|
The
hiking trip takes place in the Apuseni Mountains, in
the Western Carpathians. It is a sweet pastoral
landscape with lovely authentic villages along the
valleys and on the mountain slopes. Your trip takes
place at altitudes between the 600 and 1300 m. The
landscape is very varied with open meadows between
dense forests. The Apuseni Mountains is a plateau,
which means you don’t have to climb and descend all
the time. Lots of the hiking trails follow the tracks
used by the local population since ancient times. The
region has a rich cultural heritage because there are
2 different people living here; the Romanians and
ethnic Hungarians. Your trip takes place along the
former border with Hungary. Especially the Hungarian
minority kept very strong to their traditions.
We provide you with maps and a very well described
road book. Besides the description of the road,
we’ll give you tourist information about the
region as well.
You
walk for a couple of days in the nature park Apuseni.
There are
many endemic plants and the wildlife is very
authentic. If you make the effort to get up
early, you might catch deer or other wild life along
your path.
All
the churches can be visited and in most cases you can
climb the tower and enjoy the beautiful panoramas.
The
accommodation is provided in comfortable guestrooms.
The Romanian people are worldwide known for their
generous hospitality. We selected typical local farms
and new guesthouses where
you have the best conditions. All the houses have a
fully equipped bathrooms, and the houses in Risca,
Belis, Scrind and Sancraiu have rooms with private
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.
Highlights of the program:
-
The nature park Apuseni ( you walk 2 days in the park)
- The Somesu Cald Canyon and watermill in Rusesti
- Lake Fintinele, a beautiful 25km long accumulation lake.
- Wedding Veil waterfall Rachitele
- Ethnographic ethnic Hungarian region "Kalotaszeg"
with fortiefied churches, folk costumes
- And of course the splendid nature of the Apuseni Mountains,
endless
forest, colorful meadows, lovely villages where it looks as time went by
without changes.
You can
watch a short video clip by clicking the link:
We've
included a special page about the Apuseni Mountains: click
here
THE PROGRAM
Day 1: Arrival in Sancraiu.The village is an ethnic Hungarian village only
6km from he train station in Huedin. It lies in the heart of
the "Kalotaszeg" region, so called by the ethnic
Hungarians. You stay with Ergy and Attilla. Both are
proud ethnic Hungarians, as is about 70% of the village.
They are always willing to show their nice folk
costumes. There is a folk dance camp the first week of
August in the village.
Day
2: Hike to Risca. You walk
first to the village Valeni. Valeni is another Hungarian village you’ll visit
before you climb to the Romanian villages higher in the mountains. The original
church dates back to the 12th.C. It is beautifully located on the slope
of the hill, overlooking the village. There is a bastion in the surrounding
wall. Optional the wooden Orthodox church (1674) in Bica can be visited, You find inside
beautiful old frescoes (1770). From the village Valeni you
walk over a large plateau to the settlement Fonogea.
From there it descends through the forest along the
river to the village Risca. You stay with the
family Matis. Distance 16km, 6 hours
hiking, Level difference 500m climbing, 250m descending.
Day
3: Trip to
Rusesti.
You’ll walk over the ridge along the villages Dealu Mare and Lapustesti.
At your right you’ll see the 600m lower Somesu Cald canyon. The canyon is
not easy accessible and there is still brown bear around. They rarely come
in the villages. You might see shepherds along your road. They gather
the sheep in the spring and move from pasture to pasture, only to return
home in the autumn. From the village Lapustesti, you’ll make the 7km long
descent to the village Rusesti at the Somesu cald River. In Rusesti is a working
watermill and a "piua" You stay at the
guesthouse of Valerica Rosu. The owner will show you
how that works (if there is enough water in the river). Distance
15km, 5-6 hours hiking, level
difference 100m climbing, 600m descending.
Day
4:
Trip to Belis.
You leave Rusesti and climb the Coadei Hill (1126m) to the village Marisel.
Marisel is one of the highest settlements in the Apuseni Mountains at 1200m. The
village is spread out over the huge plateau and you
have superb views over the 4-600m lower valley.
You descend to the Fintinele Lake and walk to the
village Belis where you stay in guestrooms. Distance
18km, 6-7hours hiking, 700m climbing, 500m
descending.
Day
5:
Trip to Scrind. You'll enjoy superb views over
Lake Fintinele. It's a nice trip and you enter the
nature park Apuseni. You walk first through a huge
evergreen forest and it goes further over the
plateau to the Ruginoasa hill from where you descend to
the new guesthouse Dariana in Scrind. The owners Silvia
and Gitse will take care of you. Both speak a little
German. Distance 22km, 5-6 hours hiking. level
difference: 250m climbing, 350m descending.
Day
6:
Roundtrip Scrind. Roundtrip to the Rachitele waterfall. The
Rachitele waterfall has a level difference of about
35m. The hiking trip brings you in the superb nature
of the Stanciu valley in the northern part of the
nature park Apuseni. You stay again at the Dariana
guesthouse. Distance 18km, about 6-7 hours hiking
Level difference 250m
climbing, 250m descending.
Day 7: Trip to Sancraiu. You climb first the 1200 m high
Ruginoasa mountain. The steep climb is afterwards
rewarded by the beautiful panorama's when you descend to
the village Margau. From Margau it goes over Bociu and
further over immense pastures back to Sancraiu. Distance 20km, 7 hours hiking, Level difference 250m
climbing, 650m descending.
Day
8: Program ends after breakfast
|
map of the
trip |
 |
|
Kalotaszeg
ethnographic region
The
region is since more then 100 years known
as an important folk center. The music,
the fortified churches, the colorful
clothes, local embroidery and ceramics are
all elements that complete this specific
region. The first week of August a dance
camp takes place in the village with
visitors form all over Europe. Below
are pictures from the church in Valeni,
the painted ceiling, children in folk
costumes for a dance spectacle and an
elderly lady harvesting corn. |
|
|
|
|
The
Romanian villages
Most
villages are relatively young, the
Romanian people were during the middle
ages chased away from the more fertile
valleys and lived in the higher
mountains. House were and still are
made from wood, there are numerous wooden
churches, and traditions (although not
always visible) still dominate daily life.
Below pictures from historic wooden church
in Bica with valuable frescoes, folk
costume at local market and watermill in
Rusesti |
|
|
|
|
