Located in
\nwestern Romania, the Apuseni Mountains are the perfect destination for winter
\nsports. Two resorts in this area, Vartop and Arieseni, are particularly popular
\nwith skiers. <\/p>\n
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At this time,
\npreparations are under way in these resorts for the upcoming Snow Festival to
\nbe held here on the 19th and the 20th of February. A
\nyearly event, the Snow Festival is organised by the Nucet local authorities
\ntogether with the Bihor County Council and the businesses from the Vartop
\nholiday village, says Pinter Istvan, the head of the Salvaspeo mountain rescue
\nservice in Bihor county, who also told us more about the local attractions:<\/p>\n
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Vartop is very
\nbusy at this time of the year. The resort has three ski pistes. They don’t go
\nto very high altitudes, in fact the highest goes up to 1,800 metres, but their
\ntopography is very diverse. The Apuseni mountains in general are known for
\ntheir underground and ground-level karst formations. There is a lot of snow and
\nthe ski tracks are in good condition. Temperatures have gone up, but this
\nhasn’t affected the state of the tracks. At the foot of the ski slopes you will
\nfind rental centres for winter sports equipment. Ski lessons are also
\navailable. Marked routes will take tourists to the area’s most interesting
\nsites, such as Piatra Graitoare, Varful Bihor, Groapa
\nRuginoasa and Pietrele Negre. There are also special routes for
\nclimbers, as well as a 200 m long Via Ferrata route. The Varciorog waterfall
\nand the Scarisoara ice cave are to be found nearby.<\/p>\n
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Located in
\nVartop, Piatra Graitoare can be translated into English as the Speaking
\nRock. The name comes from the fact that an echo is created that sounds like a
\nvoice. Four ski pistes can be found in this area, with all levels of
\ndifficulty. The longest, which runs for 1,340 metres, is that for intermediate
\nskiers. The ski lift runs between 8 am and 8 pm. The price of a weekend pass
\nfor 12 rides is 17 euros. Groapa Ruginoasa is another interesting
\ntourist site. It is a round cavity made up of calcareous rocks like a wound in
\nthe mountain, as the locals describe it. The site is located in the Apuseni
\nNature Park. Nearby, you will find the Valea Seaca canyon, a stretch of
\ngorges and waterfalls perfect for mountain climbers. In February, however,
\nVartop becomes the favourite destination of ski lovers:<\/p>\n
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The Snow Festival
\nis held between the 19th and the 21st of February. During
\nthis event we’ll have lots of activities on the ski slope, from snowboarding
\ndemonstrations to torchlight downhill skiing and music concerts. Access is free
\nof charge. Many foreign tourists visiting the Apuseni Mountains tell us they
\nare impressed with the wilderness of the natural landscape in these parts. The
\narea’s karst formations, with many canyons and caves, are a great attraction
\nfor visitors. There are also many accommodation facilities. The whole area is
\ndeveloping fast, in particular Vartop and its surroundings. Visitors can find
\naccommodation in guesthouses and hotels, depending on their preferences. The
\nApuseni Mountains is the perfect destination for tourists both in winter and
\nsummer.<\/p>\n
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The area is
\nconsidered by many skiers one of the best in Romania, the slopes being covered
\nby snow from December until April. The ski lift boarding point is located at an
\naltitude of 1,189 meters while the disembarkation point is at 1,445 meters. The
\ndifference of altitude at slope level is 256 meters and the length of the piste
\nis 1.1 km. Adrian Varga, a representative of the association of guesthouse
\nowners in Vartop, says investments in the region started 14 years ago:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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\n
<\/p>\n
There is a new
\nholiday village on the border between the counties of Bihor and Alba. In winter
\nwe have the ski tracks, while in summer, all kinds of activities are available.
\nThe landscapes are wonderful in summer and the air is very clean. The ski lift
\nsystem is operational. Tourists can choose from different activities, including
\ncarting, Tyrolean traverse and swimming. In winter they can ski or go for a
\nride in a horse-driven sleigh. There are rental centres that rent good skiing
\nequipment and skiing lessons are also available.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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Another attraction
\nin the area is the Via Ferrata. This is a climbing route for beginners
\nstretching on 200 meters. Accommodation in guesthouses during the winter
\nseason, including breakfast and climbing equipment, costs between 27 and 45
\neuros.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Located in western Romania, the Apuseni Mountains are the perfect destination for winter sports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":148374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[44011,173,43998],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-148373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide","tag-apuseni-mountains","tag-arieseni","tag-vartop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n