ROSIA-REMETEA

Route Description:

Wander over green hills covered with wild flowers, in a landscape pointed out with hayricks and forestry spots, explore the underground world created by water and limestone, discover traditional life and archaical customs in the countryside, learn about bats and their important role for nature, taste and enjoy local cuisine with Romanian and Hungarian influences.
Let yourself shadowed by a century old oak tree in a torrid summer day or go up in the steeple of an 800 years old church and try to gain insight into the message of its mural paintings.

Spend an evening around the bonfire on the top of a hill from where you can embrace in a glance almost the whole Beius Country or reamin few hours among locals who will tell you about things you’ll never find about in books…

All these and many others are waiting for you there, in Rosia Valley, a small region in Bihor County, including Rosia, Cabesti and Remetea communes, when coming from Padurea Craiului Mountains towards the well-know Beius Depression. You’ll meet welcoming guests who will be happy to share local culinary secrets with you or take you on hidden mountain trails or to villages or hamlets where local craftsmen will reveal century old crafts.

No matter you are with a group of friends, family or alone, Rosia Valley is the ideal destination for your future holiday!

Discover Rosia Valley by bike

Day1:

After arriving in Rosia Valley area and accomodate at one of local guesthouses, we will take a first exploring tour following a low difficulty level route, ideal for adjust to the bikes and the area. We will first halt at a weaving and eggs painting workshop in Dragoteni, where we will understand the process through which the wool or hemp take the shape of a table cloth or a traditional purse. We will continue our bike ride towards a hill near the village where, if the weather will permit, we will have one of the largest views on the Western part of Apuseni Mountains and not only. From here we will ride down through the village of Soimus, probably the smallest settlement in the area and follow the road towards Petreasa 200 years old wooden church.
We will end our day witha dinner consisting of local products, prepared according to some traditional receipes.

Day 2:

After a rich breakfast, we will follow the road to Meziad, along the creek with the same name, a place taht was once covered with deep oak tree forests. Nowadays, out of these forests still remained a 300 years old oak tree, right on the edge of the road from Remetea to Meziad.
The Meziad village is well-known for the craft of making lime from limestone, using a method that is specifical for this area. It is used a traditional kiln, one of these kilns being still used by one of the lime makers, Ivan family. With a little luck we will see one of the phases in making the lime, the most spectacular one being when the lime stone is burned at temperatures exceeding 1000 C and becomes incandescent.
Meziad Cave, with its large halls, karstic formations with strange names and large populations of bats (protected species) will be our next destination where, under the local guide’s directions we will discover the charm of teh underground world, so different from the one we are used to. We will return on the same way and stop at the Remetea Village Museum, arranged in a traditional house and also at the Reformed stone built church which still retains mural Byzantine paintings.

Day 3:

The next part of our itinerary is dedicated to discover by bike riding the springs area of Rosia Valley, one of best preserved in Apuseni Mountains. It is an area that still keeps a feeling of authenticiy and archaism, hard to find in other places. We will halt at the Fortune Mill, one of very few watermills (historical mounument) and at a trumpet-violins workshop, which specific sound can still be heard at local traditional festivities or weddings.
We will end our day exploring Lazurilor Gorges, which though do not impress by dimensions, will atract you with their picturesque look. We will have dinner and sleep by night at one of local guesthouses.

Day 4:

We will start our day crossing by bikes Albioarei Gorges, a karstic valley with vertical rocky walls, mine entrances and lots of caves, out of wich we will stop at Vacii Cave, a nature protected area. Here have been made paleonthological discoveries dating the Bronze Age, when the cave was used by humans. Coming back to the valley, we wil be pedaling till up to the Runcuri karstic plateau where we will can visit traditional farms with houses having hay roofs as well as a sheepfold. Here we wll see the way the cheese is prepared and will taste specific mlk products, prepared by Pertiu family.
We will find accomodation up on the plateau and will end the day around a bonefire and a traditional dinner.

Day 5:

We will leave Runcuri Plateau riding downwards back to Rosia village through Cutilor Gorges, wel-known for their sugestive name and also for their steep limestone walls. While passing the gorges we wil stop at Vacii Cave wich is impressing through its very diverse cave formations, bones and skeletons remainings and its portal.
After meal we will have time off. Traditional dinner and accomodation at a local guesthouse.

Day 6: Departure

Traditional cuisine and local traditions in Rosia Valley Area

Let yourself overwhelmed by the subtle tastes of a cuisine which will surprise you with its diversity and harmony and take a trip back in time discovering already rare crafts and traditions.

Day 1:

After the arrival in Rosia starte preparing – together with the hosts – a home made bread baked in the fireplace, on the hearth. As long the bread is baking, we will take the opportunity of a short walk in the village, where we will visit the Orthodox church.
The evening will be ended with local folk performed by the village dance group and with a dinner containing of traditional foods.

Day 2:

After breakfast we will take a horse pulled cart ride towards a limestone workshop where a local guy will introduce us in the secrets of this occupation which is still well represented here but almost lost in other areas. Once returned to the guesthouse we will prepare, together with pur hosts an oven baked chicken following a local receipe and then – if we were skilled enough – we will enjoy it at dinner.
The evening will be dedcated to the sound of trumpet viloin, an insrtument that is often used in the local festivities that are important for community’s life.

Day 3:

The breakfast will consist of another local delicatess – a traditional Romanian pie, a meal that is served in feast days as well as when special visitors are coming. After breakfast, we will take a walk and visit a 200 years old water mill and a blacksmith workshop, both functional and, if lucky, we could meet the miller and the blacksmith at work. After lunch we will spend the rest of the day discovering the techniques of icons painting on glass and also have the opportunity to learn this craft together with the youngsters and teachers from the village.
In the evening we will participate in an open air party where specific foods, plum or apple brandy and good mood will not be missing.

Day 4:

After breakfast with traditional foods produced at the farmstead we will spend our morning experimenting some fruit gem receipes, using the season’s fruit. After lunch we will visit the Remetea village with a halt at the reformed church, 800 years old, with interesting Byzantine mural paintings and another halt at the village museum, arranged in an old wooden house.
A typical Hungarian dinner, by this time will end this day of our trip.

Day 5:

We will end our last day by visiting a crafts workshop where we will test our skills in painting the eggs or making bead-necklaces while after lunch we will visit a three centuries old oak tree in Meziad, before turning back.

Adventure and fun on Rosia Valley

Reach your limits during this adventure programme, where chalenges we’ve prepared for you will test your team spirit, skills and courage while fun and games will not be missing even for a moment.

Day 1:

After arriving in Remetea, we will check in at one of locals’ guesthouses and will start teh discovery of the village with a map and some clews. After dinner we will see a multimedia presentation about the fascinating life in caves and will discuss the programme for the next days.

Day 2:

Meziad Cave with its 3750 m long galleries and halls is our destination for the longest part of the day, where we will find out interesting things about bats and life in caves. A visit at the lime workshops and talks with the locals wll help discover more of the traditions and culture of these places.

Day 3:

Are you ready for adventure? Professional monitors will introduce you in cave rope climbing techniques while in the afternoon you will discover, in a hiking tour, what karst means and the untold stories of the limestone.

Day 4:

Cutilor Gorges is the ideal place for a hike, mainly when this is completed with a visit to two caves which will challenge your skills and knowledge about speology. The evening will be ended with a bonfire where you will be provoked in a competition with surprise tests.

Day 5:

We will end our trip with a visit at a cave and to Albioarei Gorges, then say good-bye to our friends with a strong promise to meet again soon.

PHOTOS – APUSENI WINTER

About Mihai Olenici Team

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