About the village
Budești lies in the Cosău Valley and is one of the craft centres of Maramureș: together with Breb, it has the largest number of woodcarvers in the area, and its lanes are lined with carved gates and old water-powered installations — whirlpool washers (vâltori), mills and plum-brandy stills.
The village has two wooden churches. The Church of Saint Nicholas in Budești-Josani, built in 1643, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its tower is 26 metres high, its walls keep the paintings of Alexandru Ponehalschi, and inside is the chain-mail shirt of the outlaw Pintea the Brave, together with a valuable collection of old icons. The second church, in Budești-Susani, dates from the 18th century.
At Pentecost the village hosts the festival “Nu vă uitați că-s micuț” (“Don't mind that I'm little”), with children's folk ensembles from all over Maramureș.
What to do from here
The Cosău Trail (15 km, through Sârbi and Călinești to Ocna Șugatag) and the Roșia Trail, to the Roșia hermitage, both start in the village centre, and the bike trail from the Rooster's Crest ends here. The Saint Nicholas church is right in the centre, across from the school; the key is kept at the tourist information centre next to the school. See also all the wooden churches in the area.
Hiking trails from here
- Budești (Fogădău Halt) – Groapa Botencii hiking trail — 6 km, 2–2.5 hours, yellow cross waymark, easy difficulty.
- Breb – Borcut Budești hiking trail — 8.2 km, 4–4½ hours, red hiker symbol waymark, easy difficulty.
