These pictures were taken in Săpânța (Romania) a village known for their very colorful tombstones. With only 3k inhabitants, the locals make their money selling beaded bracelets to tourists and different knick-knacks.

Worth a visit!

The name Zapancha (today’s Săpânța) was mentioned for the first time in the year 1373 in direct connection with a property conflict between the local noblemen and the Saxon and Hungarian settlers brought by the Hungarian Kingdom. In that diploma, the border between the territory granted to the colonists (which forms the border of Câmpulung la Tisa) and the border of Săpânța was established. The conflict lasted longer and is mentioned in several other diplomas from Maramures written by historian Ioan Mihalyi de Apsa in 1900.

The biggest public attraction of the commune is the Merry Cemetery famous for its brightly coloured tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the people who are buried there in addition to scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction. It has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Romania by Imperator Travel.