Târgu Lăpuș: Nature, Trails and Woodcarving

The administrative area of the town of Târgu Lăpuș includes Cheile Lăpușului, a narrow section of valley carved by the Lăpuș River into the crystalline schists of the Preluca mountain range. It stretches between Răzoare and Remecioara as far as the confluence of the Lăpuș and Cavnic rivers.

Nature

Cheile Lăpușului is part of the European network of protected areas and has Natura 2000 site status; of the 36 kilometres in total, 25 kilometres are designated as a nature reserve. The Pișătoarea Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Cheile Lăpușului and is more than 25 metres high. Seven themed trails are marked in the nature reserve.

In the immediate surroundings, the circular trail through the Lăpuș Gorge leads from Răzoare via Groape to Preluca Veche and back; it is 14–16 kilometres long and takes approximately eight hours. Lacul Lighet lies southeast of Târgu Lăpuș and was created in 1975 by damming the Nireș stream, which is also called Lighet. The lake covers four hectares and is between 0.5 and 6 metres deep.

Fishing at Lacul Lighet is managed by the “Cheile Lăpușului” Angling Association from Târgu Lăpuș. The lake is home to, among other species, carp, crucian carp, grass carp, silver carp, bleak, roach and perch. At Lacul Lighet, the blue trail marker for the Traseul Albastru leads to a cold spring; from there, you can either return along the same route or follow a path around the lake and then rejoin the marked trail.

Trails

The moderately difficult, blue-marked Traseul Albastru begins in the centre of Târgu Lăpuș and leads towards Baia Mare. A popular cycling route also begins in Târgu Lăpuș, running via Rogoz, Dămăcușeni, Suciu de Sus and Suciu de Jos to Groșii Țibleșului and then back.

More local pages: Ruscova, Giulești, Ieud, Onceşti, Suciu de Sus, Călineşti, Remeţi, Lăpușel.

Culture

The Sf. Ana-Rohia Monastery is located in the village of Rohia, one of the 13 villages belonging to the town of Târgu Lăpuș, on Dealul Viei amid a beech and oak forest at an altitude of around 500 metres. Ana was built in 1926 by the priest Nicolae Gherman in memory of his daughter Anuța.

Along the path to the entrance of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Târgu Lăpuș stand two wooden crosses carved by Alexandru Perța Cuza. Together with seven other communes, Târgu Lăpuș contributes to the formation of the ethnographic region of Țara Lăpușului.

The Ethnographic Museum House of Rogoz houses traditional objects from the Țara Lăpușului region and also serves as a venue for events on traditional themes. At the wooden Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Rogoz, the ends of the roof beams are carved in the form of stylised horses; this design is considered unique in Maramureș.

According to tradition, the wooden Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Rogoz was built in 1663 from two enormous logs brought from Dealul Popii. In Rogoz, families preserve the tradition of bringing food on Maundy Thursday, leaving it on the table overnight and giving it to poor people on Good Friday.

The craftsman Nicolae Șerban from Rogoz makes Troițe, sculptures, totems, Maramureș gates and bas-reliefs.

History

The Martyrs’ Monument of 5 December 1918 in the central park of Târgu Lăpuș was erected in 1936 and bears the names of the victims of the massacre of 5 December 1918. The memorial plaque for the Jews of Târgu Lăpuș commemorates the town’s Jewish community and the persecution with which the Holocaust there began on 4 May 1944.

To the higher-level travel overview: Maramureş.