Săcel – Traditional Crafts and Nature Reserve

Săcel showcases traditional crafts, waterways, mills and striking mountain views. The pottery workshop, located on a peasant homestead, dates from the late 19th century, more precisely from the years 1890 to 1900. The homestead includes a house, a barn, a shelter for the kiln and a well.

With the exception of the well, the complex is made of round fir logs laid in horizontal courses. Thus, the focus is not only on pottery but also on a historic rural building method.

Crafts and Customs

Pottery is considered the oldest craft preserved through tradition in Săcel. Red clay extracted from great depths is processed at the pottery centre. The work follows traditional techniques: after drying, the pottery vessels are polished over their entire surface with a flintstone. Material, production and finishing therefore form a clearly recognisable process.

Another traditional craft is preserved in the folk-mask workshop of master Vasile Șușca. Around the year 2000, he revived the traditional production of these masks in Săcel. His work was honoured in 2022 with the title “Tezaur Uman Viu”. The masks are made from goat, sheep or lamb hide, wool and fur; all the raw materials come from the village of Săcel.

Traditional masks for winter customs are made in Săcel. From 1 to 2 June 2025, pottery workshops led by Tănase Burnar took place there as part of the national “România Atractivă” project. Pottery and mask-making thus represent different forms of traditional village craftsmanship.

Nature and Mountain Views

The “Peștera și Izbucul Izvorul Albastru al Izei” nature reserve is located in Săcel and covers 100 hectares. The Izvorul Albastru al Izei, also called Izbucul Izei, is the point where water that flows underground through Peștera Izei resurfaces. The watercourse, cave and resurgence form the named components of this protected area.

The Săcel–Valea Baicu–Săcel route begins in Săcel and initially follows the DNJ17C road to Pasul Șetref. It offers panoramic views of the Rodna Ridge and the “pyramids” of Țibleș, including Arcer, Țibleș and Bran. The route thus links a named starting point and mountain pass with several distinctive landscape features.

Mills on the Iza

The Dănilă Mecleș complex includes a watermill, a water-powered fulling mill and a wool carding machine. All the mechanisms are powered by the force of the Iza. The mill complex is located along the road in Săcel, near the lower church. Different processing stages are combined here in a single water-powered complex.

Within the territory of Săcel commune, the DN17C national road runs for 12.9 kilometres and the DJ186 county road for 3.8 kilometres. Current route conditions and traffic information should be checked before travelling for the route and road connections.

Further destinations in Maramureș: Coltău, Săpânța, Petrova, Sighetu Marmaţiei, Baia Mare, Giulești, Săcălaşeni and Ocna Sugatag.

For the main travel overview: Maramureş.