· 6 minute read
A guesthouse with a hot tub in Maramureș: warm water, home cooking and mountains in Borșa
Some evenings you don't need anything else: warm water, mountain air and Pietrosu peak in front of you. That's the hot tub at Liniștea Codrului, on a hill in Borșa, at the edge of the forest. And when you get out, there's Maria's cooking waiting, made in the house, the Maramureș way.
A guesthouse with a hot tub in Borșa, Maramureș
If you've never been in a ciubăr, as Romanians call it: it's a big wooden tub of warm water, outdoors, under the sky. The one at Liniștea Codrului sits on a wooden deck right where the forest begins, and it has jets, so the water bubbles around you. From the water you see the Rodna Mountains and Pietrosu, and your room is only a few steps away. The hot tub is paid separately, 400 lei; the host explains how it works and how long you have it when you ask for it.
“on top of that, the hot tub with jets, set in a spot with a dreamy view of Pietrosu peak, was the cherry on the cake […]”
Next to the tub is the gazebo, with a brick oven, a grill, a hob and a cooker. A good evening here starts with a barbecue at the gazebo, with friends, and ends in warm water, under the sky.
A mountain stay with a hot tub, for two, for a family or for a group
If it's just the two of you, the 17 m² double room has a balcony facing the mountains or the garden; if it faces the mountains, your morning coffee comes with Pietrosu in front of you. If you're coming as a family, the two 38 m² apartments have two bedrooms each, for up to 4 adults. And if you're a group of friends or a big family, the guesthouse has 10 rooms and apartments, a dining room, a gazebo and a garden with room for everyone.
“You can relax on the terrace, in the gazebo or in the hot tub. Recommended!”
Traditional Maramureș food, cooked in the house
At Liniștea Codrului you don't eat from a restaurant, you eat from Maria. She cooks traditional Maramureș food in the house, from the bread to the cakes, and guests mention it often in their reviews. For groups of at least 6 people, she makes breakfast and dinner on request: a starter, a main course, dessert and a glass of blueberry liqueur. It costs 130 lei per person and 65 lei for children; ask when you book or 2-3 days before you arrive.
“Everything is made in the house, from the bread to the cakes, different every day and plenty of it.”
Under the hill there's also the cellar, a brick vault with wine, fruit and jars put up for winter. More about the food on the Meals and the cellar page.
A holiday in Maramureș with children
Children of any age are welcome, and there's plenty for them to do. The garden has a playground with a slide and room for football, and in the evening the campfire is lit. They like the hot tub too: a group of 15 children and 2 adults wrote about the fun in the hot tub, where most of the children tried one for the first time. For a day out with the little ones, the Mocănița steam train in Vișeu de Sus is 20 kilometres away.
Things to do in Maramureș in summer, starting from Borșa
- The Horses' Waterfall: by chairlift from the Borșa ski resort (14 km), then 30-40 minutes on foot
- Pietrosu peak, 2,303 m: the trail starts in Borșa town centre, a full mountain day
- The Mocănița steam train up the Vaser Valley, from Vișeu de Sus (20 km): around 6 hours there and back
- The Prislop Pass (27 km), the road to Bucovina
- Bârsana Monastery (54 km), Sighetu Marmației (76 km) and the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța (95 km)
All of them, with distances and tips, in our guide to things to do in Maramureș, starting from Borșa.
Things to do in Maramureș in winter
In winter, Maramureș goes quiet and white. The Borșa ski resort has slopes, a chairlift and a drag lift, 14 kilometres from the guesthouse, about 25 minutes by car. You come back in the evening with tired legs from skiing, get into the hot tub and have snow-covered Pietrosu in front of you. If you'd like a ride on the Mocănița too, check mocanita.ro for trains on your dates.
Christmas and New Year in Maramureș
Guests who spent the holidays here write about carol singers, Maramureș music, the traditional pig feast and long tables of home-made food. Find out what Maria and Vasile are planning this year, and which rooms are still free, on the Christmas, New Year and Easter page or straight from them on WhatsApp.
Prices and booking
- Double room, per night
- from 250 lei
- Two-bedroom apartment
- price on request
- Hot tub with jets
- 400 lei
- Breakfast and dinner, per person
- 130 lei
It's simple: pick your nights in the calendar on this website and tick “The hot tub” and, if you like, “Meals”. The message to Maria writes itself and goes out on WhatsApp, and she replies with the exact price. If you'd rather talk, call +40 755 265 875. Check-in is from 15:00 to 21:00, and payment is in cash, at the guesthouse. 1 euro is about 5 lei.