Back to the roots – Apuseni Mountains

Itinerary

Day 1. Meeting and driving to the Apuseni Mountains. Groapa Ruginoasă. Sunset on Bihoru Peak

We will arrange a pick up point in the city and from there in about 4 hours from Timisoara or 2 hours from Oradea we are going to be amazed by the Apuseni Mountains.

After check-ing at the guesthouse, we can go and explore the area. The Gropasa Ruginoasă is a ravine, a spectacular erosion phenomenon, where, due to the color of the soil, rust is the predominant color; it was formed by the highly active torrential “washing” of the soil composed of quartzite, sandstone and red clay. it’s worth hiking up there. It’s a short hike to reach it, about 35-45 minutes. The view from there is really amazing.

Before sunset we are proposing a nice little trip to the highest peak from the Apuseni Mountains – Bihoru Peak (1849 m). We will go by car, it takes about 1 hour to reach the area, and we can have dinner up there; we will bring food with us. After that we will return to the guesthouse.

Day 2. Casa de Piatră mountain village. Scărișoara Glacier Cave. Pătrăhăițesti village

Today we have a full day of exploring the area and the beautiful villages. Also, we will visit Scărișoara glacier, the second largest in the world after Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave from Austria.

The ice cave was formed 3,500 years ago, during the glaciations. The cave is located at an altitude of approximately 1,150 m above sea level. The entrance shaft, which is 60 m in diameter and 50 m in depth, gives access through metal stairs to a large chamber, the Great Hall.

From the Great Hall, passages lead into several other named rooms: the Church, which features over 100 ice stalagmites, the Great Reservation, Coman Gallery to the left, and Little Reservation to the right.

The ice within the cave has an estimated volume of 75,000 cubic metres and in some places can be as thick as 20 m. The temperature is up to +1 °C in the summer and down to -7 °C in the winter. In the area that is open for tourists the average temperature is around 0 °C, so bring warm clothes.

At Casa de Piatră (Stone House village), you will have the chance to see the life of the locals from  a remote mountain villag.  The village is surrounded by cliffs (inspiring the name of it too) gives accomodation to approximately 20 families. Is one of the hidden gems of the Apuseni Mountains, and everything is in perfect communion with nature.

In Pătrăhăițești ancestral traditions have remained alive among the villagers, so we will go to the local museum and meet the master craftsman in woodworking. The museum holds an etnographic collection representing the area of the Apuseni Mountains. There is also the workshop of the craftsman where he will show us how he makes wooden objects specific to the region: barrels, kicthen utensils, cups, but especially the ”tulnic”, a wind instrument that can measure  between 1.5 to 3 meters in length, often used by shepherds to gather the sheep or to signal and communicate from the top of a hill.

We can have lunch/dinner at a local resutaurant that serves traditional food.

Day 3. Departure

After breakfast, we will start our journey back to the city, with beautiful memories of the Apuseni Mountains.

*The displayed price is only for information, please contact us for a personalized offer.

* Guaranteed departure for min. 2 persons.