Rausor Mountain Resort - Sarmis Chalet

Situated at an altitude of 1250 m, within a startling landscape, has the only ski slopes on the Retezat Mountains, and is one of the access points for the Retezat National Park.

Mountain routes

à Sarmis Chalet - Retezat Peak- Stinisoara Lake - Bordulet -

  Stinisoara Waterfalls - Sarmis Chalet (8-9 h) 

à Sarmis Chalet - Pietrele Chalet - Pietrele Valley - Bucura Lake- Pietrele Chalet -

Sarmis Chalet (8-9 h)

à Sarmis Chalet- Pietrele Chalet- The Bad Valley Peak - Zanoaga’s Saddle -

Gales Lake- Pietrele Chalet- Sarmis Chalet (8-9 h)

à Sarmis Chalet- Retezat Peak- Bucura Peak -  Peleaga Peak - Gales Lake -

Pietrele Chalet - Sarmis Chalet (9-10 h)

Thematic routes

Colt Monastery and Fortress (9Km)

Situated on Suseni village - The Colt Monastery is one of the oldest Romanian and European monasteries.

The fortress is situated on a rocky edge at an altitude of 720 m, and was built by the Candea lords, from  Rau de Mori, at the beginning of the 14th century.

This fortress was used as a source of inspiration by Jules Verne for his novell, “The Castle in the Carpatians”.

 

Comuna Rau de Mori (11Km)

Candesti castle situated on the right side of Rausor creek, was built in the 16th century. During the last part of the XVI century, the castle undergoes a barock transformation. 

Sarmizegetusa– the pride of the Hateg County (19 Km)

Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa was built during 106-271, during the Roman ocupation of Dacia, and represented a religious and cultural metropola of those times. Being the most important city of roman Dacia, Sarmizegetusa had about 15.000-20.000 inhabitanta.

The city was established on 110 on the order of emperor Traian through the Dacia governor, Terentius Scaurionus. Innitially the city was called  Colonia Ulpia Traiana, and consequently was named Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa..

Sfantul Nicolae Church havimg a unic architectural stile Densus village (19Km)

In close vicinity of the ruins of the ancient capital of roman Dacia - Ulpia Traiana Augusta Sarmizegetusa - this strange monument of Hateg County was the object of much controversy between various scientists eager to establish its origin. Some have considered that in the beginning the church was a monument built to the roman general Longinus Maximus killed (105-106) by the dacs; others were speaking of a roman temple of the god Marte. The church is supported by 8 roman altars.

“Sfantul Ioan” Church and Monastery, Prislop village (Silvasu de Sus) (25Km)

The church and the old monastery was built around the year 1400, by the father Nicodim (1399-1405), with the help of Mircea cel Batran, the king of the Romanian Country.

Ostrov Orhodox Church (15Km)

An orthodox church built from stone on 1284. The East side that contains the altar, was added on the 19th century. The surrounding stone wall is made of roman monuments, inscriptions and other architectural elements.

The church from Strei (35Km)

The oldest medieval religious monument - built during the 11-12th century. It is an architectural monument built from stone, proving the adaptation pf the romano-gothic style from Transylvania to the local traditions.

Dinosaurs Geopark ‘dwarf’ dinosaurs of Transylvania' (20Km)

The Hateg Country is spanning more than 300 million years of history when the Earth surface was completely different than today. The rocks and fossils found now were formed in places and environments like coral reefs, volcanic island in the Tethys Sea populated by dinosaurs and other reptiles, primitive mammals and birds, or continental areas covered by Ice Age glaciers.

The following sites are of significant interest :

Sanpetru – Sibisel Valei -These deposits provided the largest quantity of dinosaur and other reptile fossils (crocodiles and turtles) from the Hateg Basin.

Pui—Ponor villages - Upper Cretacous marine fauna.

Tustea village - Known especially for the nests with dinosaur eggs.

Sintamarie Orlea Castle (24 Km)

It has been documented since 1363, the current construction in baroque stile was built on 1782 and consequently transformed on the 19th century.

Biserica reformata, Sintamarie Orlea (24 Km)

Once an orthodox church, built from stone by the Candea family at the end of the 13th century in  romantic style..

Buffalo reservation Hateg (26Km)

Zimbrul is a species of Buffalo found in Europe, it is the heaviest European land animal reaching up to 900Kg, and a height of 1.9m.

The dacian fortress Blidaru—Costesti village (35Km)

This fortification together with other as Piatra Rosie, Banita and other, are part of a chain of fortifications built 2000 years ago, that surrounded Sarmizegetusa Regia. Situated on the ridge of Blidaru (703 m), the fortress has two areas united, having together six towers. The first fortification on the superior hill platform, has a trapezoidal shape, with four exterior towers placed on the corners.

Sarmizegetusa Regia — Gradistea Muncelului (58Km)

During 100BC and 100AC Sarmizegetusa was the political, military, administrative and religious center of the Dacian state, for which an entire fortification system has been built. The structure of the Dacian capital, was composed of three areas; the civilian area, the holy area and the fortress. Sarmizegetusa was the largest economic and cultural center of the kingdom, and its quality as the capital of the Dacian state was a determining factor for its economic prosperity. The fortress was built on the superior part of the Gradiste Hill (1200m). The gates are located on the East and West sides the fortress, and the roads towards the interior of the fortress was paved with stones.

 

 

 

Corvinesti Castle—Hunedoara (40Km)

Gothic style castle built on roman ruins in 14th century. Vlad Tepes (Dracula) was imprisoned here during his youth for 7 years. This castle is a solid rock fortress fiercely built by Turkish prisoners.

Cioclovina Cave —Cioclovina village (60Km)

It is included in the Cioclovina-Ponorici Karst Complex which is one of the largest speolgical reservation in Romania. The findings prove that the cave was inhabited since the Late Palaeolithic.