Welcome to Motoromania.com > Roads

The road begins in the city of Baia Mare. The city is the largest town in Maramures and the country’s largest non-ferrous metal center. The city was known for its gold mines in the 14th and 15th centuries. The town became an important industrial center during Ceausescu's regime. The lack of environmental concerns led to a permanent sulfur-dioxide/metal powder smog looming overhead from the metal plants (annually 5 billion cubic meters of gases were emitted).

The city’s old center is quite pleasant, with a colorful square and several restored historic buildings. Stephen’s Tower, a 50-meter edifice dating back to 15th century, guards the southern edge of the square. The city is also known for the 18th and 19th century painters who were part of the local Nagybanya School.

As you leave town, the road begins a quick and aggressive ascent into the Gutai Mountains. The surface is paved but choppy, yet the curves are inspiring, nonetheless. The ride goes through thick forests, which cover the sky completely in spots, giving the route an ominous feel. The S-curves, sharp climbs and hairpins are abundant. Simply looking at the map, you would not expect this type of road. It is fun!

Maramures is primarily known for its highly ornate wooden house gates and the incredibly tall wooden churches. The area has a bounty of these buildings, and the road passes by several villages boasting such marvels, many dating back three or four centuries. The towns of Desesti, Giulesti and Berbesti bring with them house after house richly decorated with intricate gates and unique churches with quiet yards. It is quite an experience.

From Highway 18, there are several roads leading to more amazing wooden churches—Sat-Sugatag, Budesti, Surdesti, Barsana. Barsana is a real architectural jewel—it is a monastery whose buildings feature the iconic tall wooden spires specific to this area. The center of this northern region is Sighetu Marmatiei (a.k.a. Sighet).

Sighet is a border town (only a few kilometers from Ukraine), and feels like it. The town’s two outstanding landmarks are the prison museum (1997) and the childhood home of Elie Wiesel (2002). The Sighet prison was notorious during communism for its severe mistreatment of about 180 political prisoners held here between 1948 and 1952. These most feared intellectual opponents were given 700 calories a day often dying of starvation. The memorial plaque reads "in memory of the young, intelligent people at the forefront of Romanian intellectual life who were imprisoned because they did not believe in communism and died, through torture, in this odious prison." Elie Wiesel, 1986 Noble Peace Prize winner and writer who coined the term “Holocaust” was born in Sighet (and later deported from here).

While in Sighet, there is another famous Maramures landmark near the city. It is the Merry Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel) of Sapanta. The cemetery and town of Sapanta have become famous across Romania and Europe, in large part, through the work of Stan Ion Patras (1909-1977), who decorated the cemetery headstones with portraits or colorful scenes from the deceased lives. Patras adorned them with witty texts describing their occupation while alive, or the unfortunate manner in which they lost their lives.

Along with a visit to the cemetery, you should also allow a few minutes for a visit to the Sapanta Monastery. The monastery’s church is a new construction that has already garnered the title of “highest wooden church in Europe.” The building is entirely made of wood and its steeple rises 72 meters high—absolutely impressive!

From Sighet, DN18 turns westward and heads for the Maramures Mountains. The ride is particularly beautiful between the villages of Rona de Sus and Petrova, where the road climbs through series of S-curves into a dense forest. At the morning hours, with the sun slowly climbing in the sky, it can make for quite a magical ride.

The road is pleasant but less inspiring as it runs into Viseu de Sus—rolling hills, hay stacks and rural settlements. Viseu de Sus has become the epicenter for hikers and nature-lovers. The town was first mentioned in 1363 and has developed around logging and carpentry. The town is best known for being the gateway to the Vaser Valley, and its now famous narrow-gauge railway train (Mocanita) still used to transport wood down into the valley. Backpackers and people looking for a unique adventure frequent the train.

From Viseu de Sus, the road continues into Borsa. Its character changes and becomes more entertaining. Borsa has been a mining town since the 14th century. Given its location at the foot of the Rodna Mountains, the town also became home to a ski resort (technically 10 kilometers east of town).

From Borsa, the road becomes quite impressive as it rises to Prislop Pass (1,416 meters) through turn after turn and an impressive sequence of S-curves. This is what riding a motorcycle through the mountains should feel like. The road meets with Highway 17D 45 kilometers after Borsa. From here, with proper tires, you can loop around the Rodna Mountains and make a day of it (off-road-biased tires are desirable as the first 25 kilometers into 17D are dirt and mud).

From this point, the road continues its scenic tour between the Suhard and Mestecanis Mountains for another 31 kilometers. Finally, it joins E576 and offers you several enticing options—the painted monasteries of Bucovina to the East, Vatra Dornei and a ride back into Transylvania to the west, or a ride towards Piatra Neamt and Bicaz Lake to the south.

DN18

Roads > DN18

DN18

Desesti

Carved gates

Desesti

DN18

Motorcycle Adventures for the 21st Century