Responsible Travel in Romania

TREKKING THE LOST WORLD The price includes: The price does not include: personal drinks and • Local transfers by car including transfer refreshments, insurance, souvenirs and other from and back to airport. personal costs. • 3 meals per day (starting with dinner on first day and ending with breakfast on Note: departure day). We are always open to our customer’s demands and needs. • Accommodation: 7 nights in mountain Therefore, the itinerary described above can be adjusted cabins and guesthouses ranked with 2** accordingly in what regards the period and the activities (daisies, according to Romanian legislation included. Please contact us for more details. for rural tourism); rooms have 2, 3, 4 beds with ensuite or shared bathrooms Contact persons: • guidance and all expenses related with the Mihai (Mike) Olenici / GSM: +4 0740 062 862 guide Paul Iacobas / GSM: +4 075 602 301 • costs related to trip preparation E: [email protected] • team equipment Apuseni Experience Responsible Travel Programme • all entrance fees to local museum or • craft demonstration fees

Lacul Crasna ZALÃU E60 Poiana Halmãºd Florilor Bãlan ªinteu Crasna Furta Biharkeresztes Borº pack, a trail and yourself is everything you Trip details: Valcãu de Jos A Românaºi Darvas ORADEA Bãniºor Ineu Start/end: Oradea or Cluj-Napoca (options to pick Bar need. Think of it as Zen on foot: you eat when Lugaºu Repede cãu Hilda ºu de Jos Agrij ri Aleºd Sîntandrei C Tileagd Sig Cizer Köröszegapáti Panticeu Oºorhei E60 you up/drop you at Timisoara or Budapest airports Bucium Szeghalom Auºeu Sãcãdat º you’re hungry, you trek and you sleep when it’s Aºtileu a

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A Sînmartin P. Igriþa Nojorid Bãile Topa de Criº are available too). Bãile 1 Mai Mãgeºti Iclod y Felix Copãcel Borod Zimbor time to rest. Despite the effort, roaming freely Piatra Craiului Aºchileu Leº Osoiu Vadu Criºului Vultureni r Hidiºelu Vîrciorog 624 Trip length: 8 days/7 nights, E671 de Sus Cuzãplac ªuncuiuº Ciucea E81 on the trail is satisfying in a way few things in Tãºad Vésztö a Cefa E79 P. Vîntului Bratca Almaºu P. Ungurului Bulz Poieni Activity level: moderate, Okány Drãgeºti Tomnatic Fildu de Jos E576 g Vida P. Lesiana Zece P. Moanei our normally hectic lives can be. Valea Lãzãreni Hotare Drãganului Criºu Aghireºu Jucu Group size min 4-max 15, Repede Ceica n : n Chinteni Lacul Huedin Sînpaul Vida Dobreºti Drãga Izvorul th th th th Runcuri Criºului Mic u Iad Remeþi Crafted for the avid trekkers, the itinerary Availability for 2011 May 7 – 14 ; June 4 -11 ; Mãdãraº Husasãu : Someºu de Tinca Motel Leºu Sîncraiu Sãcuieu E60 Apahida opa nd th th th th H Salonta T Roºia Holod Lacul Baciu CLUJ-NAPOCA Pomezeu Leºu follows an imaginary line from north to south July 2 - 9 ; August 13 – 20 , September 10 – Tulca Sîmbãta Cabana Vlãdeasa Tinca P. Meziad Lacul Cãpuºu Drãganu Cãlãþele th Sarkad Vlãdeasa Cociuba Mare 1836 Cabana Ardeleana 18 , Doboz Meziad of the Apuseni Mountains, passing through Rãbãgani Remetea Mãrgãu Riºca Lacul Gilãu Ciumeghiu Cãpîlna Gilãu Meziad Lacul Floreºti Tarniþa Feleacu Batãr Rãchiþele Price: 688 euros/person Stîna de Vale Butea Someºu Cald forests, deep gorges, mountain pastures and Urviº Ne Budureasa 1792 Aiton Olcea Criºu gru Beiuº Prislop Beliº Sãvãdisla Ciurila Avram Iancu ªoimi E60 1 Lacul Fîntînele Beyond trekking: traditional way of life, mountain GYULA E81 P. Onceasa Casa Piatra Altarului plateaus, all in one: a true lost world. d u Cal Valea Ierii Apateu Finiº Drãgãneºti Someº Mãguri- Zerind P. Cetatea Criº Rãdesei Rãcãtãu culture, traditional crafts, and visits u P Tureni ietros Sudrigiu P. ªura Boghii Padiº You’ll enjoy breathtaking views; gentle winds Pietroasa Lazuri Sat de vacanþã Boga Miºca 2 de Beiuº Poiana Horea Rece Rieni Galbe u º º ti Petreºtii P. Focul Viu Bãtrîna a Bãiºoara ar me r S na Glãvoi o Ia de Jos Chiºcãu 1579 S P. Cetãþile Iara Cermei Cheile Turzii and great mountain people who live close Ponorului Cheia P. Urºilor Groapa 3 Chiºineu- Pleºul ªtei Ruginoasã P. Vîrtop Ch. Galbenei 4 Muntele Elek Cîmpani P. Mãgura P. Coiba Casa de Piatra During this trip you will 1112 C Criº Mare h Vîrtop Cacovei e Sintea Mare 5 ile Grãniceri Lunca 4 R Sighiºtel u Socodor n Buru 1160 c Gîrda Horea u Ocoale lu i to Mother Earth and always happy to share P. Fînaþe Beliu P. Scãriºoara Muntele Mare Nucet Sea trek and discover typical landscapes of 6 Albac Cheile Pociovaliºtei P. Poarta luii Ioanele 1826 Vaºcãu c Runc ã o Casa Speo Moneasa Arieºeni Scãriºoara º rie 1 A Cãrand Cãrpinet their view upon life with you, without asking P. Liliecilor Ar Negru ieºu forests, glades, caves, Bihor Rimetea Apuseni Mountains: Gîrda de Sus Albac Criºu Mare ªicula 1849 ªimand Criºtioru Ineu Bocsig de Jos you: “Why on Earth are you climbing the underground glaciers, karstic springs and P. Huda lui Paparã Dezna Vadu Moþilor Arieºu Mic Sãlciua Baia de Seleuº Vidra E671 Sebiº Arieº Mirãslãu Bîrsa Poiana mountains?” whirlpools, . Sîntana Gãina Lupºa Avram Iancu Cîmpeni Aiudului 1486 Sohodol Curtici Poieniþa Ponor Pîncota Buteni 1437 discover and learn about the occurrence, Criºu Rîmeþ Alb Pleºcuþa Vîrfurile Roºia Montanã Cheile Rîmeþilor o Bulzeºtii de Sus AIUD º Chiºindia Almaº Hãlmagiu b Abrud mechanisms and the way a karst system Al Zimandu Nou Abr Bucium ªiria Gurahonþ ºu ud Mogoº Mure Cri Întregalde Galda works and interacts with the natural E81 Sãlaºul de la Rãscruce

Teiuº environment Cricãu Vaþa de Jos Þebea Buceº ARAD Galda de Jos Vladimirescu Ghioroc Mihalþ interact with local people, listen to their E68 Ighiu o Bucureºci P. Liliecilor Roºia Nouã Brad Pãuliº Zlatna Conop Bîrzava Criºcior Am stories and learn about their lifestyle p o Meteº i E79 Lipova Almaºu Mare Valea Frumoasã ALBA IULIA Hanul Cerbu Vãliºoara Petriº Bãiþa Geo Balºa Sãvîrºin agiu Vinga Bata E68 Vorþa Zam Se Maºloc be º www.apuseniexperience.ro [email protected] Mada Vinþu Mureº de Jos Lunca Certeju de Sus Birchiº Gurasada ªibot Oradea 410068 -Romania, 1 Decembrie Square 4-6, room 8 Tel./fax: +4 0259 472434 Geoagiu Bãi SEBEª E68 Geoagiu E81 Ohaba Lungã Dobra Apuseni Experience is a trademark of EcoTransilvania Ltd. Brãniºca Mureº Bara DEVA Bobîlna

Fãget E68 Simeria Orãºtie ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival and warm-up. Arrival at the airport and transfer to Stana de Vale mountain glacier in the world – Scarisoara – as as a series resort (1102m). Accommodation in a local guesthouse, dinner of human permanent settlements (one of the highest human and rest. permanent settlements in Romania, at 1350 m) of motzi, who are the native inhabitants of Apuseni Mountains. Day 2: Stana de Vale mountain resort –Varasoaia Glade After breakfast at guesthouse we will pack our rucksacks and On our way we will visit a small karstic depression known will take a 6 hours trail along the mountain ridge. On our way as “The Lost World” and named so due to its wilderness in we will reach Bohodei Peak (1650 m), a bellevue place from the past. Even nowadays we will have the feeling that we where we will admire the impressive landscapes of the central are passing through a jungle, when visiting the entrances part of Apuseni Mountains, from where we will descend to 1300 of the main attractions of the plateau: the Gemanata, Negru m altitude, in Padis Plateau. Packed lunch on the way. and Acoperit Potholes, impressive for their dimensions and Padis Plateau is the ideal destination for backpackers willing morphology. Then we will follow the trail towards Casa de to discover the exceptional natural attractions of the area, Piatra/The Stone House, a motzi hamlet formed only by 16 given by the presence of numerous caves, potholes, gorges families. Here, electricity was introduced only 5 years ago and and canyons, ice caves, bellevue points, sinkholes and karstic locals still preserve elements of archaically life. We will check- springs in an area of only 36 sqkm. in at a local guesthouse where we will have the opportunity For the first night, we will stop at Varasoaia mountain chalet, to interact with the locals and their life style, including the close to the entrance of V5 pothole which is the deepest cave excellent local cuisine dominated by traditional meals based in Romania. Check-in, dinner and rest. on organic ingredients.

Day 3. Varasoaia Glade –Padis Plain – Balileasa Glade – Glavoi Day 6: Casa de Piatra – Calineasa Glade – Ghetar plateau. Glade – Cetatile Ponorului mountain chalet. We will hardly part our hosts for heading towards Poiana After breakfast at the chalet, we will go on a 5 hours hiking Calineasa/Calineasa Glade and Platoul Ghetar/Ghetar Plateau. for discovering a part of Padis Plateau. We will leave Varasoaia Glade, will pass by Varasoaia Lake – a typical karstic lake – Calineasa, a large glade situated at an altitude of 1350 m, is a towards Padis Plain, our first stop of the day. Here we will visit place where hundreds of motzi from down valley villages meet the permanent exhibition organized within the Visitor Centre in summer while they bring their animals for pasturing or of Apuseni Nature Park. We will find information about the come for woodwork. Life here is simple, with people living in karstic landscape of the area, the history of tourism in the wooden huts, without electricity or running water, preparing area, about local flora and fauna and about measures taken dairy products (various sorts of cheese) and cutting woods for conservation of the biodiversity of this unique place. from the vast spruced forests. Further on, we will follow our way towards Balileasa Glade, If we’ll be lucky and have good weather, from Calineasa we an uvala (a karstic depression shaped like a valley formed by will admire the main mountain ridge of Bihor Mountains with the unification of several sinkholes) where we will observe the its highest peak, Bihor Peak (1848 m). Then, we will head on negative impact of overgrazing upon the vegetation present to Ghetar passing through Ocoale, the permanent human here. Leaving Balileasa behind, we will reach Glavoi Glade, settlement situated at the highest altitude in country: 1350 the main camping place in the entire area, a crossing spot for m. Here we will learn about the local traditional architecture numerous tourist trails and then, we will arrive at Cetatile and the way these people leave at this altitude where winters Ponorului mountain chalet, somewhere in the middle of last around 7 months per year. an old spruce forest. Check-in, dinner and rest at the chalet. We will arrive at Ghetar where we will check-in at a local Packed lunch during our hike. guesthouse and will enjoy a delicious dinner prepared in the most authentic local style. Day 4. Cetatile Ponorului chalet – Poiana Ponor – Cetatile Ponorului. Day 7. Ghetar plateau - Arieseni. This day will be dedicated to a hike that will reveal to us parts of After breakfast at the guesthouse we will head on to Scarisoara the complicated surface karstic system of Padis: Poiana Ponor Ice Cave, hosting the largest underground glacier in Europe, (Ponor Glade) and Cetatile Ponorului (Ponorului Fortresses). In with its 100.000 cubic meters of ice dating from the last Poiana Ponor, the waters from Padis collected in underground Ice Age, approximately 3500 years old. On the way, we will galleries come to light through a karstic spring, form a creek stop by the Tourist Information Centre arranged as a local of approximately 800 m length which, further on, disappears museum established by an enthusiastic local association or in the underground through some strainers in order to come we can buy wooden hand made traditional objects or hear the out later in Cetatile Ponorului Cave. We will then leave Poiana sound of tulnic (a local version of alpenhorn used in the past Ponor and visit the most spectacular karstic phenomena of by the mountain isolated communities as a communication the area: Cetatile Ponorului (Ponorului Fortresses). Three huge instrument). After visiting Scarisoara Glacier we will head on sinkholes, with depths around 200 m and diameters over 100 towards Arieseni, one of the most important tourist locations m, a cave portal 70 m high and a wild creek passing through, where we will be hosted at a local guesthouse, enjoy the these are some of the highlights of today’s trip. farewell dinner and prepare for departure on the next day.

Day 5. Cetatile Ponorului chalet – Lumea Pierduta Plateau – Day 8: Departure. Casa de Piatra. Breakfast and transfer from Arieseni to the airport. Today, we will leave behind the central part of the mountains and will head on towards, Ghetar Plateau, another typical karstic plateau, famous for hosting the largest underground