Codrului Country
t is a historical region in northwestern Romania, located on the territories of today’s counties of Maramureș, Satu Mare, and Sălaj. The Land of Codru (Forest) is an area mainly inhabited by Romanians, as indicated by Latin names such as possessiones Valahales, villa ollachalis, etc.
Dated to 1799 by inscription, the wooden church in Buzești, Fărcașa commune, is unique, influenced by the Baroque style. The mural paintings were made in the 19th century and bear the signature of the painter Ștefan from Sișești. The tower is equipped with a porch and measures 22.3 meters.
Count Blomberg, a high-ranking general in the army of the Habsburg Empire, received from Emperor Joseph II an impressive estate stretching over several thousand hectares, on the banks of the Someș River. The construction was erected between 1780–1820. The Blomberg domain covers an area of 4.5 hectares with buildings totaling over 4000 square meters. The property was restituted to the descendants of the Blomberg family in 2011 and sold in 2015. Here is a Ginkgo biloba tree, over 200 years old, included by the Romanian Academy in the list of natural monuments – Source
On June 18, 2022, the painter-poet Ion Georgescu Muscel officially inaugurated the museum house bearing his name. The house, located in the village of Lucăcești, Mireșu Mare commune, has an exhibition hall where approximately 30 works are displayed, but a significant part of the author’s paintings are found in the halls and rooms of the villa. The permanent personal exhibition is called “Soul Paintings for Family and Lucăcești Residents.” He was a teacher of Romanian and French and later director of the Lucăcești Primary School, which he served with dedication and professionalism for four decades. – Source
Petre Dulfu, born on March 10, 1856, in Tohat, Sălaj County (now Maramureș County), remained celebrated in our literary history as the author who gave us the character Păcală. He was a fairy tale author, poet, teacher, translator, and Romanian philosopher with a Ph.D., a member of the Romanian Writers’ Society since 1911. In 1894, he made his editorial debut with “The Adventures of Păcală,” awarded by the Romanian Academy; the work has seen dozens of editions, bringing him considerable popularity. The cultural center in Tohat and the county library in Baia Mare bear his name. – Source
Located on the left bank of the Someș River, Ulmeni is the first town that this river crosses in Maramureș County. Localities belonging to the town of Ulmeni: Someș-Uileac, Vicea, Arduzel, Ţicău, Chelința, Mânău, and the locality of Tohat was assimilated into the town of Ulmeni. History. The town of Ulmeni is documented since 1405. It also appears under the name Sulimediu in 1765, in the Gospel printed in Blaj. Among the owners, we find the families Drágffy, Jakcs, Báthory, Rákoczi, Thököly, Károlyi, and Péchy. In 1601, the locality was burned down by the troops of General Basta.
George Pop de Băsești (August 1, 1835, Băsești, Sălaj County – d. February 23, 1919) – leader of the Memorandum Movement in Transylvania, president of the Romanian National Party, and president of the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia. The words spoken by the monk Leon Man, remain memorable, who asked him how he dared to go to Alba Iulia at such an advanced age, in such weather and times: “How could I not do it, nephew, when I have been waiting for this day for eighty years? I came, even if this path might cost me my life, because from now on, there is nothing left for me except to say, like righteous Simeon in Scripture: Now dismiss, Lord, your servant in peace.”
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On the Wine Hill, near the memorial house, stands the Greek-Catholic Monastery, where George Pop de Băsești had an orchard and vineyard. Behind the monastery is the “Unity Tree,” a centuries-old Linden tree, under the shade of which there is a table and benches, the place where Badea George met with Vasile Lucaciu, Vasile Goldiș, Ioan Rațiu, Ion I. C. Brătianu, Nicolae Titulescu, Nicolae Iorga, Iuliu Maniu, Iosif Vulcan, Petre Dulfu, and many other Romanian dignitaries. This is where the initiatives were born that fulfilled the dreams of the Romanian people. Here, the most important decisions regarding the Union were made, and the old lime tree became a symbol on the Băsești coat of arms, now known as the “Unity Tree.” – . – Source
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The castle of Baron Bornemisza was built at the beginning of the 20th century in Asuaju de Sus. 46 rooms and dependencies! Only materials and products of the highest quality were used, all brought by train to the Ariniș station, and from there, with great difficulty in the area where the castle was built. After the First World War, the castle was abandoned by the baron’s family. Thieves had their way, and the state took possession of it a little later. Unfortunately, in 1940, a mysterious fire destroyed the castle. – Source
The castle was built at the beginning of the 19th century by Mihai Péchy, prefect of Middle Solnoc, and later a deputy in the Hungarian Parliament. The Péchy family owned properties in the entire Someș area, Budapest, and London at that time, but the castle at Țicău was the family’s favorite. After the advent of communism, the castle gradually deteriorated. In 2010, in total indifference from the state, the remaining ruins were devastated, brick by brick, leaving only an annex building standing.
Nearby Codrului Country
Tourist attractions in Satu Mare and Salaj counties
Dating back to 1494, the wooden church in Corund is known for its numerous painted scenes featuring the devil punishing sinners. The paintings are original, and the scenes are painted to frighten, with devils punishing sinners in the afterlife. Death is depicted as a skeleton, seated next to a tub full of skulls and crossed tibias, holding a cup in the right hand and a scythe in the left; and the Plague is personified as a naked woman on the back of a donkey, heading towards Death. Location: Corund, Satu Mare county. Via DJ108P, 80 km from Baia Mare.
Located 20 km from Satu Mare, the Ardud Fortress was built in 1481 by Bartolomeu Dragffy, nephew of Dragoș Vodă. It was considered one of the most powerful fortresses in northern Transylvania, with four defense towers and could accommodate up to 1500 soldiers. Here, in 1847, the poet Petőfi Sándor married Szendrey Julia, after which they spent their honeymoon at the Teleki Castle in Coltău. – More details: Facebook. Location: DN19A, Ardud, Satu Mare county, 80 km from Baia Mare.
Austere thermal baths, small but with large camping spaces. The thermal water comes directly from drilling, very hot, and a bonus is that bathing can be done at night. The water in the outdoor pools is green due to spirulina, which develops under the action of sunlight. The Acâș-Mihăieni thermal baths have been famous since the time of Empress Maria Theresa. Location: Acâș, Main Street 2, Satu Mare county – 90 km from Baia Mare.
A fost înființată în anul 1968 la inițiativa profesorului Vasile Fati. Cu o suprafață de 24 ha, Grădina Botanică ocupă spațiul parcului de agrement al castelului medieval care a fost reședința familiei Wesselényi. Colectiile Gradinii Botanice cuprind peste 5.000 de specii de plante provenite din variate zone geografice ale lumii.
The medieval history of Șimleu is closely linked to the Báthory family, a princely family that played an important role in Transylvanian history. The fortress of Șimleu came into the possession of the aforementioned family following the marriage of Bathory Lászlo to Medgyesaljai Anna in 1351, becoming the residence of the Transylvanian princes from the Báthory family. The fortress, located in the center of Șimleu Silvaniei, is actually a residential castle and consists of two fortified enclosures, built in two stages. Over time, the fortress and the city suffered numerous attacks and devastations from the Turks and Tatars, but the one in 1668 marked the beginning of the fortress’s decline, which in 1774 became the property of the city.
It was started by Ioan Maniu in 1890 and expanded by Clara Maniu and Iuliu Maniu. He left it as a legacy to the Romanian United Church with Rome. The property was confiscated by the communist authorities in 1947. In 1998, the Romanian Court of Justice ordered the rehabilitation of Iuliu Maniu and the removal of the “confiscation of assets” penalty. During the rehabilitation of the property, a Roman slab made in 213 was highlighted. That slab, embedded in the walls of the house, was a gift from Iuliu Maniu from the villagers of Moigrad, who found it in situ. – More details: www.iuliumaniu.com. Location: Bădăcin, Sălaj county, 110 km from Baia Mare.
