârsana | 65.3 | 75 |
| Sighetu Marmației | Baia Mare | 66.5 | 76 |
| Sighetu Marmației | Săpânța | 19.0 | 25 |
| Sighetu Marmației | Borșa | 78.7 | 111 |
| Sighetu Marmației | Bârsana | 19.7 | 28 |
Shortest access listed: Sighet–Sapanta, 19.0 km / 25 min. Longest: Cluj–Sapanta, 198.4 / 229. Opposite directions sometimes differ by 0.1 km (separately measured routes).
Map
Positions from each site's coordinates; towns for orientation. Relief: Copernicus GLO-90 model. Scale bar: 20 km.
The stops, in order
The official fares, compared
The three anchors with published fares: the Sighet Memorial, the Baia Mare Planetarium and Mineralogy. Sapanta and Borsa have no official fare found.
| Site | Fare | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sighet Memorial | adult 25 · pensioner 15 · pupil/student 10 | summer daily 9:30–18:30; winter Tue–Sun 9:30–16:30, Monday closed |
| Baia Mare Planetarium | full 20 · reduced 5 · free pensioners/pupils/students | Tue–Sun 9–16, Monday closed; hourly shows |
| Baia Mare Mineralogy | adult 20 · pensioner 10 · pupil/student 5 | Tue–Sun 9–17, Monday closed; last entry 16:30 |
Mineralogy: photo 25, video 50, guiding Romanian 50 / foreign languages 100 lei (groups under 10, by appointment). Online tickets: easy2visit (Mineralogy), nightz (Planetarium).
Baia Mare two museums
- Planetarium: 20/5 lei, free for pensioners/pupils/students; Tue–Sun 9–16, hourly shows.
- Mineralogy: 20/5/10 lei, Tue–Sun 9–17 (last 16:30); guiding 50/100 lei; tickets online too.
- Both closed Monday. From Cluj 131.8/157; from Sighet 66.5/76.
Access: Base + stop: two museums with official fares in one town.
Sighetu Marmației memory
- The communism victims memorial: 25/15/10 lei.
- Summer daily 9:30–18:30 (arrive by 18:00); winter Tue–Sun 9:30–16:30, Monday closed.
- From Baia Mare 66.4/76; from Cluj 180.1/205. Base for the Iza valley.
Access: In Sighet; combine with Sapanta (19.0/25) and Barsana (19.7/28).
Săpânța traditions
- The Merry Cemetery: no official fare found — blogs say 10/5 lei, uncited here.
- Measured access only: from Sighet 19.0/25; from Baia Mare 84.7/100; from Cluj 198.4/229.
- Combine with the Sighet Memorial on the same day (editorial advice).
Access: Scene + measured access; ask the fare on site. On the crosses and their verses: the Săpânța guide.
Vișeu de Sus narrow-gauge railway
- Viseu narrow-gauge railway: fares, schedule and access in the dedicated guide — not duplicated.
- The dedicated guide covers Viseu, Sovata and Moldovita.
- Book ahead in season (editorial advice).
Access: See the narrow-gauge guide for fares; only the road here.
Borșa mountains
- Gateway to the Rodna Mountains; the park site is JS-only, with no readable figures.
- No official fares read — measured access only: from Sighet 78.7/111; from Cluj 167.4/195.
- Schi-romania has no Borsa; we invent no ski fares.
Access: Mountain scene + measured access; check the weather first.
Bârsana monastery
- A nunnery, 22 km south-east of Sighet (official site).
- Services on weekdays 7:00 + 19:00; Sundays and feasts 9:30 + 17:00. Phone: 0770 662 380.
- Wooden churches: the analysis in the dedicated guide. From Sighet 19.7/28.
Access: Quiet + services; 19.7 km / 28 min from Sighet.
The Merry Cemetery has no official fare found (blogs quote 10/5 lei — uncited), and Borsa has no official fares read. Narrow-gauge fares live in the narrow-gauge guide, and the wooden-church analysis in the dedicated guide, not here.
Practical
Money
Memorial 25/15/10, Planetarium 20/5/free (pensioners/pupils/students), Mineralogy 20/5/10 — all from the official pages. Sapanta and Borsa: no fare cited.
Hours
Monday closed at all three anchors (the Memorial only in winter; daily in summer). Planetarium 9–16, Mineralogy 9–17 (last 16:30), Memorial 9:30–18:30/16:30.
Bases
From Cluj: Baia Mare 131.8/157 (nearest). From Baia Mare: Sighet 66.4/76, Barsana 65.3/75. From Sighet: Barsana 19.7/28, Sapanta 19.0/25 (no traffic). Viseu: see the narrow-gauge guide.
Pointers
Viseu narrow-gauge railway: the dedicated guide. Wooden churches: the dedicated guide (analysis, not visiting hours). Rodna Park: official JS-only site.
Questions
Is it open Monday?
Generally not: the Planetarium and Mineralogy are closed Monday all year; the Memorial is closed Monday only in winter (daily 9:30–18:30 in summer).
What does the Merry Cemetery cost?
The Săpânța town hall page describes the Merry Cemetery but does not list an entry price on this page. Check the price at the entrance before visiting.
Where do I get narrow-gauge tickets?
From the dedicated narrow-gauge guide: fares, schedule and measured access for Viseu, Sovata and Moldovita.
When are services at Barsana?
On weekdays 7:00 morning + 19:00 evening; Sundays and feasts 9:30 + 17:00 (monastery site). Phone: 0770 662 380.
How long is the drive?
Measured examples (no traffic): Cluj–Baia Mare 131.8/157; Baia Mare–Sighet 66.4/76; Sighet–Sapanta 19.0/25; Sighet–Barsana 19.7/28.
What do I do with kids?
The Baia Mare Planetarium: pupils enter free, hourly shows, Tue–Sun 9–16. The Memorial suits older children (editorial advice).
Sources
- Sighet Memorial — visiting program
- Baia Mare Planetarium — contact/program
- Baia Mare Mineralogy — program
- Baia Mare Mineralogy — tariffs
- Barsana Monastery — program
- Narrow-gauge guide — Viseu/Sovata/Moldovita
- Wooden-church guide — analysis
- Săpânța Town Hall — Merry Cemetery
- Săpânța guide — crosses and verses
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