GATEWAY TO APUSENI
Apuseni, Here We Come!
- Information
- Tour Plan
- Location
- Additional Info
What's included
- Entrance tickets to monuments and museums
- Observation and participation in allowed activities
- Professionally guided tour
- Current Hotel Taxes and Service Charges
- Other International flights
- Services not specifically stated in the itinerary
- Tips to guide and driver
- Visa arrangements
Geography
The Apuseni Mountains do not present an uninterrupted chain of mountains, but possess many low and easy passes towards the Crișana and the Hungarian Plain. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the Munții Metaliferi (“Ore Mountains”) with the basaltic masses of the Detunata (1,148 metres (3,766 ft)) near Abrud; the Bihor Mountains, with romantic scenery and numerous caverns, with the highest peak the Cucurbăta Mare (1,843 metres (6,047 ft)); to the east of this group are the Muntele Mare (highest peak 1,820 metres (5,970 ft)), to the southwest of Cluj-Napoca; the northernmost chain is the Seș and Meseș Mountains.
Natural reserves included in the park: Izbucul de la Cotețul Dobreștilor (0,20 ha), Izbucul Mătișești (2 ha), Izbucul Tăuzului (1 ha), Coiba Mare Cave (0,50 ha), Avenul din Hoanca Urzicarului (1 ha), Scărișoara Cave (1 ha) and Ghețarul de la Vârtop (1 ha) in Alba county; Pietrele Galbenei(6,30 ha), Cetatea Rădesei Cave (20 ha), Poiana Florilor (1 ha), Platoul Carstic Padiș (39 ha), Valea Galbenei (70,50 ha), Valea Sighiștelului (412,60 ha), Vârful Biserica Moțului (3 ha), Platoul carstic Lumea Pierdută (39 ha), Cetățile Ponorului (14,90 ha), Ghețarul Focul Viu Cave (0,10 ha), Ciur Izbuc Cave (0,10 ha), Micula’s Cave (0,10 ha), Urşilor Cave (1 ha), Smeii de la Onceasa Cave (0,50 ha) and Cerbului Cave-Avenul cu Vacă (45 ha) in Bihor County; Molhașul Mare de la Izbuc (8 ha) in Cluj county.
The Apuseni Mountains, idiosyncratic due to their picturesque karst scenery, remarkable both for its surface and variety of forms. The karstic areas have a distinct morphology and hydrology, stemming from the rocks’ water solubility.
The karst’s key trait is the development of an underground hydrological network from which stems a plethora of terrestrial and underground microforms.
- Day 1
(work in progress)
More about Apuseni
More about this tour
The Apuseni Nature Park (Parcul Natural Apuseni) - known as the cavers' paradise, protects one of the most interesting cave fauna in the country. Traces of the prehistoric man, as well as fossils of animals that lived in the Ice Age were found in several of the caves, along with rare bat populations. The higher ridges of the park are covered with spruce fir, while at lower levels the forest is dominated by mountain beech.
Limestone underlies most of the park and is responsible for the area's impressive land-forms. Sculptured mountain ridges, mysterious underground rivers, and delicate cave decorations...