Pension Ioana Lavita

Around the village centre of Săpânța, Pension Ioana Lavita occupies Strada Principală within easy reach of the Merry Cemetery — Romania's most painted burial ground, where carved oak crosses bear folk portraits and sardonic epitaphs in vivid blue and red.

The guesthouse runs at a scale typical of Maramureș homestay culture: family-managed, with regional cooking drawing on local dairy and smoked meats from the Iza Valley. A 9.7 rating across 38 reviews points to consistently personal service rather than polished amenity.

Săpânța sits near the Ukrainian border in northern Maramureș, 35 kilometres from Sighetu Marmației and its museum documenting communist-era political imprisonment. The surrounding hills hold unmarked trails connecting traditional woodworking villages seldom reached by organised tours.