Unique Things To Do In Baia Mare, Romania

An Overview of Baia Mare

Baia Mare is a medium-sized Northern Romanian city known for it’s access to the nearby mountains. The city has two “central” areas, one surrounding the town’s major cathedral and the other a central, artistic plaza space. The city is fairly spread out, but there are many walking paths making it easier to explore the city on foot. There are several unique things to do in Baia Mare.

Advice for Visiting Baia Mare

When traveling through Northern Romania independently, a personal vehicle is somewhat necessary, as public transportation is a little spotty.

Most of the areas outside of Baia Mare are cash-only. However, locations that do accept digital transactions take cards as well as phone bank-scans.

Many Romanians are fairly devout. The wooden churches the countryside are famed for their interesting designs, making them excellent tourist attractions. However, nearly all churches in the region are operational sanctified grounds. They should be treated with respect and visitors should have the proper attire.

Romania is incredibly safe and Baia Mare is particularly nice. I’ve had no trouble walking around in the evenings. With that being said, it’s generally a good idea to avoid the impoverished neighborhoods on the outskirts of most Romanian towns.. This has less to do with safety and more to do with attracting overt attention. Groups in these neighborhood will follow foreigners around asking for handouts if they recognize them as different.

The WIFI and phone plans in Romania are incredibly cheap. SIM cards can provide over 30 GB of data for 6 euros or less.

Unique Things To Do In Baia Mare

Centrul Vechi 

This is the Central Plaza area of Old Town Baia Mare, which contains several ruins, a few historical buildings, a large clock tower and a some nice shady areas for lounging.

The Country Museum of Ethnography and Folklore 

Housed in a stately white building, this is a great area to view northern-Romania’s traditional lifestyle, clothing and culture.

The Village Museum

This is an outdoor museum which costs 10 Lei to enter. The museum shows traditional construction methods for Romanians, including wooden houses, thatched roofs, small churches, woven-branch fences and a small farming space.

Museum of Mineralogy 

Baia Mare has a long histroy as a mining town. This museum showcases many of the stones, crystals and minerals found in the area. Some of the items are truly spectacular finds, with branching lattices and gems taking up entire display cases. Entry is 10 Lei.

Cinema City 

This is the largest shopping mall in Baia Mare. The upper level hosts a food court which has impressive views looking into the nearby mountains. The lower levels have various chain shops and stores.

Lacul de Acumelarea Firiza

This is a large lake to the north of Baia Mare. The lake is a popular recreational retreat and has a restaurant and bar nearby.

The Virgin Stone 

This is a steep uphill hike out of City Park Queen Mary. The peak offers a nice overlook of the city and several backtrails through the mountains.

City Park

This is a nice, quiet outdoor park area on the north side of the city. There is a large fish pond that is somewhat popular for locals, along with some sporting fields and walking trails.

Log Out Bar 

This is a large and popular bar/beer garden in the Old Town district with many food and drink options

Trio Café 

This is a great little coffee shop near Baia Mare’s main street, which offers a strong WIFI connection, electric plugs and air conditioning.

Gallo Bistro

This is a slightly upscale eatery which serves interesting food in Baia Mare’s town center. Visitors can enjoy popular western foods as well as a few traditional Romanian options.

Lacul Albastru 

This is a popular swimming area with a rope swing surrounded by mountain hiking trails. It’s located somewhat outside of the city, but this beautiful mountain pond changes colors from bright blue to deep green depending on the season..

Borcut Groapele Chiubaii 

This is a special mineral water well in the countryside outside of Baia Mare. Many of these wells exists throuhgout the countryside, providing spring water, but this one is largely available to the public.

Zona Cu Smen – Gravity Hill 

Located to the East of Baia Mare, this strange feature is a hill which allows for bottles and neutral cars to roll uphill in defiance of gravity. The actual effect is caused by a downward incline which appears uphill due to a slanted optical illusion.

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