- 2 April 2026
- Posted by: Team for Youth Association
- Category: Volunteering Stories
Darius, RO
For a Romanian person that has seen these things already many times, many would say that should be boring right? Well its not the case cause every time I go with the volunteers in this tour, at the Memorial Prison for example, I ALWAYS learn something new. At the Mocanita I am more and more happy to stay disconnected from my daily life… and I fall in love with the colors of the Merry Cemetery on each visit.
But most importantly, I will always LOVE to travel, share culture, eat a nice traditional meals with our volunteers and enjoy beautiful Maramureș together!
Jacopo, IT
During my stay in Romania as part of the ESC project, I set out to immerse myself in a new culture. This tour, guided by Darius the vice president of the association I collaborate with… turned out to be a good opportunity to do it.
The journey began with a ride on the Mocănița, a historic steam train. It was clearly very different from modern trains, but that contrast made the experience even more special. Since it’s not an everyday activity, I found it enjoyable and memorable.
Sighetu Marmației reminded me of my grandparents’ hometown. As I explored the area, I noticed interesting features, including the “nail” sculpture, the symbolic point where one can place a pin on the map of Romania. Another place that caught my attention was the Memorial Prison dedicated to the victims of communism. I found it meaningful because it introduced me to a historical perspective that is less look at in my own country. At the same time, it felt unusual to walk through a former prison located right in the city center especially since its entrance looked just like that of a normal house.
I liked the uniqueness of the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța. Among everything, I was impressed by the church within the cemetery. The blue colors and detailed decorations, both inside and outside, made it rememberable.
Overall, I really appreciated the region I visited. It offered many distinctive places, but what left the strongest impression on me was the surrounding landscape, the hills and natural scenery created a kind of frame that made every location even more captivating.
Marek, PL
I’m very passionate about travelling – basically like everyone. That was one of my superior goals to do in Romania – to explore the beautiful places in this country. I haven’t seen much of them yet but I still have some time, I just needed to start from something. So I did, by exploring the region of Maramureș, located in the Northern-Western part of Romania. And for the record – Maramureș is beautiful.
The first thing that I was honored to experience was the Mocănița train. I’ve heard this train was one of the oldest steam trains in Europe and I was lucky that I was able to have a ride in that one. Even though the train was loud and moving quite slowly, this is an experience I will never forget in my life. Because, how many people from the 21st century can say that they traveled with a more than 100 years old vehicle?
The town of Sighetu Marmației reminds me of home in certain points. This place has Austrian baroque style architecture – the same as many towns in Southern-Eastern Poland. Even though cities like these, which are close to the border with Ukraine, aren’t in good condition, Sighetu surprised me that it actually was well-kept. Streets were clean, buildings were renovated and painted, this place really has its charm. I was trying to find a similar place in Poland and I found two – Cieszyn, which is the city divided into two parts (Polish and Czech), the same as Sighetu (Romanian and Ukrainian), and Przemyśl – the town near Ukrainian border, built in the same architecture style but right now, in 10 times worse condition than Sighetu.
Merry Cemetery in Săpânța was really amazing. I haven’t discovered a similar place in my life. Especially that one, which is connected to religion and tries to present death in a positive way. Many beautiful graves, which were also very colorful, were doing this. The wooden tserkov was astonishing. Even though I’m atheist and I don’t consider Orthodox Church to be a consistent one, I love Orthodox architecture. I’ve visited tserkovs in Belgrade or Sofia before and I like both of them very much – the same as this one in Săpânța.
To summarize it up – I love visiting non-obvious places. Never in my life I thought I would go to exactly this part of Romania. Of course many people, including me, were thinking about visiting Bucharest, Brasov, perhaps Sibiu at first, but Maramureș – never. Honestly, I’ll never regret visiting this region.
Hamad, JO
This trip was honestly one of those experiences that stays with you long after it ends. It wasn’t just about the places we visited, but about how everything made us feel, from the peaceful mountains to the warmth of the people we met along the way.
One of the highlights for me was riding the Mocănița steam train. There’s something special about slowing down and just enjoying the scenery, the sound of the train, and the people around you. It felt simple, but in the best possible way. What made the experience even more meaningful was the connection with local life. Being welcomed so openly and sharing a meal together created a sense of belonging that you don’t usually get as a visitor. It felt genuine and personal.
Exploring Sighetu Marmației was a completely different kind of experience, more reflective. Visiting the Museum of Communism gave us the chance to understand a part of history that many of us had only heard about before. It was powerful and, at times, emotional, but also very important.
And then ending the journey at the Merry Cemetery was something truly unique, a place that changes the way you look at life and death, with its colors, stories, and unexpected sense of humor.
Overall, this trip brought us closer together, helped us learn in a different way, and gave us memories that feel both fun and meaningful. I’m really grateful to have been part of it and thankful to the organization for making it all possible.
Ani, GE
The Maramureș trip was on my last days of being in Romania, and I’m glad I went there with our vice president, Mr. Darius.
It was really amazing, starting from the route on the Mocanita steam train, and ending at Sapanta Merry Cemetery. I learned a lot about Romania through these places, and also I had the chance to be a guest at our vice president’s family, where we ate lots of traditional foods and tried an amazing drink called “palinka”.
More about travelling, the thing that was really interesting for me was the wooden church that was so high up, and the Memorial prison. Coming from a country where there were always enemies and also being part of the Soviet Union, it was something that was really close to my heart and made me realize how badly people were treated back then.
Overall, this was an unforgettable experience for me, which I think every person should experience. I hope one day, I will visit these places again.
