Bridail veil in Rachitele

Marie Damman

Nearby Cluj Napoca, on the way to the Apuseni mountains, there are some villages. As western Europeans, we expect a center, with a church, some roads around, surrounded by big houses.

It has been 5 months since I am traveling along in Romania. This shape of village is not in my mind anymore. Rachitele proved it too. In this kind of village, there is no network, no internet, only nature, the people you go with and the people you meet.

We went to the small village, located south of Huedin to hike to the Bridal waterfall. It was huge, and reminded me of the Bridal veil in Oregon. The waterfall is famous in the area, you need to walk 5 km from Rachitele downtown. There are also some signs on the way.

Online, we found a log cabine, Cabana Dealu Rasinarului din Rachitele. First, we looked in English, then in Hungarian. Finally, we found many choices in Romanian. Once we called, no one could speak any of the languages we had around us: German, French, Turkish, English. We had to call over a Romanian friend and finally be able to book few rooms.

According to the map, the cabana (as Romanians call it), was located between the village center and the natural reservation of Apuseni. We had to climb on hills, where they were no roads to go back to the cabana from the center. All the houses were spread around.

Marie Damman

We were actually well located. Between the center (at least the way went down to reach there) and the waterfall, our main goal of the weekend.

Our hosts were also really friendly. They provided us of local milk, cheese, placinta, fat meat and raining clothes. With my friends, we also enjoyed to be part of the village’s life. We got to visit the field, and to milk from a cow.

The son of the host guided us to the waterfall. We tried all the way to share what we had. It was hard to insist.

It took around 15 km to walk the whole day, from the cabana to the waterfall, from the waterfall to the center and from the center to the cabana. It was a bit raining but when you are from a raining country; this doesn’t stop you anymore.

 

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Hiking to the Pestera cave

Marie Damman

Yesterday, I went on a day trip with some friends to Vadu Crisului, 1h40 min away from Cluj Napoca. The name of the place is strange. It doesn’t sound like a town name. It is actually a small village, located somewhere in the mountains.

The first village we crossed was Huedin, mostly full of Gipsies. They build huge palace, to leave with only one family in each of them. Their roofs are sumptuous, colorful and shiny. According to a German student who had the chance to visit one of them, inside looks as sumptuous, with marble to cover the floor. A Romanian, from Oradea told us Gipsies beg for money and steal in order to show they power in villages such as Huedin.

After crossing Huedin, and keeping on the same road, there is Vadu Crisului on the left. At the end of this village, there is beautiful nature. You have to go all the way until the end of the road, follow the railroad, and pass by the tiny train station. Once the road ends, the only way to keep going is by walking on the railroad, which is still in use. Trains use to honk the horse and people find a way to hide.

Once passed the waterfall on the right, there is a bridge to cross. At the top of the hill, you can enter the Pestera cave. The entrance is only 3 lei with a student card. Inside, everything is converted for tourists and hikers. Children enjoyed the place.

Marie Damman

Sometimes, the walls are low, and you have to bend yourself. Sometimes, you have to practice the duck walk, and sometimes, you have to stop, to enjoy the place. In many rooms there is a source passing by. Behind some wall, especially the one that has two peaks on the corners, you have to be a bit adventurous. The room behind was worth it.

On the way around, there are also many stairs to climb. They are sloping and a bit scary when you can’t see the next step, hidden behind the previous one.

If you are lucky, you can also meet bats

On the way out of the cave, you can find many hiking tracks. Some of them can take the whole day. You can also explore further on the railroad. The best would be to do this on the daytime, before 4 pm when not so many trains are crossing.

Vadu Crisului is a nice place to take some fresh air, and to be outside of the city. You can meet water, greenness and underground at the same place.

 

 

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