Tourist guide Baia Mare

An evening stroll in Baia Mare

About Baia Mare

Baia Mare is the county seat municipality of the county Maramureș. It is situated at the foot of the Gutai Mountains on which it offers a nice perspective and is crossed by the Sasar river. If you get in the area I recommend a hike on Cocosului Ridge. The city of Baia Mare is located in the Maramures Depression, in a mining area. The etymology of the city's name is related to the mines, "bath" also having this meaning. It is called Nagybanya in Hungarian and Frauenbach in German.

Average altitude: 228 mdm

Surface: ca. 230 kmp

Population: approx. 130.000 inhabitants, of which approx. 80% Romanians and 10% Hungarians. From a confessional point of view, about 70% are Orthodox, and about 5% are Roman-Catholics, Reformed, Greek-Catholics.

Tourist attractions

The main attractions of Baia Mare are the Butchers' Tower, St. Stephen's Tower, the Old Center, the Planetarium, the Mineralogy Museum, the symbol of the city being the Stephen's Tower.

Route map

(click on objectives for extended version)

1. Butchers' Bastion (Tower)

The address is 2 Izvoarelor Street.

Open Monday - Friday from 8 - 16.

In 1469, King Matthias Corvinus allowed the town to build defensive walls. Butchers' Tower is one of the 7 former defense towers of the city and defended the South Gate. The Butchers' Tower was also called Ammunition Tower. The legend of the Butchers' Tower says that Pintea Viteazul would have been shot from here.

Further information can be found at https://www.baiamare.ro/ro/Descopera-Baia-Mare/Obiective-turistice-si-atractii/Atractii-turistice/Bastionul-Macelarilor/.

Butchers' Tower

Butchers' Bastion

2. Municipal Theater

The address is 8 Crișan Street.

The theater has been active since the 18th century. Municipal Theater has only occupied its current premises since the 20th century.

The theater's website is http://teatrulbm.ro/.

Municipal Theater

3. St. Stephen's Tower

It is located in the Citadel Square. It can be visited Monday - Friday between 9 - 16 and Saturday - Sunday between 12 - 14.

Stephen's Tower is, next to the Butchers' Bastion, the most famous tourist landmark in Baimar. It is part of the St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is built in Gothic style and has an imposing height of 40 meters. It had a strategic role. The Citadel Square is arranged around it offering a large space for resting and taking pictures. Stephen's Tower is a bell-tower and was built in the 15th century.

Further information can be found at https://www.baiamare.ro/ro/Descopera-Baia-Mare/Obiective-turistice-si-atractii/Atractii-turistice/Turnul-Stefan/.

Stephen's Tower

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Stephen's Tower

4. Old Center

It is within the perimeter defined by Tower Street and Liberty Square.

Enter Old Center or Historical Center, a place visited by most tourists. Here you can find, some in ruins, some under renovation: the Iancu de Hunedoara House, the Imperial Mint, the old Black Eagle Inn, the Lendvay House, the Puppet Theater. It is a large, square-shaped, mainly pedestrianized space with several terraces and a group of statues.

At 18 Libertății Square, you'll find Iancu de Hunedoara House or Elisabeta Szilagyi House. The building was started by the voivode Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara and finished by King Matthias Corvinus. It is part of a medieval castle, the oldest civil building of the city. Today it is a ruin.

On a gang starting from Liberty Square, on the left side, is the building Puppet Theater, old and inconspicuous, dilapidated but functional. Its address is 3 Dacia Street.

Historical Center

Old Center

Historical Center

Puppet Theater

5. Cathedral of the Assumption

The address is 59 Vasile Lucaciu Street.

Assumption Greek-Catholic Cathedral is built in the 20th century. Next to it is the parish church of this denomination.

Cathedral of the Assumption

6. Museum of History and Archaeology

The address is 1-3 Rue Monetăriei.

Open: Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 5 pm

Museum of History and Archaeology is housed in the building of the old Mint, built in the 18th century. It displays over 75,000 exhibits - coins, weapons, seals, photographs, mining techniques and about 9,000 volumes of books, some of them ancient.

Museum website https://www.muzeubaiamare.ro/.

County Museum of History and Archaeology

Museum of History and Archaeology

7. House of Culture

The address is 4 Independenței Boulevard.

House of Culture reminiscent of Ceausescu's time. Situated on the banks of the Sabar, which also looks miserable, even if the riverbed is (partially) indigitated. The Cultural Center has a capacity of 700 seats.

Further information can be found at https://www.baiamare.ro/ro/Descopera-Baia-Mare/Obiective-turistice-si-atractii/Atractii-turistice/Casa-de-cultura/.

After Bridge of CultureAlong the Săsar on Independence Boulevard there are several alleys and landscaped paths. Return on the other side of the river to reach the ...

House of Culture

Bridge of Culture

on the banks of the Săsar

8. Planetarium

The address is 16 George Coșbuc Street.

It is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm, except Mondays.

Ticket price: 10 lei

Although from the outside you wouldn't know it, Planetarium is the most modern optical planetarium in Romania. It is also called Astronomical Science Museum.

The Planetarium website is https://planetariubm.ro/.

Astronomical Science Museum

Planetarium

9. Museum of Mineralogy

The address is 8 Traian Boulevard.

Open from 9 am to 5 pm, except Mondays. The last entrance can be made at 16:30.

Ticket price: 10 lei

It deserves more promotion. I remember him from a previous visit. Museum of Mineralogy bears the name "Victor Gorduza". It occupies an exhibition area of 900 square meters, with over 1,000 exhibits and is the largest regional museum in Europe. It's very interesting.

Museum website http://www.muzeuminbm.ro/nou/wp/.

Museum of Mineralogy "Victor Gorduza"

County Museum of Mineralogy

10. Holy Trinity Cathedral

The address is 17 Unirii Boulevard.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is an imposing building, the second largest after the Cathedral of the Nation in the capital. It is surrounded on one side by a small park or rather a green space with alleys. It is a new construction.

The cathedral's website is http://www.catedralabaiamare.ro/.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

wooden church

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

Conclusions and assessments

Although I am familiar with the image of the "Visit Baia Mare" brand, I can say that tourism activity in Baia Mare is below expectations, and the city seems rather sad and gray. Very many shops have locks on their doors and the active ones usually close early. The only slightly livelier area of Baia Mare is Butchers Tower - Stefan's Tower - Old Center, but below its potential. Maramures is one of the counties most sought after by Romanian and foreign tourists. Unfortunately its "capital" does not live up to the fame of the rest of the county.

Read here about St. Stephen's Tower!

All the best!

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