The Apuseni Nature Park

Western Romania's unique karstic outcroppings

Ștefan Baciu, 30.07.2020, 14:00

The
Nature Park in the Apuseni Mountains stretches on a surface area of more than
75,000 hectares. The Apuseni Nature park practically covers the Apuseni
mountains’ most important karstic surface area, as well as Romania’s most
important such surface. Among the activities the Apuseni Nature Park offers,
there are trekking, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, but also programmes
combining several options. Added to that are the culinary offers, as well as
the no less generous offers regarding accommodation, so the outcome of all that
is a perfect holiday in the middle of nature. Alin Mos is the director of the
Apuseni Nature Park Administration. Mr Mos emphasized the fact that the park is
a one-of-a-kind surface area, lying in the western part of Romania.

The area stretches on three counties, Bihor, Cluj, Alba, practically
covering the Apuseni mountains’ most important karstic surface area, as well as
Romania’s most important such surface. It mostly stretches over Bihor
Mountains, and we can also say that as we speak, it has gained its recognition
around the world as a destination, as a nature park, particularly because of
the karstic assets it is home to. And here, the Scarisoara Glacier cave is by
far the most important and the most renowned asset worldwide, since here you
can find the world’s biggest subterranean fossil block.

In the spring of 2020,
The Apuseni Nature Park Administration was assigned the organisation of events
by the National Forestry Division, by means of which the European Day of the
Parks is celebrated at national level. Because of the pandemic, several changes
occurred in the events’ schedule, but the administration provided weekly info on
such topics as water, air, landscape, traditions and biodiversity, while on May
24, on the very day when the European Day of the Parks was celebrated, the
administration launched the interactive map of the Apuseni Nature Park. Some of
the special spots, lying along the trekking routes, have been put to good use
by the park rangers, who set up stopover areas, where you can just sit down and
admire the beauties of nature. Some of the logs that were found along the
trekking routes have been carved out and turned into benches, and next to them,
info boards have been placed, with messages tailored for each and every spot.
The director of the Apuseni Nature Park Administration, Alin Mos, believes such
a measure is like an invitation for everybody to reconnect with nature.

All these pieces of information have been included on those boards,
placed in the stopovers inviting people to reconnect with nature, while for
each topic displayed on the board, apart from the name of the location, the
tourist, the traveler, is sure to find a message. And as they read the message,
they will practically integrate in what that spot wishes for them. Let me give
you a few examples! On the banks of a river, in an absolutely breathtaking
spot, the message runs something like :’Allow your thoughts to slide along the
waterwaves, downstream, and make sure you are there all by yourself, you and
nature alone!’ Another message, to be found in a location where a stopover was
placed and which can seat no more than one, maybe two persons that can rest in
such a place set up between the roots of a centuries-old beech tree, the
message runs something like: ‘Sit between the arms of the old tree, so that it
may tell you the tale of the forest!’.

For
the time being, 39 such stopover spots have been set up, but there will be more
than a hundred of them, in the future. In the Apuseni Nature Park a wide range
of holiday programmes can be mounted, including ecotourism activities. Gabriel
Bonaciu is the organizer of such ecotourism activities, for five, maybe seven
days. Gabriel invites us to view everything from the perspective of the tourist
who…ventures so far as to delve into the Apuseni Nature Park.

During the laid-back outings, along the Padis Belvedere spots, you can
cross alpine plain fields, and, as they climb up towards the peak of the
mountain, once they got up high, tourists can have the opportunity to admire
the natural landscape unfolding at their feet, We also organize adventure
trekking in the Galbena Gorges and the Pont Fortresses. There are routes along
the circuit that can only be taken by those who are extremely fit. Part of the hiking
routes have chains, while hikers need to be very careful in some areas.
Tourists are impressed with the wild nature, with the great stone bridges,
dozens of meters long, by the boisterous waterfalls and the glaciers that for
thousands of years have been concealed by the densely forested mountains.

Such a
glacier can be admired in the Undying Fire Cave, lying at an altitude of almost
1,200 meters. The quite uncanny association between a glacier and the fire can
be explained by the fact that the sunrays are reflected in the stalagmite
conglomerates in the cave, thus creating the illusion of the firelight. Using
securing cables as they take the difficult hiking routes or as they cycle up there,
tourists can discover the beauties of nature, the local cuisine and cultural
attractions.

As they take the via ferrata routes along the Black Stones itinerary,
nearby the Vartop holiday village, from
the steep rocks, tourists are being presented with fairy-tale landscapes. Via
ferrata is an attraction for those who are into climbing, along routes that
have been especially set up for them, mainly for those who want to be safe as
they admire nature from up high, from the panoramic viewpoints. During cyclo-tourism
tours, tourists cycle towards waterfalls and mountain peaks with a very special
scenery, taking mountain paths through forests and glades, which are a delight to the eye
and the senses. Each cyclo-tourism route has a taste of the local cuisine
included in the schedule, offered by the locals at the guest houses in the
region or at the preset stopover areas.On the
barrier lakes in Apuseni Mountains, from Dragan Valley or Fantanele, kayak
rides can also be organised. Visits to centuries-old orthodox wooden churches
are scheduled, while tourists may take that opportunity to find out more about
the history of the place from the priests, they can find out more about
Romanian traditional culture, about the building techniques used in the
construction of religious edifices. For instance, in the Fânațe village in
Bihor county, the Câmpani commune, visitors can see a wooden church whose outer
walls are plastered in earth, using a traditional technique, while on the
inside, which is totally made of wood, priceless religious paintings have been
designed by the local painters.

Renowned
scientist and explorer Emil Racovita was the first one to put forward the
proposal to establish the park in 1928, but it was not util 2000 that the
Apuseni Nature Park was officially established. In 2009, the Apuseni Nature
Park was declared a destination of excellence by the European Commission, which
included the park in the EDEN project. The project is aimed at enhancing the
visibility of the non-traditional destination, highlighting the diversity of
the quality of tourist offers at European level, as well as supporting sustainable tourism.

( Translation by Eugen Nasta)