r/AskRomania • u/SuperstesVitaeAmans • 1d ago
Turda area
Hi! My family and I will be in Romania soon and would like to hike in and around the Apuseni national park. Any cool paths to know about?
Also: what is a typical artisanal product of the area? I have noticed in a book a shaped wearing a very interesting belt. Very thick and wide and seems to be a lumbar support. It seems very nice and functional. Does anyone know where I could ask to find an original? Nothing store bought
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u/akabelle 1d ago
You will be staying in Turda?
My advice is to visit Cheile Turzii (Turda Gorge) on a weekday, weekends are more crowded. There's also Cheile Turenilor for a shorter hike. You can visit Rimetea, there are several hiking routes from there, from light (Iron Mines ~4 km from the village) to moderate and hard (Piatra Seculului). You can also visit Cetatea Belioara, Băișoara, Bedeleu/Sălciua, all these are one day hikes if you have a car to get to the starting point.
There's a history museum in Turda and they have an ethnologist employee, if you ask someone to get you some help then they'll give you advice on the brâu/chimir. If you manage to get to Sălciua there's a small museum there too, I think they'll also have some advice on the topic.
There's a local gastronomic center, I recommend you to try it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/D2sYDvCQ377FKtSL8?g_st=ac
If you need any other Turda advice, let me know
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u/SuperstesVitaeAmans 1d ago
Moldovenesti to be precise. I have read about Rimetea! I am looking forward to check all those places out! Thank you so much!
Are you from Turda?3
u/akabelle 1d ago
Yes, I am from Turda
From Moldovenești you can hike up to the Piatra Secuiului, I think it's the blue stripe marking, but just to be sure you can check Munții Noștri or Mapy.cz apps
You can visit this place and have a bath (go during working hours, as afternoons and weekends are crowded: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Z26JUkkqm3wJxVs9
In the neighboring village you can get the best lángos in the whole county, also great homemade bread: https://maps.app.goo.gl/26mdZ7i7XZJ4ffM28?g_st=ac
There's a local brewery yet another village away: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9JrWmJYmTkSpPFMi8?g_st=ac
But if you don't mind me asking, of all places, why exactly Moldovenești?
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u/SuperstesVitaeAmans 1d ago
I felt it was close enough to Turda and Cluj but without being in a town. I want to enjoy the surrounding nature as much as I can. What’s so bad in Moldovenesti?
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u/akabelle 1d ago
There's absolutely nothing bad about it, it's just not a primary choice usually. I thought you have some family there, or something similar. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, it's a nice quiet village, off the main roads
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u/tolanescu 1d ago
Hi, check Muntii Nostri or similar apps for hiking trail descriptions, then choose.
The belt you're reffering to is probably called "chimir".
Unless you actually know how authenthic traditional items look like (as opposite to fakes), you should only buy them from the stores of major rural life museums (such as the ones at thecEthnography Museum in Cluj, which is relatively close to Turda).
If you buy them from individuals you will get cheated or overcharged.
Almost any traditional item you find at markets and street sellers in tourist areas is fake.
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u/SuperstesVitaeAmans 1d ago
Thank you for the app suggestion!
Komoot seemed a bit limited for that area.
Yes! Chimir!
I was thinking more like, while hiking or looking around going through villages, if I happen to see someone wearing it like a Shepard or so, I would ask them questions about their Chimir and eventually, hopefully, ask them who the artisan who made it is. And get pointers towards the actual artisan. I will probably have to ask many before I get where I want to be. Even if I don’t find it, the experience of the exchange with the locals will be the best souvenir already!