Active journeys

Cycling the North

RegionMaramureș & Bucovina Duration7 days · 6 nights GroupMax 12 people LevelModerate

Maramureș is Romania's most intact rural world — a land of horse-drawn carts, towering wooden churches, and villages that have changed little in centuries. This cycling tour rolls through its green valleys and over its gentle passes into Bucovina, connecting landscapes and communities rarely reached by conventional tourism.

Itinerary

Arrival in Sighetu Marmației, the capital of Maramureș. Bike fitting and briefing. Evening walk through the old town and welcome dinner.

First day in the saddle through the Iza Valley — the heartland of traditional Maramureș. Rolling farmland, roadside haystacks, and the carved wooden gates of Bârsana village. Visit to the Bârsana Monastery complex.

  • ~45 km · moderate terrain
  • Iza Valley · Bârsana Monastery

Cycle to Săpânța and the famous Merry Cemetery — a unique folk art tradition where colourful painted crosses tell the life stories of the departed. Continue to the UNESCO-listed wooden church of Budești. Overnight in Vișeu de Sus.

  • ~55 km
  • Merry Cemetery · UNESCO wooden church Budești

A rest day from cycling — board the Mocănița, one of the last working steam trains in Europe, for a journey deep into the Vaser Valley old-growth forest. Optional short hike. Return by train, overnight in Vișeu de Sus.

  • Steam train · no cycling
  • Vaser Valley old-growth forest

The longest day: a climb over the Prislop Pass (1,416m) — the highest road pass in northern Romania — into Bucovina. A demanding but rewarding stage with panoramic views from the summit. Overnight in Câmpulung Moldovenesc.

  • ~65 km · Prislop Pass 1,416m
  • Maramureș to Bucovina transition

A gentler stage cycling between the painted monasteries of Bucovina — Voroneț, Humor, and Moldovița. Each UNESCO-listed church has its own palette of frescoes covering the exterior walls. Farewell dinner in Suceava.

  • ~40 km · gentle terrain
  • Voroneț · Humor · Moldovița

Transfer to Suceava airport or onward transport. End of programme.