Why this ride
A 210 km round trip from Groșii Țibleșului - roughly 4 h 30 in the saddle. It goes by way of Church of the Holy Archangels, Church of the Holy Paraskeva and back through Church of the Holy Archangels.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii and Church of the Holy Paraskeva
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 210 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 30
- 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.
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. Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii
The Țibleș mountains rise like a dark wall between the Lăpuș country and the valleys of Maramureș, a volcanic range of dense spruce and beech forest topping out at nearly two thousand metres. On their slopes, near the source known as Izvorul Șurii above the village of Groșii Țibleșului, the forest feels almost untouched: springs bubbling out of mossy banks, fallen trunks covered in fungi, and a silence broken only by woodpeckers and the wind. This is bear country, and wolves and lynx roam these woods too. The area lies on the edge of the Maramureș region, famous for its wooden churches, carved gates and deeply traditional village life.
Read the complete Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii is where the day begins. Next is Church of the Holy Archangels.
2. 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.
Read the complete Church of the Holy Archangels write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of the Holy Archangels comes up 28 km in. Next is Church of the Holy Archangels.
3. 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.
Read the complete Church of the Holy Archangels write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
55 km in you reach Church of the Holy Archangels. Next is Church of the Holy Paraskeva.
4. Church of the Holy Paraskeva
In 1780 a painter named Radu Munteanu covered the inside of the wooden church at Desești with scenes that still shock and delight: a Last Judgment in which sinners are marched off to a hell full of grinning devils, alongside saints, prophets and lively village figures. The church, dedicated to the Holy Paraskeva and built in 1770 from oak logs, rises above the village with a tall, slender tower and a steep double roof of shingles. It is one of the eight wooden churches of Maramureș inscribed by UNESCO in 1999, and its paintings are among the best preserved of them all.
Read the complete Church of the Holy Paraskeva write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of the Holy Paraskeva, about halfway. Next is back through Church of the Holy Archangels.
5. back through Church of the Holy Archangels
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of the Holy Archangels write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Church of the Holy Archangels sits at 111 km, about halfway. Next is back through Church of the Holy Archangels.
6. back through Church of the Holy Archangels
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of the Holy Archangels write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Church of the Holy Archangels comes up 138 km in. Next is Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii.
7. Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii closes the day.
Leg by leg
Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii to Church of the Holy Archangels
Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii → Church of the Holy Archangels is 29 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 Church of the Holy Paraskeva
Church of the Holy Archangels → Church of the Holy Paraskeva is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of the Holy Paraskeva to back through Church of the Holy Archangels
Church of the Holy Paraskeva → 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 Church of the Holy Archangels
back through 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 Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii
back through Church of the Holy Archangels → Groșii Țibleșului - Izvorul Șurii is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.