Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests

About Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests

The Strâmbu-Băiuț ancient forests are one of the 12 Romanian components of the UNESCO site "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe", inscribed in 2017. The component covers 598 hectares, surrounded by a 713-hectare buffer zone, on the wooded slopes east of the villages of Băiuț and Poiana Botizii, towards the Țibleș Mountains. The name comes from the Strâmbu-Băiuț forest district, which manages it as part of the Maramureș Forestry Directorate.

The forest is made up mainly of beech and of beech mixed with fir, grown naturally, without felling or thinning, with trees reaching ages of several centuries. Fallen trees stay where they lie and rot, and the saplings of the next generation grow out of them. The wider area, of almost 3,000 hectares, is also a Natura 2000 site (ROSCI0285), home to brown bears, wolves, lynx, red deer and the Rosalia longicorn.

For centuries Băiuț was a mining centre, with gold, silver and base metals dug from the Lăpuș hills; since the mines closed, the commune has been building a new identity around its forests, with a forest therapy trail project announced in 2025.

Information verified on 21 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Baia Mare it is ~56 km (~1h15) on the DN18B and DJ109F to Strâmbu-Băiuț; from Sighetu Marmației ~63 km (~1h15) on the DN18 and DJ109F, and from Târgu Lăpuș ~27 km (~30 min) north on the DJ109F. From Strâmbu-Băiuț continue ~8 km on the DJ109F and the DC56 local road to the village of Poiana Botizii, where the tarmac ends. From there a gravel forest road in poor condition climbs ~6 km east, through the buffer zone, to near the primeval forest. Car access on forest roads is not guaranteed; ask the forest district.

Public transport: does not reach the forest; you need your own car or an organised trip with a local guide.

Where to park

There is no formal car park. Cars are usually left in Poiana Botizii, at the end of the tarmac road, without blocking access for forestry vehicles; how far cars may drive up the forest road is not published.

Rules

The UNESCO component is strictly protected: nothing may be cut or taken from the forest, neither deadwood nor plants or mushrooms. Keep to roads and paths, with no fires, no noise and no litter. Dogs must be kept on a lead. Bears and wolves live in the area and mobile signal is weak: tell someone your route, and bring water, rain gear and sturdy footwear. Group visits should be announced to the forest district.

Facilities

No facilities in the forest (no published toilets, water, information boards or waymarks) · shops and guesthouses in Băiuț and the surrounding villages · weak or no mobile signal in the valleys · the terrain is not accessible to people with disabilities