Romania bids to woo visitors to remote region
One of the remotest parts of eastern Europe is trying to open up its hidden treasures to tourists.
The Maramures region of Romania, close to the country’s northern border with Ukraine, possesses dozens of unique wooden churches, some of which have been declared World Heritage Monuments by UNESCO, but which few western visitors see. One church, 236ft high, is said to be the tallest oak building in the world.
The area is a throwback to the17th century, where villagers wear traditional clothes and weave by hand, but it is difficult to get to. Now the government is seeking European Union funds to help local people make it more accessible and tourist-friendly, according to Reuters.
“We have amazing cultural and natural resources that we haven’t opened up to the world because we lack the infrastructure,” Ioan Marchis, the Culture Ministry’s local director, is quoted as telling the news agency.
Romania’s travel industry is still in a fledgling state, even though Communism collapsed in 1989. Last year just under six million visitors went there from abroad – about the same as 10 years ago.
Phil Davies
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