SATU MARE

GENERAL INFO

. geographical situation-in the north-west of Romania, in the inferior basin of the Somes;

. neighbours-to the north-Ucraina, to the west-Hungary, to the east-Maramures, to the south-east-Salaj, to the south-Bihor;

. surface-4,418, square km (respectively 1.4% of the country's territory);

. population-394,000 inhabitants;

. towns-SATU MARE-the capital of the county (with 130,000 inhabitants, one of the oldest towns of Transylvania); Carei, Negresti Oas; Tusnad.

. relief-it is varied and it seems an amphitheatre which descends from east to west, there can be distinguished two levels: the field (two thirds of the whole surface, in the west it is represented by the Somes Field with a low surface of 126 m, slightly fragmented by the Somes, Tur rivers and the Nirul Field, higher than the Somes Field, it has 160 m,covered by sand dunes), and the high region (to the north-east end, it is represented by the volcanic mountains: Oas and Gutai of 1,200 m height, which close the Depression of Oasul Land of 827 m, and by the Forest Ridge of 579 m and by the region at the foot of the mountains);

. climate-it is mild continental and presents slightly differences between field and hills, variable rainfalls and winds blowing from south-east and south west;

. watercourses-represented by the Tur, the Somes (the river's inferior course) and the Crasna drains/passes/waters the region from east to west.

TOURISTIC SIGHTS HISTORICAL VESTIGIES

. Karolyi Castle-Carei, in 1492 it was built here a fortress by the Karolyi family, in 1794 a Baroque castle took the place of the former fortress. Currently the building situated in the middle of a park is a museum with rich natural science and archaeology collections. The entrance room of big dimensions is adorned with beautiful paintings and sculptures;

. Castle-Ardud, it seems a fortress, was built in 1481 by the Transylvanian voivode, Bartolomeu Drgfi and reconstructed in the 17th century, currently it has only one Neo-Gothic tower;

. Castle-Mediesu, built in 1630, in the Renaissance style, by the noble Sigismund Lonyay, now it came to ruin.

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

. Wooden Church-Corund, the most beautiful of the region, built in 1723, the interior is decorated with paintings and wooden arcades, artistically adorned;

. Reformed Church-Acas, it belonged to a former Benedictine monastery, built in 17th century in Romanic style and reconstructed in 1732;

. Church-Bixad, built in 1695 by the Greek monk Isaia, the present church was built in 1711;

. Church "with chains"- Satu Mare (1788-1807);

. Gothic Church-Livada (1475);s

. Roman Catholic Church-Beltiug (1482).

CULTURAL BUILDINGS

. Museum of Oasul Land-Negresti Oas, it has a wonderful collection of clothes specific to this region, folkloric art (house-woven and needle work), ceramic;

. Ceramic Museum-Vama, it exhibits more than 500 objects, some of them being more than 300 years old;

. Ethnographic Museum-Petresti

MONUMENTS AND STATUES

. Monument of the Romanian Soldiers-Carei, homage to the heroes who died fighting against the Fascist domination that ruled over the town, it was made by a group of artists led by Vida Ghezea.

ETHNOGRAPHY

. The visitors of Satu Mare county feel fond of the folkloric craft of Oasi, still preserving its original form. The ritual of the feasts transmitted from generation to generation reflects the secular customs of every day life (shepherding). The visitors' attention is drawn by the sculptured gates (Halmeu), the originality of the households, wood chopping (Carmazana, Certeze), glass painting and pottery (Tur), all of them having its unrivalled beauty. Vama is a renowned for itsa ceramics, in this way the old Dacian pottery craft is transmitted. The colors used for decorating the pots are natural, the same as those used 2000 years ago.