Not long ago, I spent several weeks wandering through Romania — a country draped in folklore, shadowed castles, and thick mountain mist. While most travelers come for Dracula’s legend, I was chasing something even more elusive: authentic Romanian folk masks.

These traditional masks, often made of cloth and fur, once played powerful roles in winter festivals and pre-Christian rituals. But finding one today? That’s where the real hunt begins.

I searched markets in Cluj, wandered through back alleys in Sibiu, and questioned locals in remote Maramureș villages. Most had no idea what I was looking for. Some had never even seen a mask outside of a museum. It’s not uncommon. Finding authentic masks often takes days sometimes weeks of footwork, dead-ends, and intuition. Thrift shops, antique stores, and dusty barns can all hold secrets if you know how to look. Ironically, I’ve stumbled upon Himalayan and African masks in random Romanian shops but not the Romanian ones I was actually searching for.

The most surreal moment of the trip? Hiking alone through the Hoia Baciu Forest, often dubbed the most haunted forest in the world. Located just outside Cluj-Napoca, this place is legendary for strange lights, vanishing people, and an eerie silence that sinks into your bones. There’s a clearing in the center where nothing grows. Local legends say it’s a portal. Did I find a mask there? No. But I felt the old rituals that once may have used them.

How to Find Authentic Masks

If you’re looking to start your own search or want me to track one down for you here are a few ways I’ve learned to uncover hidden treasures:

• Talk to the Elders: In rural areas, the oldest generation often knows where the old festival masks are kept usually in an attic, box, or hanging behind a door.

• Visit Offbeat Antique Shops: The best finds are often tucked away in unlisted shops that barely show up on Google Maps.

• Ask About Winter Customs: Romanian winter rituals like the Ursul (Bear Dance) and Capra (Goat Dance) often used masks. Ask locals if their town still holds these traditions and who made the costumes.

• Go to Ethnographic Museums Then Leave: Museums can’t sell, but they often know local artisans, collectors, or families with heirlooms.

• Explore Haunted Places: Okay, this might not help you find a mask, but it definitely fuels the legend of the hunt.

If you’re interested in adding a truly rare, culturally-rooted mask to your collection, reach out I might just be able to track one down for you on my next journey.