We planned to drive to Padiș – the heart of the Apuseni Mountains, a large mountain chain, a subgroup of the Carpathians, lying north of the Mureş River in northwestern Romania. The Apuseni Mountains are not high—reaching a maximum elevation of only 1849 meters. Limestone underlies most of the park which is responsible for the area’s impressive landforms. Sculptured mountain ridges, mysterious underground rivers, and delicate cave decorations give rise to some spectacularly eroded scenery. Pastureland and settlements are scattered among the mountains. Our first stop was in Răchițele, from where we have visited Cascada Vălul Miresei. It is a two-level cascade, located at an elevation of almost 1000 meters, the fall is over 30 meters and the water spreads out in a fan, giving the impression of a wedding veil. We made overnight near a local pub and pizza shop (excellent pizza 15 ROL). The next day we found out, that the road to Padiș is too narrow for us. So, we have decided to drive for a whole day through the mountain range to Hunedoara, passing Aries Valley, where the beautiful villages of Albac, Garda, and Arieseni are located. It was not an easy drive and in the end, we realized that the roads are even more narrow than the road to Padiș, so we had some fun passing timber lorries and other cars (roads are super narrow and closed for cars over 3,5 t).
Parking location – Răchițele: 46.706494N 22.893440E