Half a Year on Skis, down the Semenic Mountains

Semenic Mountains are part of the Banat mountain chain, in the Western Carpathians. Although the highest peak does not exceed 1445 m, they majestically overlook the surroundings

Ștefan Baciu, 24.01.2013, 14:00

That is why they are also known as the Roof of the Banat region, a historical province in western Romania. Access to these mountains is easy, as there are only 40 km between the town of Resita and Semenic. The peaks of the massif make up a triangle: Semenic, 1445 m high, Piatra Goznei, 1447 m and Nedeia, 1439 m, so on top of each of them you can see the other two. Although not that high, Semenic is covered by a layer of snow that rarely goes below one meter in thickness, for 5 and even 6 months a year, even during winters poorer in precipitations. In winter, temperatures range from –25 to plus 6 degrees Celsius, and in summer they stay somewhere between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius.

There are five homologated ski slopes in Semenic, and skiing conditions are very good. Here is Sorin Blaga, the mayor of Valiug village in Caras Serverin county, who invites us to go skiing in Semenic.

Sorin Blaga: “We’ve got one of the oldest mountain resorts in the country. Snow stays for a very long time and we’ve got the longest slope in the country, measuring 6 km. It has always been a special area, and even in the old times Serbs and Hungarians would come here every weekend. There is another slope at Casa Baraj, which is beautiful, but rather small. There are buses that take people there. Also, there is an after-ski at Casa Baraj, and also a beautiful bar, a chair lift and snow canons.”

Of the older slopes in the resort, the longest on Semenic is Uriasul (in English “the giant”), which is 1 thousand 2 hundred m long. The slope rise is 220 meters, and the difficulty level is intermediate. The chair lift can carry up to 800 people per hour. The slope does not allow for night skiing and it does not have snow canons.

Another, equally popular slope is Crucea de Brazi. It is an intermediate level slope, with a 750-m run and 160-m rise. The chair lift can carry 500 people per hour. Groznuta and Prietenii Muntilor are other intermediate-level pistes in the resort, while Semenic is an easy-level slope, with a chair lift capacity of up to 400 tourists per hour.

Several hotels and boarding houses are waiting for you, and in terms of meals, all of them will certainly meet your expectations.

Sorin Blaga: “Those who come to ski in the Semenic area find accommodation in Valiug, Crivaia and Trei Ape, but most of them will choose Crivaia, at the feet of Semenic. Up the mountain there is a small hotel, with only around 300 rooms. All Romanian tourists know that the blueberry brandy, the trout and mushrooms are the best in our menus, but foreign tourists should come and see for themselves that not only the landscape, but also the cuisine of the region are unbelievable. From international dishes to traditional Romanian meals, the restaurants in the area cater for all tastes.”

Semenic has something to offer to tourists in any season. Once the ski season is over, the area is a destination of choice for those who love fishing or swimming. Water sports lovers can rent boats, water bikes or windsurfing boards, while mountaineering fans will find breathtaking landscapes.

But since the weather is expected to get cold again, guaranteeing that the ski season is far from over in all Romanian mountain resorts, don’t waste any time and book yourselves a ski holiday in Semenic Mountains!