# Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Maramureș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/maramures) › [Maramureș County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/maramures) › [Băiuț](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/baiut)

> A primeval beech and beech-fir forest in Băiuț commune, Maramureș, part since 2017 of the UNESCO site of the ancient and primeval beech forests of Europe.

[UNESCO World Heritage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/unesco-heritage)

**At a glance:** National parks and reserves in Băiuț, Maramureș County. The visit takes 3½ – 4 hours. Information verified on 21 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The forest has no published opening hours, entry point or visitor infrastructure. Before visiting, ask the Strâmbu-Băiuț forest district (Maramureș Forestry Directorate) whether cars may use the forest road and where you may walk within the site.
- **Visit duration:** 3½ – 4 hours — forest road and a walk
- **Parking:** No — no formal car park
- **Best season:** May – October — beeches turn gold in October
- **Address:** The gravel forest road that climbs east from the village of Poiana Botizii (end of the DC56), with no formal entrance, Băiuț, Maramureș County
- **Coordinates:** 47.62311, 24.07376
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codrii_seculari_de_la_Str%C3%A2mbu_-_B%C4%83iu%C8%9B
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q118955493
- **Categories:** [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parcuri-nationale-si-rezervatii), [Mountains and trails](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/munti-si-trasee)

## 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.

### What you can see

The forest has no formal entrance or visitor centre. A gravel forest road climbs towards it from the village of Poiana Botizii, past a mineral spring (borcut), through the woods of the buffer zone. Inside the site you see thick beech and fir trunks, deadwood at every stage of decay and a dense understorey of saplings. A French study showed that today's forest was also shaped by a long coexistence with the surrounding communities, not only by the absence of people.

### Good to know

The UNESCO component is strictly protected under the forest management plan: nothing is felled, not even trees brought down by the wind. In autumn 2025 the Maramureș Forestry Directorate filed criminal complaints over illegal logging discovered by volunteers in the forest and its buffer zone.

## Don't miss

- The old beeches and firs inside the UNESCO component, grown naturally, without felling, over several centuries.
- Fallen trunks left to rot where they lie, covered in moss and fungi, with new saplings growing out of them.
- Golden beeches in early October and fresh green in May, on the slopes above Poiana Botizii.
- The mineral spring (borcut) beside the forest road that climbs from Poiana Botizii towards the forest.

## 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

## Details

- **Protected area type:** primeval forest
- **Part of:** UNESCO beech forests site
- **Mountain range:** Țibleș Mountains

## Frequently asked questions about Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests

**How long does a visit to Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests take?**

A visit to Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests takes about 3½ – 4 hours (forest road and a walk).

**Where can I park at Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests?**

Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests has no parking of its own (no formal car 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.

**How do I get to Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests?**

Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests is located at The gravel forest road that climbs east from the village of Poiana Botizii (end of the DC56), with no formal entrance, Băiuț, Maramureș County. 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.

**When is the best time to visit Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests?**

The best season for Strâmbu-Băiuț Ancient Forests: May – October (beeches turn gold in October).

## Nearby attractions

- [Wooden Church of Poienile Izei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-poienile-izei) — Churches · Poienile Izei, MM · UNESCO World Heritage · 12 km
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- [Groșii Țibleșului Ancient Beech Forests](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/padurile-seculare-grosii-tiblesului) — National parks and reserves · Groșii Țibleșului, MM · 7½ – 8 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 15 km
  Two tracts of primeval beech forest on the slopes of the Țibleș Mountains, Izvorul Șurii and Preluci, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2017, with trees two to three centuries old and bears, wolves and lynx.
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- [Bârsana Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-barsana) — Monasteries · Bârsana, MM · ½ – 1 hours · 25 km
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- [Saint Demetrius Wooden Church in Larga](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-de-lemn-larga) — Churches · Larga, MM · 30 min · 25 km
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Last updated: 21 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania