About Baia Mare

This is my page from Baia Mare, my home city, here you can find some useful information & links and photos.
Baia Mare is the major city of Maramures County, an important urban centre from North-West of Romania. Is located in a depression in the western part of Maramures approximately 80 km from the border with Hungary. Easy access using plane, train or bus.The city is situated at an average altitude of 230m in a mountain region, and is crossed from east to west by Sasar, and live approximately 150,000 people.
The first writing information's about Baia Mare present a development meaning centre with a medieval city aspect. In a document from 1411 is mentioned for the first time the Baia Mare Monetary, one of the oldest workshops in Transylvania.
Places to visit:
Recently restored, the Old City Center is a nice testimony of the medieval history of Baia Mare and is the pride of the city's residents. Most of the architectural monuments and museums are located in this area.
The town's emblematic building, the Stephen Tower, has seen six centuries of very troubled history. Between 1347 and1387 St. Stefan'sChurch was erected and a Gothic bell tower was added in 1446. In 1769 the church was struck by lightning and burned down. After several attempts to rebuild the church, each followed by another fire, the remaining walls were torn down in 1847 for use as construction stone. Of the whole church, today only the tower remains. Also located in the Old City Center (Libertatii Square), the lancu de Hunedoara House was initially part of the former medieval castle built by Transylvania's ruler lancu de Hunedoara for his wife. The building was finished around 1468 by their son, King Matei Corvin. Other architectural monuments of interest are: the Holy Trinity Church (1720), the Butchers' Tower and many other buildings from the 17 th and 18th centuries. Among the modern buildings, one of the most appreciated is the Prefecture Building, (Gh. Sincai Str.), built in 1968.
Museums:
The Mineralogy Museum (Traian Blvd, No. 8) contains an extensive and interesting inventory of rare minerals and gems from the mining areas of Maramures County, some of which are unique in the whole world.
The edifice of the former mint (Monetariei Str, No. 1-3) now houses the Archeology and History Museum containing various collections including:archaeology, mining techniques, numismatics (coins, medals), stamps, seals, weapons,clocks, etc. Recently, the museum has been equipped with an audio guide service in
Romanian, English, and French.
The Ethnography and Folk Art Museum, located at the foot of Florilor Hill, reflects the traditional occupations, crafts, folk clothing and religious objects specific to old Maramures, while the nearby Village Museum covers the traditional architecture and technical installations from the four ethnographic regions of the county.
The Art Museum. (1 Mai Str, No. 8) contains a lovely collection of paintings, sculpture and graphics belonging to Baia Mare's famous artist colony.
The Planetarium of Baia Mare (G. Cosbuc Str., No. 16) gives daily presentations of the stars and other astronomic highlights.
Parks and Landscapes:
Not far from the Museum of Ethnography, confined to a hilly area covered with coniferous trees, is the municipal park. A fanfare kiosk, a little pond, a restaurant, a night club and a narrow gauge toy-like train for children entertainment provide entertainment for those looking for more than just a relaxing stroll. A zoo is located near the park.
Several hundred meters uphill from the open-air Ethnography Museum, the scenic Dealul Florilor Inn offers good beer and steaks with a wide panorama of the town. If you tire of driving or just wish to stretch your legs a little, try a one hour leisurely walk along the Usturoi valley.