ROMANIA IN THE WINTER, 4-14 JAN, 2025

ROMANIA IN THE WINTER
4-14 JAN, 2025

with Jeremy Woodhouse

Winter time in Romania offers a dramatic backdrop for the rural life which anyways bring back in time. We will spend 4 days in Maramures region, home to one the best preserved rural cultures in Europe. And then 5 days in the intriguing region of Transylvania, famous for its medieval heritage but also with a fascinating rural life. 

The tour starts and end in Cluj-Napoca which is the largest city in Transylvania and has good connections with other large European airports. 

Highlights of our 4 days in Maramures region 
January 6 is the Day of Epiphany so in many villages locals dress in traditional clothes to attend a special religious service which often takes place outdoors. 

We will spend time in villages and meet and photograph locals who still carry on a traditional life. They often live in small wooden houses, have a few chickens and cows and warm their houses with wood. We will try to capture going about their daily life, feeding their animals, chopping wood, distilling brandy, cooking by the woodfire and transporting wood or hay by horse drawn carriage. 

The wooden churches of Maramures are true masterpieces some of them dating back to the 14th century. They are usually located in fascinating cemeteris and their interiors are small and decorated with centuries old religious paintings. Capturing them in snow and surrounded by protective mountains makes for very interesting photography. 

In one of the mornings we will also photograph a narrow gauge steam train, getting ready to leave from the train station and then we will also follow it up the valley. 

On a different day we will go to local weekly market where locals sell and buy anything from horses to rubber boots and traditional clothing. 

Highlights of our 5 days in Transylvania region 
Transylvania’s medieval heritage represented by its fortified churches, citadels and towns are fascinating to explore and also for very interesting background for capturing the life of locals. We will photograph Biertan fortified church at sunrise, wonder through the medieval towns of Sighisoara and Sibiu. 

Transylvania also has a sizable Roma population (also known as gypsy) and we will get to know a few families. Some men wear big black and women long colorful skirts. One family has a tradition of copper smithing, they most make stills for distilling fruit brandy. Other gypsy specialize in blacksmithing. 

Rural Transylvania also has a rich tradition of shepherding and since there are bears and wolves around, there is always a shepherd tending the sheep. We will familiarize ourselves with this bucolic occupation, a few shepherds and their sheep. 

Transylvania’s villages are quite different than those from Maramures and even within the region there are differences. We will get to know a variety of Villages like Biertan, Viscri, Rasinari and other similar ones. On Sunday morning we will go to a local church to observe locals practicing their Christian orthodox faith. 

With the right weather conditions we can also capture amazing landscapes of rivers or lakes and Romania’s tallest mountains in the distance. 

An interesting stop will be a musical instruments factory where they make a variety of string instruments, their biggest focus being on guitars.