Church of the Holy Parasceve and Church of the Holy Archangels
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
284 km
Riding-time estimate
6 h 51
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Poienile Izei it runs 284 km to Poienile Izei; allow about 6 h 51 of riding. It goes by way of Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci, Church of the Holy Archangels, back through Church of the Holy Archangels and back through Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci.
Scenic road chapters
Romania Maramures Wooden Churches Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 27 km this is Romania Maramures Wooden Churches Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
Length
27 km
Named road
Romania Maramures Wooden Churches Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Church of the Holy Parasceve
Maramureș is one of the few corners of Europe where wood is still the language of the sacred, and the church of Saint Parascheva at Poienile Izei is a good place to learn it. It stands on a small rise above the Izei valley, a dark timber church with a steep, double-tiered shingled roof and a slender spire, built in the early seventeenth century and moved to its present spot later. Inside, the walls and ceiling carry painted scenes from the eighteenth century, and the one that always gets quoted is a vivid Last Judgment in which sinners get remarkably specific punishments.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of the Holy Parasceve is where the day begins. Next is Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci.
2. Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci
The Țibleș massif rises like a dark green wall between Maramureș and the Bistrița country of northern Romania, an old volcanic range topped by the Țibleș peak at around eighteen hundred metres. On its southern flanks, above the village of Groșii Țibleșului, lie the forests of Preluci, part of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe that UNESCO has protected as one sprawling, multi-country site. These are woods left largely to themselves, where old beeches grow huge, fall, rot and feed the next generation without a forester in sight.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci comes up 28 km in. Next is Church of the Holy Archangels.
3. Church of the Holy Archangels
The wooden church at Rogoz stands in the Lăpuș country, a quieter, lesser-known corner of Maramureș, south of the mountains and away from the main tourist circuits. Built in the seventeenth century and dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, it is unusual in shape: the roof is asymmetric and overhangs deeply on one side, and the eaves are supported by carved wooden brackets shaped like horse heads, a detail that seems to come straight out of folk tradition. Inside, the walls are painted with scenes from the Bible, including a vivid Last Judgement. It is one of the eight churches in the UNESCO listing of the Wooden Churches of Maramureș.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
56 km in you reach Church of the Holy Archangels. Next is Church of the Holy Archangels.
4. Church of the Holy Archangels
Șurdești is a small village in the hills of Maramureș, in the north of Romania, and its wooden church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel is famous for its spire. Built in the eighteenth century from oak logs, the church has a steep double roof covered in shingles and a slender tower that rises far above the trees, among the tallest wooden church towers in the region. It is one of eight wooden churches of Maramureș listed by UNESCO in 1999, each a masterpiece of local carpentry, built by village craftsmen using traditional techniques.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of the Holy Parasceve closes the day.
Leg by leg
Church of the Holy Parasceve to Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci
Church of the Holy Parasceve → Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci to Church of the Holy Archangels
Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci → Church of the Holy Archangels is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of the Holy Archangels to Church of the Holy Archangels
Church of the Holy Archangels → Church of the Holy Archangels is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of the Holy Archangels to back through Church of the Holy Archangels
Church of the Holy Archangels → back through Church of the Holy Archangels is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of the Holy Archangels to back through Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci
back through Church of the Holy Archangels → back through Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci to Church of the Holy Parasceve
back through Groșii Țibleșului - Preluci → Church of the Holy Parasceve is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.