Caves in the Western Carpathian Mountains
The Western Carpathian Mountains, along with the Banat Mountains, are one of the most important karstic areas in Romania.
România Internațional, 07.12.2016, 21:11
Many of the caves in this region can be visited by tourists, others are accessible only to speleologists. However, if you want to visit the latter caves, you can apply to specialized guides and speleology clubs. The lowest area where caves are accessible is the Padurea Craiului Mountains area, which you can reach coming from Oradea and Cluj Napoca, with cave entrances in Beius and Alesd.
Speleologist Viorel Lascu enlarges on those caves: “The Vadu Crisului cave is accessible along the Cluj-Oradea highway. A river flows in the cave forming a 6 m tall waterfall, 40 m away from the entrance. Apart from the cave, you can visit the spectacular karstic gorges in Vadu Crisului; the pottery in the area is famous, people making white earthenware, unique in Europe. If you go up the Fast Cris river valley, you reach Suncuius commune, where there is the Unguru Mare cave. It is a cave with an impressive portal and close to the cave, there is an over 200-year old wooden house. You can get to the cave walking on a suspension bridge over the Cris river, a bridge which is below the cave portal. In the past, the cave housed the most important treasure of bronze weapons in Romania. Farther down, there is the 50 km long Wind Cave, which you can visit with guides from the Speleology Club or from the Department of Protected Areas and the Sustainable Development Centre. The latter plan to implement a tourist development project on about 300 m in that cave.
In Rosia commune with traditional houses dotted about it, there is the Crystal Cave, which was discovered after 1987 by the miners, who extended their working face of bauxite mining. The cave is a real natural gem, its walls being coated by crystals or stalactites. The cave has been electrified and laid out so as to measure up to European standards.
Viorel Lascu: “There is a centre here whose specialized guides can take visitors right to the Mining Museum, introducing them to various types of gear and equipment used in mining operations in the past. Going further we have the spectacular Crystal Cave, one of the worlds unique places. Here visitors are standing right under translucent calcite crystals, some of them measuring up to 80 centimetres, spectacular crystal clusters, which we are not allowed to touch, a rule which is mandatory for visitors, too. From the Crystal Cave we go to Remetea commune, which boasts another unique cave, called Meziad. Its uniqueness resides in the huge portal at its entrance. This is the first cave prepared and laid out to receive visitors, back in 1903. Now it has a new lighting system with LEDs stretching over a route of 1.5 kilometres, a distance which visitors may cover in about 40 minutes. Its spectacular vaults with huge arches create the impression of a Gothic cathedral. The caves impressive acoustics has inspired administrators to build here a concert hall. The cave is also unique because it is home to 8 different species of bats, and in some periods of the year, there are over 40 thousand bats here.
From Meziad cave, one can go straight to Stana de Vale, a beautiful mountain resort located at an altitude of 1,000 meters and surrounded by the Vladeasa and Padurea Craiului Mountains. Stana de Vale is one of Romanias most sought after resorts, considered a Jewel among Crisanas mountain resorts. The resorts ski slopes are fitted with cable transport facilities being also the choice destination for many winter sports lovers.
North of the Bihor Mountains, tourists can see one of the most impressive karstic formation in Romania, Cetatile Ponorului. This area of unmatchable beauty, dimensions and complexity has taken its name from the surface formations whose huge stones and pillars give the impression of fortified walls. The place boasts the highest portal in Romania. As it is 5 km long, it is more suitable for experienced tourists. Those who are not that experienced better set out to visit the area with a specialized guide.
Speleologist Viorel Lascu has more on the caves in the Apuseni Mountains: “The famous Scarisoara Cave, housing the worlds largest underground glacier, is open to visitors all the year around. To enter it one should go down a spectacular shaft, measuring 40 meters in diameter, to reach a beautifully lit hall where ice and light create a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. Under this less-known glacier, there lies a cave called Pojarul Politei, a scientific reserve with huge crystal formations. Also around the Garda commune there is the very accessible Poarta Lui Ionele Cave, where tourists can admire the spectacular calcareous formation called Cheile Ordancusii, which is a wild area, close to the motorway. Down the road linking Campeni to Alba Iulia we can visit the Huda lui Papara cave, which is a spectacular place crossed by a river, which forms an impressive eleven-meter waterfall.
Huda lui Papara is the longest and bumpiest cave in the Trascau Mountains and it home to Europes largest colony of bats. The cave is dangerous though, because flash floods can fill it with water.
