The river Tisza runs fast and green out of the Ukrainian Carpathians, and for many kilometres it forms the border between Romania and Ukraine. On the Ukrainian bank, the forests of Kuziy and Trybushany are among the primeval beech woods protected in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and listed by UNESCO as part of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. From the Romanian side, around Valea Vișeului, you look across the river at steep, wooded slopes where the trees have grown and died without interference for centuries.
This corner of Romania is Maramureș, one of the most traditional regions in Europe, where wooden churches with tall, slender spires rise above the villages, and several of them are themselves World Heritage sites. People still wear traditional dress on Sundays and holidays, haystacks are built by hand, and carved wooden gates stand in front of many homes. Sighetu Marmației, the main town, has a sobering memorial museum in a former prison where the communist regime held and killed political prisoners. Further west, at Săpânța, the Merry Cemetery is famous for its colourful wooden crosses painted with scenes and humorous verses about the lives of the dead.
A short ride east, at Vișeu de Sus, a narrow-gauge steam railway, the mocănița, still runs up the Vaser valley into the mountains, originally built to carry timber and now popular with visitors.
The riding here is beautiful but slow. Roads follow the river valleys, winding through villages and forests, with views of the mountains. Surfaces vary from good to poor, with potholes and patches. Traffic is light, but horse carts, livestock and dogs are common, and villages often stretch along the road for miles. The border area may have police and border guard checkpoints. Weather is changeable, with cold winters and warm summers, and heavy rain can cause flooding.
A word on the map: Rakhiv is listed as the nearest larger town, but it lies in Ukraine. The border crossing at Sighet is the nearest, and Ukraine remains at war, so check current advice before considering a crossing. On the Romanian side, fuel and services are available in Sighetu Marmației and Vișeu de Sus. Try tochitură, a pork stew with polenta and egg, and a glass of horincă, the local plum brandy.