About Gutâi Pass
At a glance: Scenic roads in Maramureș County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 29 September 2026.
The Gutâi Pass is the gateway between Baia Mare and historic Maramureș. The DN18 climbs from Baia Sprie up the Criș and Săsar valleys, crosses the 987 m saddle between the Igniș Mountains to the west and the Gutâi Mountains to the east, then descends the Izvorul Alb and Râușor valleys to the village of Mara in Desești commune, from where the road continues to Sighetu Marmației.
The old unpaved road was modernised from the late 1960s and asphalted in the 1970s: thousands of people worked on easing bends, shoring up slopes, and building bridges and crash barriers, and the journey between Baia Mare and Sighet shrank from about six hours to an hour and a half. Between 2011 and 2016 the whole Baia Mare – Sighetu Marmației stretch of the DN18 was rebuilt. Today its string of tight bends through the forest is one of the favourite rides of motorcyclists and cyclists in northern Romania.
What you can see
The hairpins climb almost without a break through the forest, with crash barriers and a few wider spots looking back over the Baia Mare basin. At the top is the inn built in 1970 as the Pintea Viteazul (now Hanul Țentea), named after the Maramureș outlaw whose legends belong to these mountains; nearby, on the ridge, a wooden cross was put up in 2015 at 996 m. From the pass a red-stripe trail heads east along the Gutâi ridge, through Poiana Boului, to Creasta Cocoșului (the Rooster's Crest), a wall of andesite crags shaped like a cockscomb and a nature reserve. On the northern side, the descent to Mara opens the first views of the Maramureș Land, with the UNESCO-listed wooden church of Desești a few kilometres away.
Good to know
The road is open all year, but fog is common, and in winter snow and ice arrive; in heavy snow, heavy lorries are stopped at Baia Sprie and Mara. On the Mara side rocks sometimes fall onto the road, especially during thaws.
- The DN18 hairpins through the forest between Baia Sprie and the pass, with wider spots looking over the Baia Mare basin.
- The inn at the pass, built in 1970 as the Pintea Viteazul and named after the outlaw of the Gutâi legends.
- The red-stripe trail from the pass, through Poiana Boului, to the crags of Creasta Cocoșului.
- The descent to Mara, with the first views of the Maramureș Land and the UNESCO wooden church of Desești close by.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Baia Mare, take the DN18 through Baia Sprie, ~26 km to the pass (about 30 minutes). From Sighetu Marmației, take the DN18 through Ferești and Mara, ~39 km (about 45 minutes). The crossing from Baia Mare to Sighetu Marmației is ~65 km and takes around an hour and a quarter without stops. Cluj-Napoca to Baia Mare is ~150 km on the DN1C. For heavy vehicles, when the pass is restricted, the alternative is via Cavnic and Ocna Șugatag.
Public transport: several minibuses and coaches a day run between Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmației on the DN18, taking about 1h20–1h45; we could not confirm whether they stop at the pass. In practice the pass is visited by car, motorbike or bicycle.
- Where to park
At the pass you park on the roadside, around the inn; the inn has parking for customers. On the hairpins stop only in the wider spots, never on a bend or on the carriageway.
- Fees & discounts
The road is public and free, with no toll. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN18 outside built-up areas.
- Rules
In winter drive only on winter tyres. On the hairpins keep to your lane: accidents involving motorbikes and lorries on the bends are frequent. In fog slow down and switch on your headlights. On the mountain trails from the pass stay on the waymarked routes and wear proper mountain gear; Creasta Cocoșului is a nature reserve.
- Facilities
The inn at the pass, with restaurant and rooms (put up for sale in 2025, check it is open) · accommodation, restaurants and petrol stations in Baia Mare, Baia Sprie and Sighetu Marmației · waymarked trails to Creasta Cocoșului
Frequently asked questions about Gutâi Pass
- How much is a ticket to Gutâi Pass?
- Admission to Gutâi Pass is free (public road, no toll). The road is public and free, with no toll. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN18 outside built-up areas.
- What are the opening hours of Gutâi Pass?
- Opening hours at Gutâi Pass: daily open 24 hours. The national road is open at all times, with no seasonal closure. In heavy snow, police stop vehicles over 7.5 t (sometimes over 3.5 t) at Baia Sprie and Mara; the detour runs via Cavnic and Ocna Șugatag (DJ184, DJ109F) to Ferești. On some summer weekends the Baia Sprie side is closed during the day for the "Trofeul Baia Mare" hill-climb car race. Check road conditions on the CNAIR road authority's website or with Infotrafic before setting off.
- How long does a visit to Gutâi Pass take?
- A visit to Gutâi Pass takes about 1 – 1½ hours (Baia Mare–Sighet, with one stop).
- Can you visit Gutâi Pass with kids?
- Yes, Gutâi Pass is suitable for children (many bends, car sickness).
- Where can I park at Gutâi Pass?
- There is free parking at Gutâi Pass (at the pass, on the roadside). At the pass you park on the roadside, around the inn; the inn has parking for customers. On the hairpins stop only in the wider spots, never on a bend or on the carriageway.
- How do I get to Gutâi Pass?
- Gutâi Pass is located at DN18, between Baia Sprie and Mara (Desești commune), about 26 km from central Baia Mare, Maramureș County. By car: from Baia Mare, take the DN18 through Baia Sprie, ~26 km to the pass (about 30 minutes). From Sighetu Marmației, take the DN18 through Ferești and Mara, ~39 km (about 45 minutes). The crossing from Baia Mare to Sighetu Marmației is ~65 km and takes around an hour and a quarter without stops. Cluj-Napoca to Baia Mare is ~150 km on the DN1C. For heavy vehicles, when the pass is restricted, the alternative is via Cavnic and Ocna Șugatag. Public transport: several minibuses and coaches a day run between Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmației on the DN18, taking about 1h20–1h45; we could not confirm whether they stop at the pass. In practice the pass is visited by car, motorbike or bicycle.
- When is the best time to visit Gutâi Pass?
- The best season for Gutâi Pass: May – October (open in winter, often foggy).
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