Marmarosh Mountains

Мармароські гори (UA) Munţii Maramureşului (RO)   Máramarosi-havasok (H) Marmarošské hory (ČS) Karpaty Marmaroskie (PL)

The Marmarosh Mountains should not be confused with a picturesque region of Romania. Neither of them should be confused with a historic province of the Kingdom of Hungary, which covered a much larger area. Most of the main ridge of the Marmarosh Mountains (along with most of the main ridge of their northern neighbour, the Chornohora), has for centuries functioned as an international border. For centuries somewhere near the summit of Hnatasya/Ignăteasa/Hnitessa was the T-junction of borderlines dividing the Kingdom of Hungary, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Principality of Moldavia. Later, between the first and second world wars the three borders converged on the summit of Stih (Stoh/Stóg/Stogu), but at that time the three countries were Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania. This has had some impact on the toponymy of the mountains, but the most important was the fact that for several centuries the Marmarosh Mountains have been an area where both Slavic (Rusyn) and Romanian-speaking highlanders grazed their sheep, cattle and horses. All this results in the mountain toponyms forming very interesting combinations of diverse languages (and occasional misunderstandings). The first fairly good (despite containing countless spelling and some factual errors) maps which feature names of the most important mountains were made in the 1780s by the Austrian military. A hundred years later the area was mapped at 1:25,000 (!)

Summit	Elevation in Metres	Photo	A few words about
Farcău	1957		Formed of submarine basalt, the highest peak in the Marmarosh Mountains, sits in the north, just a few kilometers from the main ridge/border. It has a prominence of 620m and gives an interesting view of Pop Ivan, which rises several kilometers to the west. Blue stripe trail from the village of Repedea. More info on the parent page.
Pop Ivan	1938		The most spectacular massif in the Marmarosh Mountains, situated in the northwest, on the border between Ukraine and Romania. It is the highest summit on the main ridge as well as the highest summit in the part of the mountains that Ukrainians call the Rakhivskyi' Mts., with nearly 550m of prominence and several postglacial cirques on its northeast side. In geological terms, this is an islet of the ancient Precambrian gneiss of the nearby Rodnei Mountains.  Accessible only with a permit! (See Red Tape chapter) More info on the parent page.
Toroiaga	1930		The third highest and the third most prominent (530m of prominence) summit in the Marmarosh Mountains, in their southeastern part, between the valleys of the Vaser River and Ţişla Creek, north of the resort of Baia Borşa. The mountain, formed of andesite (once lava on the bottom of a deep ocean), contains ores, which were extensively mined until the end of the 20th century. The name of the massif seems to be Rusyn in origin and a reference to the fact that it has three clear-cut ridges (and three diverse sides). An unmarked path from Lucaciasa. Red triangles from Baile Borsa to Lucaciasa Refuge.
Mihailecu	1918		Just south of Farcău, which rises on the other side of Lake Vinderel. Alternate beds of limestone and basalt, folded and set vertically. Red stripe trail from Luhei. More info on the parent page.
Murgu	1880		In the Toroiaga Group, about one kilometer south of the summit of Toroiaga. Unmarked path from Toroiaga.
Jupania	1853		In the south-east, west of Toroiaga Group, in the main ridge, 2km off the border, within Romania's territory. About 4km south of the legendary summit of Hnitessa. Jupania is completely covered with crooked trees and bushes (dwarf pine and juniper), almost impenetrable. It may have always been like that, since the name of the mountain seems to derive from 'jneapăn', which means dwarf pine in Romanian. Red stripe traverse.
Pietrosu Bardăului	1850		The peak stands in the central part of the Marmarosh Mmountains, between the valleys of Vaser and Ruskova rivers. Formed of relatively hard sandstones and conglomerates, the mountain has over 420m of prominence and fair postglacial corries. Around the summit there are plenty of small freeze-thaw earth structures, similar to those found in the Arctic tundra. The name of the mountain is a combination of Romanian 'pietros' (rocky) and Rusyn 'berdo' (bluff/steep slope). Red stripe trail from Luhei or Bardau (Vaser valley).
Cearcănu	1846		To Hungarian people known as Sárkány (Dragon), in the southernmost part of the Marmarosh Mountains, just north of Prislop Pass. Its top part is formed of limestone beds. The peak has a prominence of 440m. No marked trail.
Neneska / Mica Mare	1818		The mountain, located on the border several kilometres north of Farcău, has two summits with similar elevations and about 350m of prominence, which makes it the second most prominent summit on the main ridge.
Piciorul Caprei	1804		In the Toroiaga Group, about 3km east of the summit of Toroiaga. Red stripe from Lucaciasa Refuge.
Sherban / Zherban	1793		On the main ridge, 2.5 km southwest of Pop Ivan. Telling by the name and looks of the mountain, the root word of the toponym must have meant notch or cliff.
Petros	1781		A prominent peak (over 280m of prominence) on a side ridge north of Pip Ivan, in the territory of Ukraine.
Chyvchyn	1767		Close to the main ridge (approx. 0.5km off the border, on the Ukrainian side), halfway between Hnitessa and Stoh. In Ukraine this part of the Marmarosh Mountains is known as the Chyvchynskyi' Mountains.
Hnatasia / Ignăteasa / Hnitessa	1767		On the main ridge, with interesting rock formations, between the headwaters of the Vaser and the Cheremosh. For centuries somewhere near the summit was the T-junction of borderlines, or rather no man's frontier swaths separating the Kingdom of Hungary, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Principality of Moldavia. This fact and a legend that the Y was marked with ancient border stones makes Hnitessa (as Poles call the mountain) an honorable goal for the Polish hiker. On the Austrian map made in the 1780s, the peak is named Balenica/Ichniadassa, which suggests that its name derives from a clearing made by burning forest by a man called Ihnat (Ignatius).
Berlebashka	1733		On the side ridge running north from Pop Ivan, between Pop Ivan and Petros.
Stih/Stogu	1651		On the main ridge, about 10km ENE of Farcău. The peak, whose name translates as Haystack, sends to the north a ridge which connects the Marmarosh Mountains to the Chornohora range. From 1918 to 1938 the very summit was a T-junction of the borders of Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania.

The main ridge has a length of approximately 90km and to a large extent resembles a rolling plateau. It forms a watershed between the Upper Tisa and Cheremosh drainages and it is closely followed by the Romanian-Ukrainian border. On the main ridge sit the following summits, from west to east: Menchul/Muncel (1370m), Polonynka (1627m), Sherban/Zherban (1793m), Pop/Pip Ivan (1938m), Holovac (1549m), Bendrias'ka/Bendreasca (1567m), Mezipotoky (1713m), Neneska/Mica Mare (1818m), Schavul/Shaul' (1753m), Korbul (1696m), Stih/Stoh/Stogu/Stóg (1651m), Rehes'ka/Radiescu (1570m), Kopylash/Copilasu (1599m), Kernichny (1589m), Ledyeskul/Lădescu (1580m), Budiyevska Velka/Budescu (1678m), Chyvchynazh/Civcinaj (1588m), Suligul/Şuligu (1688m), Lostun (1642m), Purul (1617m), Ştevioara (1621m), Koman/Comanu (1724m), Palenitsa (1750m), Hnatasia/Ignăteasa/Hnitessa (1767m), Krechela/Jupania (1853m – in Romania, south of the border, which has just taken a sharp turn east), Fîntîna Stanchi (1726m), Cornu Nedeii (1763m).

Marmarosh Mts from the Rodnei - photo by peterbud

Most of the Marmarosh Mountains is protected, in Romania as Muntii Maramureşului Natural Park and in Ukraine as Marmaroskyi Protected massif. Still, you are allowed to pitch your tent virtually anywhere, on either side of the borderline.

Stih/Stogu on the horizon

Romania vs Ukraine 1 : 0

Reminder of communist era

Tysa River - part of border

Border corridor

Five "domes" - worth clicking to enlarge

Hnitessa

The top of Stih/Stogu

Wooden shelter of frontier guards

According to the Romanian laws, hikers can get as far as 20 meters away from the border corridor known as a "Protection Area". To enter the Protection Area, you need a permit issued by the border police point in the sector you want to visit. You also need to carry your passport or ID card.  

If you wish to enter the Protection Area, you can obtain the permit on arrival. Below you will find the addresses and telephone numbers of particular border police points.

• BPS Valea Vişeului, Valea Vişeului city, Railway Building
• BPS Poienile de sub Munte, Poienile de sub Munte town, Main street, no. 1764, tel. +40 262 367 022
• BPS Vişeul de Sus, Vişeul de Sus city, 22 December street, no. 33/A, tel. +40 262 354 680

If you want to hike along the border line, please fill in the below form and attach a copy of your passport. Then send it all to Inspectorate of Border Police, No. 38 Dragos Voda, Sighetu Marmatiei 435 500, Maramures, ROMANIA (tel.  +40 262 314 528 or +40 262 315 228)  

After several days you can ask for a confirmation that your papers have reached the office. Here is the e-mail address: relatiipublice@ijpfmm.ro (www.ijpfmm.ro)  

Permit Number Issued to a citizen of …………………… (full name, address, country). The objective of the trip into the border area is ………………………. Hiking is permitted in border section.............from …hours to …hours Issued on…………………… Valid until…………………… Passport number…………………Date of issue.........  

NB Ukrainian laws are kind of bothersome bureaucracy and you will even need permission to enter the area 3-5 km off the border line. Moreover, the negotiations with the Ukrainian border police can be very frustrating, because they don't usually speak English. If you want to visit the Ukrainian part of the Marmarosh Mountains, please fill in an appropriate form (above) and send it, with a copy of your passport, 15-30 days before your trek, to the following addresses.

This border office controls the area between Dilove village and Stoh summit:

Мукачивський прикордонний загин, вул. Недецей 45, Мукачeвo 896 00, Закарпаття, УКРАЇНА

e-mail: mukachivskiy_zagin@pvu.gov.ua, telephone: +38 03131 2 12 61

This border office controls section from Stoh via Chyvchyn to Hnitessa summit.

Чернівецький прикордонний загин, вул.Герцена, 2a Чернівці 58022, Чернівецькa обл., УКРАЇНА

email: cherniveckiy_zagin@pvu.gov.ua, telephone: +38 0372 59 19 57 

A couple of days before your arrival it is necessary to verify your permit by calling these border police points: Szybene (+38 03432) 3 31 31, Dilove (+38 03132) 3 23 45, Bohdan (+38 03132) 2 20 42. After this procedure is completed, you may (not necessarily will!) receive your permit at these border police points.  A story (told by PipIvan) about how some Ukrainian trekkers obtained their permit is here. If you need help with translation, please PM LukZem.

Forest light and shade Valley in October Damaged upper parts August The Mocăniţa Click & read The valley of the Vaser River is a major tourist attraction of the Marmarosh Mountains. The valley is situated in the central part of Maramureş Mountains Natural Park, occupying about 30% of the park's territory. The scenery along the Vaser Valley is romantic, wild and picturesque. The valley is about 60 km long, deep, V-shaped, with steep slopes covered by dense forests, with patches of beautiful glades, dotted with mineral water springs. Due to difficult access, the Vaser Valley has remained wild, and still contains habitats hardly touched by humans, favourable to wildlife. Entry into the valley is possible on an old train known as Mocăniţa, put in motion by a steam engine. Along a 43.5-km section of the valley runs a narrow gauge railway (760 mm) built from 1924-1932. Today it is the last and only operating forest railway in Europe! But the train goes only as far as the stop called Paltin (approx. 22 km), because heavy floods damaged the upper parts of the valley in the summer of 2008. There is an interesting SP article available (plus an album) - an aftermath of a journey on the quaint train made by Tomek Lodowy. A day trip on the forest train is a rare attraction, but if you really want to get to know the "Wassertal", you should stay several days. Careful preparation would be needed, because the valley is not populated and below the high-lying pastures it is completely covered with forest. There are only two marked trails leading from the Vaser Valley up onto the ridges of the Marmarosh Mountains:

Freight train at Făina stop

One can visit a small church located above the railway station in Făina (km 32). The church was built by Austrian settlers and is dedicated to the famous empress Elisabeth, to many better known as "Sissi". Some 5 km past the campsite at Făina, near the Măcârlău stop, the railway passes remains of a dam. At this point the Vaser River used to be retained so that timber could be rafted down to the faraway saw mills. Each visit to the valley of the Vaser, whether a day trip along the railroad or a few days' trek with a tent and sleeping bag, is still an adventure. Roaming the shady forests, mountain pastures flooded by sunshine and forlorn railway stops, you will explore a fascinating, different world.

Also, please take into consideration the following things:

• There is no place to buy food in the Vaser valley, except for dairy products at the sheepfolds
• Storms, floods and other natural disasters can make some portions of the paths more difficult, or even inaccessible at all. It is therefore necessary to get informed on the accessibility of the itineraries you wish to follow. (NB During the July flood of 2008 the trapped tourists had to be evacuated by helicopter.)
• Do not take any risks off the paths or forest tracks if you do not have the stamina and experience.
• Since you are in the frontier area, you have to carry your identity documents!
• Your cell phone will be useless - there is no signal in the area!

• Ukraine is not part of the Schengen Area - you will need your passport!
• Cluj Napoca airport
• Romanian train timetable
• How to get to Romania's part of the area and around it using public transport: info by Pension Nagy
• Ukrainian train timetable
• Ukrainian bus tickets