Maramureş

Operated by CFF Vişeu de Sus and known as the 'Vaser Valley Forest Railway' or 'Carpathian Forest Steam Train' in English, this former logging train travels a network of some 60km of narrow 12-gauge track (though travellers only get to ride on 22km of it), and is probably the last forestry railway still powered by steam working in Europe today. Started in 1932 as an alternative to transporting logs by river, the track wends through soaring forested crags that a traveller might otherwise have trouble reaching. And it's an excellent ride as you smell the wood-smoke and hear the train whistle blaring. The mountain scenery up to the remote Valea Vaser (Vaser Valley) is among the most stunning in Europe

The journey proper starts at 9am, but you'll need to secure a ticket by arriving at the railway station at 8.30am (the train only seats 210). In summer call ahead or book online. Due to the damage sustained to the track by flooding in 2008, the journey ends at Paltin, where you'll alight by the river for a 1½-hour lunch break. There are benches in a meadow, and grilled sausages and cold drinks are sold nearby. From Paltin the intrepid can trek higher into the mountains, or it's possible to camp near the warden's lodge (at Paltin) if you seek his permission (arrange with the CFF Vişeu de Sus office to catch a return train the following day).

The magic ends somewhere between 2.30pm and 3.30pm (depending on the season) as you return to the station, which has the pleasant Elefant Cafe – so you can warm up with a coffee – and a small museum. The railway runs daily from mid-June to late September, with an extra train or two sometimes added at 9.30am and 10am in July and August. It runs from Thursday to Sunday only from April to mid-June and late September to October

To get to the station from the centre of Vişeu de Sus, follow the signs to 'Mocănița', turning north at the Banca Transilvania on the corner of Str 22 Decembrie 1989 and Str Iuliu Maniu, and continuing along Str Carpaţi for about 2km. There’s plenty of free parking at the train station, or you can walk from the centre in 10 to 15 minutes. Remember to bring an extra layer to combat the chilly air, and if you plan to do some hiking at the top, bring food and water and wear sturdy boots. CFF sells good hiking maps of the Vaser Valley trails (12 lei) and the Rodna Mountains (19 lei).

Budeşti Josani church (1643) has four small turrets surrounding a bell tower. An 18th-century painting of the Last Judgment is among the church’s wooden and glass icons.

Săpânţa village boasts the unique 'Merry Cemetery', famous for the colourfully painted wooden crosses that adorn the tombstones in the village's graveyard. Shown in art exhibitions across Europe, the crosses attract coachloads of visitors who marvel at the gentle humour of the epitaphs and the human warmth that created them.

The Iza Valley (Valea Izei) follows the Iza River southeastward from Sighetu Marmaţiei to Moisei. A tight-knit procession of quintessentially Maramureş peasant villages nestles in the valley, almost all featuring the region’s famed elaborately carved wooden gates and tall wooden churches.

In the Iza Valley, from Botiza an unmade road leads northwest to Poienile Izei, home of a church with some of the most dramatic frescoes of hell you're likely to see. The early-17th-century church's frescoes eerily depict infernal visions of torments inflicted by the devil on sinners.

Three kilometres further north along a gravel road is the village of Glod, the birthplace of the popular Maramureş folk-singing duo Fratii Petreuş (Petreuş Brothers).

Just off the road linking Budeşti and Hwy 18 between Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmaţiei, rustic Breb is an isolated village replete with ancient wooden houses and a 16th-century church. The village and surrounds are home to a panoply of traditional craftspeople, including the famous woodcarver Patru Pop, who welcome visitors to watch them while they work.

Hiking information is scarce, but there are clearly marked trails with red stripes leading from the top of the Borșa Complex Ski Lift. Trails include a two-hour hike (in good weather) to the Prislop Pass (1413m) and a pleasant, 90-minute walk to Cascada Cailor (Horseshoe Waterfall), which is 90m high. If you want to stretch your legs before starting on the trails, there’s a path leading up underneath the ski lift.