Living in Budapest, one can scarcely fail to encounter beautiful examples of traditional Hungarian folk art from Transylvania as well as paintings of the Nagybanya School, which transformed Hungarian art at the beginning of the century by introducing the principles of plein air painting.

A 4-day trip from Budapest is enough for a meaningful look at the area, although a lifetime could be devoted to really getting to know all it has to offer. In this article, we will concentrate on the route from Baia Mare (Nagybanya), via the wooden church zone of Maramures, to the "painted churches" of Bucovina. 

Crossing into northern Romania, the roads become narrow. Although there is usually little traffic, progress can be slow due to poor road quality, and driving in the dark in this area is best avoided.