Those interested in Romanian folk culture are invited to the Prislop Festival, which celebrates the traditions of various regions through costumes, songs, and dances. Guests will enjoy a program with folklore ensembles, folk costumes, a fair of folk craftsmen, and Maramures dishes.
The main attraction of the celebration is the Romanian circle dance called "Hora de la Prislop"–it symbolically depicts the kinship between Transylvania, Maramures, and Moldova. The festival takes place in the Carpathian Mountains at Prislop Pass every third Sunday of August.
The attendees gather at the service in the Prislop Monastery in the morning. The parade of traditional costumes follows the liturgy, with each participant wearing folk attire representative of the area.
Prislop Pass Folk Festival History
The Prislop Pass Folk Festival is held 4,645 feet (1,416 meters) above sea level. It is the highest pass in Romania. It is 31 miles (50 km) long and 18-24 miles (30-40 km) wide, the northern slope is much steeper than the southern slope. The road goes through the counties of Vişeu, Moisei, Borşa, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Suceava (in Moldova). The Prislop Folk Festival is a traditional event, and Hora de la Prislop was first mentioned in Latin chronicles in 1738. It was forbidden for some time but was restarted in 1968. Around 50,000 people come to Prislop Pass every year.
If you want to get a better idea of the region and its history you can visit Muzeul Radacinilor (Roots’ Museum) with 100 bizarre-shaped tree roots. There is also a room which various artefacts from two World Wars that were fought here. The museum also has a numismatics collection and painted eggs from Maramures and Bukovina.
Prislop Pass
The Prislop Pass, standing at 4,645 feet (1,416 meters) above sea level, connects the Maramureș Depression to the Golden Bistrița Valley. This pass lies between the Rodnei Mountains and the Maramureș Mountains.
