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The
trip takes place in the Bihor Mountains, in the middle
of the Apuseni Mountains or West
Carpathians. The sweet landscape
host lovely authentic villages along the valleys and on
the mountains. The trips take place at altitudes between the 600 and 1400
m. The landscape is very varied with wide plateaus cut by deep valleys, with open meadows
and dense forest.
Lots of the hiking trails follow the tracks used by
the local population since ancient times. The region is inhabit by the
Moti (pronounced Moots). They are masters in woodcarving and you'll visit
an artisan craftsman during the trip.
You
walk through very authentic regions, some settlements
even didn't have electricity up till a few years ago. Special for some villages in the region is that
the whole population of the village moves to the higher alms during summer.
Unique is that they move with all their animals and stay for 4 to 5 months
in very primitive huts.
The
region is also very known for its magnificent caves. You will
visit the biggest ice cave of Romania.
There
are many endemic plants and you're walking several days in the
nature park Apuseni.
Your
trip ends in the village Albac where
you can make a kayak trip on the Aries River. Optional you
can extend your trip for this activity.
The accommodation is provided in guestrooms. The Romanian people are worldwide
known for their generous hospitality. We selected local farms where you have the best conditions. All the houses have a fully equipped
bathrooms. You’ll enjoy daily traditional dinners, prepared with
mostly homegrown products. In the morning you have an extensive continental
breakfast, at noon a lunch packet.
We provide you with maps and a very well
described road book. Besides the description of the road, we’ll give you
extensive information about the region as well.
You
can watch a short video clip by clicking the link:
We've
included a special page about the Apuseni Mountains:
click
here
Highlights of
the program:
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woodcarver,
ethnographic museum and alphorn in the village Patrahaitesti.
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Old wooden
church in Girda de Sus
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Ice
Cave of Scarisoara
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Cave
Ghetarul de la Virtop
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Authentic
villages Casa de Piatra, Ghetar,...
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Odrincusa
Canyon
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Natural reserve Padis (optional)
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Trip to
Calineasa Meadow (optional)
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Kayak trip
on the Aries River (optional)
The
program:
Day 1 arrival in Girda de
Sus
There
is daily a bus between Cluj Napoca and Girda de Sus. Leaves
Cluj Napoca at 17.30 and arrives around 21.30 in Girda de Sus
Day 2 Hiking trip to the
village Patrahaitesti. Along the rod you come along the watermill of the Iarba
Rea valley. In the village Patrahaitesti you can visit the woodcarver
and his small museum. His wife will give a demonstration on the Alphorn
or Bucium. You sleep in the village in guestrooms. Total distance:
15km, 4-5 hours hiking. Climbing 400m.
Day 3 Hiking trip to the
village Arieseni. Arieseni is a mountain resort along the Aries River
with nearby a ski lift. There are many tourist houses and the place
is very busy in the winter months. During this hike you can climb the
highest peak of the region, the Biharia with 1845m. Distance 17km,
6 hours hiking.
climbing 600m, descending 800m.
Day
4 Hiking trip to the
village Ghetar. In the village Ghetar you can visit
the Ice Cave Scarisoara. The cave lies at an altitude of 1100m
and at the bottom of the cave lies and enormous bloc of ice,
75.000 m3 big. It is here since the last Ice Time. This cold
mass of ice cools the air down and seeping water freezes up to
beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Accommodation
guesthouse in Ghetar.
Hiking: 15km, 4-5 hours.
From here you can make optional a
2-day-hiking
trip to Padis Nature Park. (accommodation in Padis) There are numerous caves, enormous
dolines,
underground rivers and wild canyons. Distance 25km, 7 hours hiking.(1
way)
Day
5 Round trip to the
village Casa de Piatra. The authentic village got only 2 years ago connected to
electric power. In Casa de Piatra you'll find the superb cave Ghetarul
de la Virtop and the cave Coiba Mare. Coiba Mare cave has a fantastic impressive entrance. Depending the
water level you can get a few 100m in the cave. Ghetarul de la Virtop
can be visited with a guide. There is also the
beautiful karst spring Tauz at the exit of Casa de Piatra.
Distance
25km, 7 hours hiking.
Climbing 400m. Accommodation same guesthouse in Ghetar.
Day 6 Hiking
trip to the village Scarisoara: A hiking trip over the settlements
Ocoala, Runc en Preluca to the village
Scarisoara along the Aries River. Beautiful trip with fantastic panorama's.
Distance 20km, 6-7 hours hiking, 200m climbing, descending 600m
Day
7 Hiking trip to the village Albac. Again a beautiful trip,
you climb first to the ridge, then you walk along the ridge to the village
Albac. You'll enjoy the beautiful panoramas over the villages Costesti
and Sohodol. Distance
21 km, 6 hours hiking, 500m climbing, 500m descending. From
Albac you can make optional the kayak trip on the Aries River. (4 hours
kayaking-15km)
Day
8 Breakfast, end of program
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map of the
8 day trip
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The moti |
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The inhabitants of the region call themselves "Moti" (pronounced moots) They might descend from the Celts, although they don't agree much with that. They prefer to have Dacians genes...
They settled in the higher mountains where they specialized themselves in woodcarving. Still now they are skilled masters and make wooden barrels, all kind of farm- and household equipment. They travel around to the villages at the other sides of the mountains with their typical long wagons, pulled by 2 powerful horses.
As everywhere in Romania, life in the mountains isn't very easy. Most people have several small incomes, agriculture is often the most important source. Because the narrow valleys along the Aries and its side rivers don't offer much grass or agriculture land, people were obliged to move with their stock higher in the mountains to the plateaus. In the beginning only during the summer season, later on they moved on the plateau to stay there year round. The population grew further and also there they were obliged to search further away new grass land. Now, a lot of farmers from the villages Ghetar and Casa de Piatra move each year to the huge Calineasa Meadow where they have enough grassland. They built there primitive wooden timber houses and stay from 20 May till end September in primitive conditions. This transhumance -where farmers normally only move sheep or cattle- went a stage further when the farmers move each year not only cattle or sheep, but all what they have; chickens, pigs, horses, wife and children. This happens because farming alone doesn't provide enough income and they cut timber as well. The men generally cut the timber, women and children herd and milk the animals.
Most of the authentic houses up in the mountains are made from wood. In the lower valleys the houses have a foundation from local rocks or river boulders and the first floor in wood. Unique for the region are the very steep roofs that you still can see at some barns in Ghetar or Casa de Piatra. This roof is not made from straw but from evergreen branches. Several layers of branches and tree bark are skillful put together, up to 1 m thick. Look also at the rafters. People use trees that grow near the margin of a canyon and have a typical half round shape. Most of these authentic houses disappeared, but the barns, built in the same style, remained. |
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typical
summer village near the Calineasa Meadow |
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the
alphorn or "bucium"
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the
woodcarver in Patrahaitesti |
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saw mill |
a young
family |
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loaded with wooden barrels |
church in
Casa de Piatra |
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early
retirement is inexistent |
building
covered with evergreen branches |
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