Rural Tourism and Economic Diversification in Maramures

Home , Bocicoiu Mare, Botiza, Ieud, Iza (river), Leordina, Moisei

p z c

UDC No.3 p 22-12

tinarilor’ chalet. Mineral water is avail- Rural Tourism and Economic able at such places as Baile Borsa, Craci- unesti, Dragomiresti, Faina and Valea Vi- Diversification in Maramures, nului but the springs have not yet at- tracted any significant use outside their respective localities. A small bathhouse Romania at Botiza is appreciated by the locals because of the curative properties of the water but it has no commercial signif- Muica, N.* icance. Bathing is available at former Turnock, D.** salt mines, particularly Ocna Sugatag (also referred to as Ocna Maramuresu- here has been a modest tourist in- lui), where a modern hotel now operates. Abstract dustry in Maramures for a long time Mountain chalets and boarding houses Maramures is one of the mountain re- T(Iacob 1981) with a range of hotels are largely restricted to the effective gions of Romania where rural tourism in the county town of Baia Mare com- area for weekend recreation around Baia pilot projects have been started. The paper plemented by more modest provision Mare and although the Puzdrele chalet examines the potentials for this business in Sighetu Marmatiei (Sighet for short), is available in the Rodna but there is no in the western part of the county (‘old the smaller towns and the rural areas. chain of such hostels comparable with Maramures’) and evaluates the progress The countryside in the southern parts of the Bucegi or Fagaras Mountains (Ianos made so far through the setting up of Maramures - the districts of Codru (be- & Iacob 1985). Development of facilities local tourist associations, the publishing yond the Somes), Chaior, south of Baia is highly appropriate at the present time of accommodation lists and the provision Mare, and Lapus in the southeast - is rel- and the main purpose of this paper is for a range of activities. The resources atively unspectacular but in ‘old’ Mara- to outline the potential for rural tour- are very considerable but the area suffers mures, comprising the Iza and Viseu val- ism in the area and to evaluate the prog- from remoteness and a number of other leys, the surrounding country is much ress made to date in the context of con- constraints will have to be overcome if more attractive and the cultural life is es- straints and opportunities. employment in tourism is going to play pecially rich. The Maramures Mountains a significant economic role in the future. mark the frontier with Ukraine, comple- However it is very important that ini- menting the Ignis-Gutai-Tibles range to The Local Context tiatives should succeed in view of recent the south (Figure 1). The latter culmi- Under communism the area remained mine closures and the growing depen- nate in the Rodna Mountains which offer somewhat isolated since this northern dence on seasonal employment outside the potential for winter sports and it is here border region had no major internation- region at a time when the local labour at ‘Complex Borsa’ where most of the al transit function and the main line rail- market is still expanding. accommodation outside Baia Mare has way along the Tisa Valley (built by the been provided: including the ‘Cascada’ Hungarians in the late nineteenth cen- Key words: Agriculture, Diversification, and ‘Stibina’ hotels and the ‘Hanul Bu- tury), which looped into Romanian ter- Handicrafts, Mining, Rural Tourism, Unemployment

* Nicolae Muica, Geography Institute, Str. 2 Dimitrie Racovita 12, 70307 Bucharest 20, 2 Romania

** DavidTurnock Geography Department, The Fig. 1. The pastoral economy of Maramures: a group of boys watch the cattle on the Botiza 2 University, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K. common grazing 22 p z c Turnock, D. Muica, N. ritory between Campulung pe Tisa and try, is undergoing severe contraction and now that commuting from the country- Valea Viseului in order to reach Sighet, unemployment is now a serious prob- side to factory work in urban areas is was used only by former-Soviet freight lem. The Remin Company of Baia Mare, greatly reduced, while a relatively high trains after the USSR annexed the east- which operates 16 mining complexes in birth rate continually increases the la- ernmost part of former-Czechoslovakia Maramures and adjacent areas declared bour surplus, there are many more young in 1945 and abandoned the arrangements some 5,900 redundancies in 1997 (45.5 people who wish to earn money outside which had previously enabled Romanians percent of the total employed). Land res- Maramures through seasonal work to to reach Sighet in transit via Satu Mare titution is generating more interest in generate funds which can be invested in and Halmeu. Consequently an all-Roma- agriculture but the markets are too weak small farms and businesses back home. nian route to Sighet which has been tem- to stimulate investment and intensifica- The men find forest work in Apuseni, porarily held up by the war was pushed tion. And the latest environmental legis- Banat and Poiana Rusca; also in the con- ahead with renewed vigour after 1945 lation has had an adverse effect on pasto- struction of tourist bungalows and cha- and completed in 1949. The principal ral farming through restricting the use of lets in the Brasov-Prahova area, railway local roads were improved (crossing the woodland for sheep grazing (Idu 1998). maintenance (especially in Arges and Gutai Pass at 1109m between Baia Mare Many people have moved to Banat (some Satu Mare) and in building work abroad and Sighetul Marmatiei and the Neteda 16,000 over the past decade) where the (especially in Austria, Germany, Greece, Pass at 1093m between Targu Lapus and emigration of Germans has made hous- France, Israel, Italy and Turkey) while Budesti) but old Maramures remained es available, but economic diversifica- the womenfolk manage the homes and relatively unknown especially in view tion within Maramures is much needed small farms. At the same time, both men of the delay in surfacing the main road (Pop 1997). Initially rural development and women seek temporary work in ag- from Bucovina over the Prislop Pass strategies were discussed by a Commis- riculture: haymaking on the Tarnava Pla- (1,416m), between Borsa and Iacobeni, sion for Mountainous Regions operating teau, Sibiu Depression and Getic Sub- which would have opened the way for within the Ministry of Agriculture and carpathians (where the local population tourists to travel by car through the some progress was made in disseminat- is elderly and resident active men have northern regions from Suceava to Baia ing West European principles of rural di- more rewarding occupations); and har- Mare and Satu Mare. versification and ‘mountainology’. This vesting field crops in Banat-Crisana, fruit The region maintained its traditional- work is now in the hands of the Regional in the Arges, Satu Mare and Valcea areas ly high rate of natural increase, but con- Development Council for the North West and grapes in Moldavia and Vaslui (Popa- siderable employment was generated by Region created in 1998 (one of eight Bota & Iuja 1999). Such experience con- the expansion of mining for non-ferrous large regions coordinating regional de- tributes new ideas on architecture and ores (Opris 1983) and also in the man- velopment measures with EU structural resource management; though customs ufacturing industries of Baia Mare and assistance) (Guvernul Romaniei 1997). and traditions are not affected. Sighet, while the agricultural and forest- However, the scale of the problem is In this context rural cultural tourism ry work remained labour-intensive. Even such that people are having to leave the has surfaced as a new business with con- so there was net out-migration from the district to find seasonal work. This is a siderable local potential which could be- area and many young men took seasonal traditional response to a situation where come part of a programme of integrated work in farms and forests throughout the peripherality discourages light manufac- regional reconstruction by local interests country; returning home for the major tures and where the modest agricultur- with significant academic input; notably festivals and at peak times of agricultural al potential for arable farming opens the the ‘Schita Propunerilor Destinate Revi- activity in areas that were not collectiv- way for casual work in the main cereal- talizarii Economico-Sociale a Maramure- ised (Iacob 1961). But the mining indus- growing areas for payment in kind. But sului’ prepared by a Bucharest-based ge-

Fig. 2. Old Maramures, showing aspects of the rural development plan by G. Iacob. Source: Iacob 1994 23 p z c

ographer well-known for his researches rala din Romania’) which convened dis- (‘voievod’) performing social-juridical on Maramures during the last 30 years cussions in 1990 on a range of rural is- and political functions at the head of the (Iacob 1994) (Figure 1). He anticipates sues and considered pilot projects in hierarchy. However, although the Roma- an increase in the number of chalets and 1991 with rural tourism identified as a nians have always been clearly in the mountain resorts (Costiui, Izvorul Izei, specific objective the following year. In majority, there is also a history of set- Runc-Sapanta and Valea Vinului) backed 1993 OVR began to organise a tourist tlement by Germans, Hungarians and up by extensions to the road network. network in 16 villages throughout the Ukrainians during the last few centuries. Borsa has been proposed as a pilot cen- country (selected according to history, Relations have been generally harmoni- tre for the tourist programme of the USA culture and architecture/national patri- ous despite the excesses of the Second Agency for International Development mony) and this work was then placed in World War (when Maramures and north- (USAID) following the preparation of a the context of sustainable rural develop- ern Transylvania returned temporarily strategic plan by the Maramures Coun- ment - following the Rio de Janeiro Con- to Hungarian administration) resulting ty Council working with consultants in ference on sustainable living. in the virtual disappearance of the Jew- Baia Mare. This would allow expertise ish community, previously from American mountain resorts to con- active in the timber business and in tribute to the development of the in- The Potential for Rural trade with Moldavia. frastructure at Borsa, including an air- Cultural Tourism The richness of the ethnography, with port to handle domestic flights from Bu- The mountain scenery is considerably its subtle variations between districts charest; also improvements in accom- enhanced by a cultural landscape in which and even adjacent villages is made appar- modation, roads and telecommunications peasant agriculture and vernacular archi- ent through the Maramures Ethnograph- which could open the way to a resort of tecture is prominent (Plate 1). The area ic Museum in Sighet. But it is also very Olympic standards (a ski-jump of Olym- has important historical associations in evident in the villages like Bistra, Leor- pic standards already exists and there is view of the significance of the eastward dina, Moisei and Petrova where tradi- cable car access to three ski runs). migration by Bogdan (a local leader) and tional costume is regularly worn on Sun- Rural tourism is a business which at- his followers for the subsequent found- days including the boldly striped apron tracted both internal and external sup- ing of the Moldavian Principality in 1359. (‘catrinita’), the Medieval-style rawhide port in the early years following the rev- Organisation of this epic transfer seems footwear (‘opinchi’) or felt boots bound olution. As explained elsewhere (Turn- to have hinged on political consolidation with thongs (Richardson & Burford 1996 ock 1999), opinion within Romania ini- under a local ruler (‘cnez’) within the p.241) (Plates 2-3). There is much inter- Rural Tourism and Economic Diversification in Maramures, Romania in Maramures, Diversification and Economic Tourism Rural tially orchestrated during the communist valleys and depressions. The process is est in preserving the distinctive charac- period by Radu Rey was complemented exemplified by ‘Cnezatele Izei’, centred teristics of local textiles, including blan- by backing from EU PHARE and appre- on the fortress of Cuhea (which once kets, carpets and rugs produced on looms ciated by government as one of several belonged to Bogdan) in the upper Iza installed in dwelling houses. Small in- approaches to the rebuilding of the tour- Valley: hence the village name Bogdan dustries operate in many of the villages. ist industry. National government pri- Voda and the reference to Bogdan’s coun- They take the form of workshops where orities stimulated interest in the Plan- try through the early thirteenth centu- woodcarvings are produced and ceram- ning (‘Urbanism’) Department of Mara- ry ‘Terra Bogdana’ which extended over ics are manufactured (as at Sacel). The mures County Council while local NGOs the watershed into the adjacent Viseu wife of the Botiza priest has rediscovered emerged through the activities of AN- Valley. Meanwhile similar village group- the authentic vegetable dyes traditional- TREC, the National Association for Rural ings crystallised in the lower Iza and ly used for Maramures carpets with their & Ecological Tourism, and the Brussels- Mara valleys, in the Tisa valley around motifs of animals, flowers and dances based ‘Operation Villages Roumaines’ Campulung (‘Cnezatul Talaborului’) and (‘hora’) in dark greens and browns and (OVR). Created initially to oppose draco- also north of the Tisa (‘Cnezatul Bar- which are thought to originate in Mol- nian rural planning in the last years of the jevei’). By the fifteenth century a larger davia. The ceramics of Sacel are note- Ceausescu Era, OVR was reprofiled for grouping emerged through the assem- worthy, though most handicrafts are con- rural development purposes after 1989 bly of local rulers (‘Adunarea Cnezilor’) cerned with woodworking and the art is through a new foundation (‘Fundatia Ru- in ‘Tara Maramuresului’, with a prince well displayed by the craftsmen (‘mes- teri’) of the Iza Valley. All parts of the Maramures have their customs and festivals which blend pagan beliefs and Uni- ate rite: the cult of the dead is particularly strong. Note the Hoteni ‘Tanjaua’ festival in May (a fertility rite celebrat- ing the first ploughman), the ‘Hora de la Prislop’ in August and the winter car- nival in Sighet. The wearing of masks (‘mastile’) in connection with traditional rituals is a significant interest in itself. Folk songs are a rich resource especially in view of the distinctive technique used by local musicians (Burford 1996 p.252). Particular mention should be made of the wooden churches which demon- strate the quality of the wood carving Fig. 3. Costume at Botiza: note the distinctive apron worn by the women. tradition perpetuated today by the ‘small 24 p z c Turnock, D. Muica, N. timber mansions’ which are characteris- tre of Macirlau with a trail continuing for ‘artizanat’ (clothing and knitwear) - tic of new house building by shepherds over the Jupania ridge to Baile Borsa and also by a brandy (‘tuica’) distillery in the and woodcutters throughout the Iza Val- naturalists can see how “bears and deer old pumping station - and there is now a ley, along with the ornate Maramures drink from the river, unperturbed by the large modern complex frequently desig- gateway (‘poarta maramuresana’), which trains and loggers, while in the moun- nated Ocna Maramuresului. A surfaced often features a ‘tree of life’ with astro- tain forests live stags, elusive lynxes and road helped to boost the local market logical symbols as well as people and an- also wolves, a dozen or so of which are function (whereupon the railway closed imals. The wooden churches arise be- shot each winter when the packs be- in 1975) and prepared the ground for the cause the Orthodox Romanians were for- come too ravenous” (Richardson & Bur- creation of an urban centre under com- bidden by their Catholic Hungarian over- ford 1996 p.256). Forestry operations in- munist ‘sistematizare’ (Visovan 1984), lords to build churches in stone (1278). clude charcoal burning of wood in large though the proposal has not yet been Much rebuilding occurred after the last conical stacks: a smouldering process is implemented. Meanwhile, the landscape Tartar raids (1717). In ‘old’ Maramures contained during the relatively high tem- of hollows, shafts and pools is replicat- there are many examples including Roza- peratures of the daytime by the blocking ed at Costiui where the production of vlea 1717; Borsa and Ieud (the lower or of air vents which must then be opened very pure salt continued until 1931 with ‘ses’ church) 1718, Barsana 1720, Bodgan up in the evening when smoke can be the narrow-gauge railway link surviving Voda 1722, Surdesti (1724, with a par- seen emerging from the sides of the until road modernisation in 1973. A bath- ticularly tall spire), Budesti (the ‘Susan’ stacks. Transport, now undertaken al- ing station was also opened at this time, church) in the 1760s, Harnicesti in 1770, most universally by lorry, originally took although the business is small compared Calinesti 1784 and Plopis (1798-1804). the form of rafting on the Tisa and its with Ocna Sugatag and there is no tourist However Breb church dates to 1531, tributary the Viseu: a tradition that is accommodation. However at both places while the upper church of Ieud dates now being re-established in the interests there is scope for further recreation fa- from 1364. Several churches also date of tourism. cilities on what is currently waste land to the seventeenth century: Poienile Salt is no longer produced in Mara- affected by subsidence. Izei 1604 (with ‘nightmarish paintings’), mures, but the landscapes of Ocna Su- Although the wood processing is gen- Sat Sugatag 1642 and Moisei 1672. The gatag and Costiui are an impressive re- erally handled at large plants (Sighetu paintings are of great interest besides minder of the past when salt was distrib- Marmatiei and Viseu de Sus) there are the wooden architecture: reference may uted across the Hungarian plain by rafts smaller water-powered mills which sur- be made to the post-Byzantine style of floating down the Tisa and subsequently vived the centralising pressures of the Alexandru Ponehalski (1750s-1770s) dis- through the narrow-gauge railway con- communist period. At Poienile de sub played at Budesti, Calinesti and Ieud; the nections with Sighet. Large hollows cre- Munte the sawmill (‘joager’) was built in ‘more imaginative’ work of Radu Munte- ated by subsidence are now filled with 1964 and, with favourable arrangements anu (1760s-1780s) in Botiza and Deses- water. The ‘Gavril’ mine at Ocna Sug- for getting wood from the forest, was ti; followed by the nineteenth century atag was abandoned 1920s, whereupon able to provide sawn timber for cooper- Baroque style of Toader Hoder and Ion some water was pumped from the ‘flash’ ative farms lower down the Viseu val- Plohod at Barsana, Cornesti and Nanes- to provide a bathing station (‘statiunea ley. It was originally under cooperative ti. Graveyards contain many fine -ex balneoclimaterica’). Relocated after the ownership but has now been privatised. amples of craftsmanship in wood but Second World War (when the salt indus- Corn mills were often closed down when quite unique is the ‘merry cemetery’ try was finally closed in 1950), with the factory-milled flour became available but (‘cimitir vesel’) of Sapanta (a very suc- addition of baths in 1972 and a hotel in others survived (Poienile de sub Munte cessful tourist village supporting a num- 1976, the economy of the village was re- and Sacel) as private operations with ber of handicraft stalls) where the paint- built (though some miners commuted to taxes paid in cash and in kind to the ed wooden memorials each convey a hu- work elsewhere). After resiting on high- local authority. The number of mills has morous message. The work was started er ground to avoid risk of sudden sub- increased since 1989 because the cap- Stan Ion Patras who died in 1977, but sidence, further investment Ocna Sug- ital required in modest and the power his two former apprentices, Turda Toad- atag’s tourist industry followed in the is cheap where families have the skill er and Vasile Stan, continue the tradi- 1980s. It is backed by local industries to build and install water wheels them- tion. On a larger scale there is a major mining industry but it does not yet cater for tourism (not least because of continuing pollution problems) but there is coverage in the museums. More serious mention should be made of the tradition of wood exploitation by narrow-gauge railways, with the Vaser Valley system (Viseu de Sus-Coman) as the sole survi- vor in an area where there were formerly links from Leordina (where a woodyard still remains) to Poienile de sub Munte and from Sighet to the Mara Valley in addition to the salt railways referred to below. The Vaser itself is of much interest for the water attracts fishermen (trout and umber) and kayak enthusiasts while walkers can reach the logging cen- Fig. 4. Costume at Moisei: a group of women take an evening stroll 25 p z c

selves. The limited restitution of wood- and the Development Centre for Small Prislop and Rodna (with the option of an lands will also provide more scope for & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). extension for another week in order to small business. It is already common for Potential has been identified in Borsa, reach the Bucovina monasteries). Other farmers to operate their own circular Botiza, Moisei, Sacel, Salistea de Sus destinations are the Bargau and Caliman saws while small portable petrol-driven and Sapanta on the basis of scenery and Mountains. sawmills provide further scope for small human resources (including the motiva- businesses. tion and adaptability of local communi- The first national guidebook for rural ties), as well as the local infrastructure tourism was published by ANTREC in which is now being improved by the in- 1998 and it featured eight centres in The Development of Rural stallation of natural gas heating. Old Maramures with a total of 81 agro- Tourism in Maramures However, local initiative is making a touristical farms (ATFs) and 554 rooms. Rural tourism has developed strongly difference. At Botiza the community ap- A local ecological organisation (‘Socie- in old Maramures where restitution has preciates the importance ‘adding value’ tatea Ecologista din Maramures’ SEM) created a large number of very small through provision of handicrafts and guid- has produced a brochure with help from farms and families are traditionally large, ing services and facilities for cart/bike the PHARE ‘Fundatia pentru Dezvoltar- in contrast to the Chioar and Lapus areas rides and fishing (Plate 4). In 1997 OVR ea Societati Civile’ (Table 1). It has coop- where smaller households and greater ran a folk violin festival (‘Mara Muzical’) erated with the ‘Iza’ Touist Association agricultural potential reduce the stimu- based at three Iza Valley pilot villages which is active in Borsa, Dragomiresti, lus to seek other occupations. A branch (Botiza, Ieud and Vadu Izei). This ‘Eu- Rozavlea and Salistea de Sus and Sieu of ANTREC is operating in Maramures, ropean Festival of Fiddle & Countryside and the ‘Solovan’ Tourist Assiociation but much headway has also been made by Music’, seeking to boost rural tourism in Barsana, Campulung pe Tisa, Deses- OVR in building up a local network (‘retea and authentic handicrafts, was the idea ti, Oncesti, Rona de Sus, Sapanta and turistica’) providing bed and breakfast of a Frenchman Bernard Houliat and was Sighetu Marmatiei. Neither booklet is and guiding services at very acceptable realised with the support of the Minis- comprehensive: for example neither con- prices (Wortthelet 1997). Premises are try of Culture in Bucharest and OVR, tains entries for Bocicoiu Mare although inspected annually to check different as- along with ‘The Museum of the Ro- rural tourism in this village has been de- pects of performance according to a star manian Peasant’, the ‘Maramures Land’ scribed very positively in some Western system and a local representatives keep association and the EU PHARE. Vari- tour guides (Josse et al. 1999). Gener- records of all overnights and collect a ous foreign guests attended, plus numer- ally all houses have bath, shower, kitch- Rural Tourism and Economic Diversification in Maramures, Romania in Maramures, Diversification and Economic Tourism Rural tenth of the income for the local asso- ous local fiddlers from ‘historical Mara- en, heating, with TV, a washing machine, ciation. OVR publicity highlights the Iza mures’. This festival is now to be an an- private open space and childrens’ activi- Valley (Botiza, Ieud and Vadu Izei) as nual event integrated into the European ties (though some do not have a wash- well as Sapanta in the Tisa Valley; em- cultural itineraries and combining with ing machine or lack a shower in addi- phasising the wooden churches; village other local festivals, with local cuisine tion to a bathroom). Most take pets but music; woollen carpet production; sea- and with other events organised by the there are frequent exceptions in Botiza, sonal festivals and nature reserves. Vadu churches. Local facilities are being im- Rona de Sus and Vadu Izei. A majority Izei is the main centre of the organisa- proved (the former forest railway in the of the ATFs are accessible by telephone tion’s operations in Maramures, with an Mara Valley is now a cycle path) and and offer foreign language skills. More information and reservation office (Ru- some special tour companies have start- EU support may be forthcoming in the su-Grigore 1993). There has also been ed up. An initiative at Viseu de Jos of- future through ‘Special Action for Pre- input by Maramures County Council (ag- fers donkey safaris covering 10-25kms/ Accession Measures for Agriculture & riculture and planning sections) in collab- day with overnight camping. A seven Rural Development’ (SAPARD), provid- oration with a local PHARE programme day itinerary takes in the Vaser Valley, ing ECU500mln/ yr for Romania from 2000) and an agricultural consulting agency, operating within the Ministry of Agriculture, will start working on a pilot basis to stimulate business projects covering all aspects of farming and food production linked. There will also be PHARE-funded training for agricultural extension. Reference should also be made to the cross-border dimension given the present government’s priority for the cross- border cooperation and the existence of a Carpathian Euroregion which now in- cludes Maramures as well as three other counties in the North West of Romania (Bihor, Salaj and Satu Mare). Since Ro- mania’s immediate neighbours (Hunga- ry and Ukraine) are both enthusiastic members there are good prospects for enhanced accessibility, once the old attitudes associated with the closed fron- Fig. 5.The village of Botiza with a number of two-storey houses (encouraged by communist tier regime and the former Soviet threat ‘sistematizare’) among the traditional bungalows. have been overcome. There will be posi- 26 p z c Turnock, D. Muica, N. tive benefits from the literal rebuilding which have a strong interest in conser- nificant point is that this development of bridges in the Tisa valley and the rein- vation and ecology, along with commu- adds momentum to a general desire by troduction of through rail services serv- nity groups and the private sector. At at congregations to build new churches in ing both the Ukrainian side of the valley national level the coordination of tradi- which everybody can be accommodat- and the Romanian districts of Satu Mare tional activities through an ‘events cal- ed. In the past it was often necessary and Sighet. An agreement with Ukraine endar’ could attract visitors at different for people (frequently the women) to aims to develop tourism through Halmeu times of year. ANTREC should be able stand outside during services because of (a border crossing near Satu Mare, lying to improve its performance in this re- the limited space inside the traditional to the west of old Maramures) as part of spect but because its perceived close wooden churches (the length of the ser- a programme of closer contacts between links with the Ministry of Tourism tend vice being such that it was not feasible northern Romania and Zakarpatia. Cur- compromise its NGO status, ‘top down’ to have more services during a single rently the border is used for freight and coordination needs to be complemented day). However, this poses a threat to the local cultural contacts. There is also a by ‘bottom up’ training, organisation and old buildings which will need to be well daily passenger train which runs through local control. Finally, attracting tourists looked after when they are superseded. Ukraine in order to connect Satu Mare in the first place requires better informa- As Burford puts it (1996 p.110), it should with Kosice (part a service from Constan- tion and marketing at home and abroad be a responsibility of visitors “to encour- ta to Krakow). There are already com- including a website. In turn, there is a age the preservation of traditional cus- mercial contacts dating back to 1994 be- need for a clear identity for Romania’s toms” including wooden churches “between organisations from Hungary, Slo- rural tourism product to help gain the cause just about every village has out- vakia and Ukraine: Zemplen Local En- confidence of tour operators who are grown them and built huge new con- terprise Development Foundation (Sa- easily diverted by the glossy profession- crete basilicas in ‘identikit’ Romanian toraljaujhely), the Regional Enterprise alism of their competitors’ marketing ef- Orthodox style” and there is a risk that Development Centre (Velke Kapusany) forts: tour operators need new destina- the old churches will fall into disrepair. and the Economic Management Associ- tions but they also need evidence of qual- Equally, while harnessing of the cultural ation of the Carpathian Society of Hun- ity management. resources, the development of agricul- garian Intellectuals (Uzhgorod). The aim However, within the local area pres- ture should not be overlooked: pastures is to help develop SMEs in the border ervation of the unique cultural resourc- could be improved through the applica- region with a database to provide in- es must be an important priority and it tion of fertilisers and woodlands could formation; to establish entrepreneurial is evident that the planners are cooper- be renewed by mixing species so as to zones and customs-free areas (Zahony ating with advisors in several fields (in- reduce windblow damage. and Zemplen for example); and provide cluding ethnography) to ensure that the There is a also a drawback arising middleman functions to help establishing character of the region is not adversely through pollution associated with non- contacts. Indeed a tri-border customs- affected by the development of tourism. ferrous metallurgy. There is already a free area is recommended for Dobra-Da- An important consideration here is the large complex at Baile Borsa and fur- moc-Salamon. Romania could mesh into renaissance in religion since 1989. This ther expansion in the area in the future this network and benefit from a long- has seen the reformation of the Uniate cannot be ruled out given the possibil- term development in accessibility in- Church which was suppressed in 1948 ity of further mineral prospecting east volving regional airports and telecom- through a forced merger with the Or- of Borsa and the extension of the rail- munications as well as road and rail. But thodox Church. Where a village has two way to mining complexes in the Bur- there is a need for more institutions to churches one may now be Uniate and coaia area has been suggested although supply contacts between local govern- the other Orthodox and where there is the high cost of mining makes any ment and non-governmental organisa- only one building it may be shared (as at large-scale development unlikely (Iacob tions (NGOs) in Romania the neighbour- Manastirea Giulesti). However, the sig- 1995). Already environmental damage ing countries.

Constraints on the Growth of the Business Most of the issues here concern rural tourism in Romania in general because of a range of organisational barriers (Rob- erts 1996). Although legislation is in place to moderate tax burdens and sim- plify the path through the bureaucracy, launching into rural tourism is still a daunting prospect for families with virtu- ally no experience of modern business. Furthermore, success is not just down to the individual ATF but hinges on the attitudes of the wider community and the availability of a range of local services and facilities backed by signposts, leaflets and information centres. At a regional level there should be effective coordination and mobilisation of grass- Fig. 6. An isolated farm betweenViseu de Sus and Moisei; retaining its own building perimeter while roots NGOs active in tourism, many of makingconcessions to communist ‘sistematizare’ though the partial construction of a second storey. 27 p z c

is substantial with “brutal anthropic dent through fishing (including the fish many traditional elements concerned intervention...partially destroying the farm or ‘pastraverie’, parkland (Livada with peasant agriculture, the woodlands forests...[and tending] to dominate the at Sapanta and Gradina Morii at Sighet) and ancillary activities including a range entire evolution of the environment” of and open air museums (the ethnograph- of handicrafts. The vernacular architec- the Toroioaga Massif (Mac 1993 p.88). ic section of ‘Muzeul Maramuresului’ ture, the local music and other art forms Since 1954 54,500m of exploiting gal- and ‘Muzeul Satului Maramuresan’). For are well displayed through customs and leries and 25,950m of opening/preparing although the area is relatively unspoilt festivals which could well sustain great- galleries have been driven in this area at with a largely traditional economy, some er outside attention; especially at a time such places as Burloaia, Dealul Bucatii, floodplain woodland as been cut and when the ample human resources of the Gura Baii and Magura. Waste has been conversion for agriculture has followed, area are in desperate need of new out- displaced into valleys, sometimes block- while other areas have been transformed lets. The rural tourism initiative is now ing rivers, communications and settle- by the planting of exotics (including well-established on a modest scale but ments (Mac 1990). Dams must therefore Douglas fir and Sitka spruce). Other a series of barriers will have to be over- be reinforced. Dust is also a problem, threats arise from the tipping of industri- come if tourism is to play a more cen- arising from open silos and transport in al waste, the promotion of small hydro- tral role in the rural economy; a situa- open lorries from the flotation plant to power plants (e.g. Teceu, close to bound- tion that is highly desitable in view of the railway in Borsa, and water is pollut- ary with Satu Mare) and new interna- the contraction in the mining industry ed by rain and melting snow. The dam- tional road schemes (SEM 1997). coupled with continued expansion of the age relates not only to the landscape but At the same time Maramures has ben- labour market and heavy dependence on to public health especially where chil- efitted ecologically through its remote- seasonal work outsidfe the region. dren are concerned: the importance of a ness. There has been only limited trans- good diet is stressed, including protein formation of the countryside by reser- and vitamins. voirs linked with the generation of hydro- References Finally, while reducing pollution a power and future transformations may ANTREC, 1998, Turismul rural: in nou greater effort in conservation is required well remain modest since only small stil de vacanta (Bucharest: AN- through reserves to protect the flora and hydro projects are being advocated. Iacob TREC). fauna and other monuments of nature. (1994) suggests development only in the Burford, T. 1996, Hiking guide to Ro- This priority must be seen in the context secondary valleys of Baicu, Ieud, Mara, mania (Chalfont St Peter: Bradt of massive deforestation over the last Novat, Runc, Ruscova and Sieu (in the Publications/Old Saybrook, Conn.: Rural Tourism and Economic Diversification in Maramures, Romania in Maramures, Diversification and Economic Tourism Rural three centuries; reflecting the rigorous case of the Mara there would be diver- Glober Pequot Press). climatic conditions (wind and frost) but sion of water southwards through a tun- Chereches, D. 1997, ‘Padurile Mara- also human pressure on forests through nel to augment supplies to Baia Mare). It muresului: factor ecologic prioritar’: mining (heavy consumption of beech- is also significant that the infrequent vis- V. Iuja et al. eds.,, Maramures: vatra wood at Baiut for example) and through its made to the area by the late President de istorie milenara - lucrarile celui domestic needs and agriculture. Refer- Ceausescu enabled the local authorities de-al treilea simpozion Ocna Sugatag ence should also be made to the drying to apply the rural planning laws in such 1997 (Cluj-Napoca: Editura Dragos problem for oak (Fecser at al. 1962) and a way as to avoid any draconian restruc- Voda) 451-6. the destruction of brushwood, especial- turing of rural settlement patterns. The Fecser, C., et al. 1962, ‘Refacerea padu- ly mountain pine which has an impor- old building perimeters were retained rilor de stejar cu fenomene de uscare tant stabilising function at high levels and insistence that new houses should din DREF Maramures’. Revista Padu- above the main tree line (Chereches have two stories was modified to one rilor 77(8), 467-72. 1997). Protected areas should be extend- storey and an attic: a formula that could Guvernul Romaniei & Comisia Euro- ed (Popova-Cucu et al. 1982) and good reconciled with traditional designs and peana Programul Phare 1997. Carta progress is being made in the Rodna building systems (although asbestos verde: politica de dezvoltare region- Mountains through the reintroduction of roofing material has tended to replace ala in Romania (Bucharest: Guvernul the black goat in the reserve of Pietrosul both wood and metal) (Plate 5). Timber Romaniei). Mare. An interesting project is currently walls may be used throughout if the ma- Iacob, G., 1961 Contributii la studiul de- going ahead in the Upper Tisa Valley (the terial is available or alternatively bricks plasarilor sezionere ale “butinarilor” frontier between Romania and Ukraine) and/or blocks may be used to support a maramureseni’. Probleme de Geo- since the local ecological society (SEM) wooden superstructure. The blocks may grafie 8, 527-35. has been networked into the Szolnok- then be washed over with lime or ce- Iacob, G., 1981, Valorisation des res- based ‘Tisza Klub’ linking NGOs in Ny- ment in contrast to the traditional op- sources naturelles et de potential iregyhaza (‘Fundatia Tisa Superioara’), tion of daubing a lathe structure affixed touristique des monts Oas-Ignis-Gutii Kosice (‘People & Water’) and Uzhgorod to wooden beams. Revue Roumaine de Geographie 25, as well as Maramures. 95-102. Finance has been provided by the Ro- Iacob, G., 1994, ‘Repere geografice pri- manian office of the Regional Environ- Conclusion vind revitalizarea economiei mara- mental Centre for Central & Eastern Eu- Maramures is one of Romania’s most at- muresului’. Studii si cercetari: geo- rope to safeguard an almost continuous tractive mountain regions, particularly grafie 41, 85-9. belt of land with natural attractions and the northeastern part (‘old’ Maramures) Iacob, G., 1995, ‘Activitatile miniere din limited intrusive activitity. Conservation comprising the Iza and Viseu valleys. estul Muntilor Maramuresului si im- of the flora and fauna of the Tisa islands Although urbanised through the market plicatiile acestora asupra mediului’, and dead channels will be important in town of Sighet and the small towns of Studii si Cercetari de Geografie 42, the context of bird migrations. And bet- Borsa and Viseu de Sus, the rural char- 73-9. ter management of the valley will en- acter of the area has not been significant- Ianos, I., & Iacob, G., 1985, Reperes hance its value for tourism, already evi- ly compromised. The economy retains geographiques pour l’organisation de 28 p z c Turnock, D. Muica, N. l’espace dans les montagnes de Rodna fortei de munca in bazinul minier Baia Bran area of Transylvania’: M. Robin- Revue Roumaine : Geographie 29, Mare. Terra 15(3), 35-8. son et al. eds., Tourism and culture: 85-7. Pop, V., 1997, ‘Consideratii asupra mi- image identity and marketing (Sun- Idu, D.P., 1998, Pastoritul din Carpatii gratiei populatiei din Maramuresul is- derland: Business Education Publish- Oriental (Bucharest: Universitatea din toric in perioada 1986-1995’: V. Iuja et ers) 185-97. Bucuresti Teza de Doctorat). al. eds.,, Maramures: vatra de istorie Rusu-Grigore, M., 1993, ‘Perspectivele Josse, P., et al. 1999, Le guide de routard milenara - lucrarile celui de-al treilea agroturismului montan’, Viata Munti- 1999-2000: Hongrie Roumanie Bul- simpozion Ocna Sugatag 1997 (Cluj- lor 3(5) 7. garie (Paris: Hachette Tourisme) 297- Napoca: Editura Dragos Voda) 463-8. Societatea Ecologista din Maramures -304. Popa-Bota, H., & Iuga, I., 1999, ‘The mi- 1997, Tisa superioara: zona de impor- Mac, I., 1990, ‘Phenomenes geomor- gratory movement of the population tanta internationala in protectia biodi- pho- logiques de risque dans la zone from Maramures Depression’: V. Surd versitatii (Baia Mare: SEM). mi-niere de Baia Borsa’. Studia Uni- ed., Rural space and regional devel- Turnock, D., 1999, ‘Path dependency versitatis Babes-Bolyai: Geografia 35, opment (Cluj-Napoca: Editura Studia) and sustainable rural tourism in the 90-7. 255-7. Romanian Carpathians’, University of Mac, I., 1993, The mining on Toroioaga Popova-Cucu, A., et al. 1982, Rezervati- Leicester Department of Geography Massif and its impact upon envioron- ile naturale din Muntii Maramuresu- Occasional Paper 41. ment: F. Moisei et al. 1999, Catalogul lui. Terra 14(3), 10-8. Visovan, I., 1984, Ocna Sugatag pe calea locuintelor care practica turism eco- Richardson, D., & Burford, T., 1996, urbanizarii. BulSSGdinRSR 7, 116-9. logic-rural-privat in judetul Maramu- Romania: the rough guide (London: Wortthelet, D., ed. 1997, Au pays des vil- res (Baia Mare: Societatea Ecologista Rough Guides). lages roumains (Bruxelles: Operation din Maramures). Roberts, L.A., 1996, ‘Barriers to the Villages Roumains). Opris, V., 1983, Mobilitatea teritoriala a development of rural tourism in the