On the map, the line between Romania and Ukraine runs along the Tisza river here, and on either side of it the Carpathians rise in forested ridges. Maramarosh is the old name for the whole region, Maramureș to Romanians, and it is also the name of a protected forest within the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve on the Ukrainian side, one component of the World Heritage inscription for ancient and primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe. These are forests where beech trees have grown undisturbed since the last ice age, with giants several hundred years old and a richness of life that has vanished from most of Europe.
On the Ukrainian side, Rakhiv is the main town, near the slopes of Hoverla, the highest mountain in Ukraine at just over two thousand metres. Given the war, travel there is not a realistic option for most riders at present. On the Romanian side, the valleys of the Vișeu and the Tisza are the heart of traditional Maramureș, with wooden churches, carved gateways and villages where people still wear traditional dress on Sundays. At Vișeu de Sus, the Mocănița, a narrow-gauge steam railway, carries passengers and timber up the Vaser valley into the mountains.
The riding on the Romanian side is wonderful. The road along the Tisza runs with the river on one side and Ukraine just across the water on the other, with views of the forested hills. Further east, the roads climb toward the Prislop pass and the Rodna mountains, with long curves and big views. The surface varies from new to potholed, and there are horse-drawn carts, cows and dogs on the road. Weather in the mountains is unpredictable, with summer thunderstorms and snow in winter. The border zone has police presence, so carry your documents.
Fuel can be found in the larger villages and towns of the valleys, such as Vișeu de Sus and Sighetu Marmației, but stations are spread out. Bistra and Valea Vișeului are small. Maramureș food is simple and filling: sour soups, polenta with cheese and cream, smoked meats and plum brandy, called horincă here, offered generously. Stop by the Tisza and look across to the forests on the other side; they are among the wildest in Europe, and for now, they are best admired from a distance.