Bihor Information
General info
Geographical situation
It is located in the north-western part of Romania, on the courses of the Crişul Repede and Crişul Negru rivers, bordered in the east by the Western Carpathians, and in the west by the Western Plain.
Neighbours
In the east: Cluj, Alba and Sălaj Counties, in the north: Satu Mare County, in the south: Arad County, in the west: Hungary.
Surface
7,544 square km (respectively 3,2% of the country’s territory).
Population
633,629 inhabitants.
Towns
Oradea, capital of the county, with 225,000 inhabitants, important cultural, economic and trade centre for the entire Europe. Other trowns: Aleşd, Beiuş, Marghita, Nucet, Salonta, Ştei, Valea lui Mihai, Vaşcău.
Relief
It is complex structured on levels, descending from east (the Bihor Mountains with the Curcubâta Mare peak - 1849 m and the Vlădeasa, Codru Moma, Pădurea Craiului, Plopiş Mountains, separated by the Beiuş and Vad-Borod Depressions) to west (90 m in Low Plain of the Crişuri). The presence of the limestone favoures a Karst pictoresque relief (the Padiş Plateau, with tunnels, underground waterfalls, lakes hidden from the day light, silent forests, mysterious intermittent springs, canyons and glaciers rivaling with similar famous international touristic points). The Criş piedmont hills have altitudes of 200 - 500 m making the connection with the lowest level, the Westen Plain.
Climate
It is moderate continental, the dominant note is given by the moist air circulation from west, northwest, the rainfalls are not uniform, winds blow from west, north-west and south-west. The medium temperature in January is -2 - -80C and in July 12 - 240C.
Watercourses
The territory is crossed by the Barcău, Crişul Repede and Crişul Negru rivers, flowing from east to west.
Touristic Atractions
Caves
The Bears Cave (86 km away from Oradea, on the national road DN 76, Oradea - Sudrigiu village (DJ 763 Chişcău village), a cave of a rare beauty, delighting the visitor with a magificent speologic architecture. The speologic preserve (more then 1 km in length at an altitude of 419 m) hosts a vast range of stalagmites and stalactites as well as fossil traces of the cave bear-species extincted 15,000 years ago. The Wind Cave (near Ţuncuiuş, on the left bank of the Crişului Repede river), it is the longest cave in Romania - more than 4 km, traversed by an underground watercourse, with rich corrosion phenomena. The Wind Cave is famous all over the world due to these rare features. It only can be visited in the presence of a guide. The Alive Fire Cave (a 2 hours walk from Padiş chalet), it is located at an altitude of 1,120 m and includes a glacier with a volume of 25,000 cubic m, the second one in Romania in terms of size, glittering in the sunlight because of a „window” in the ceiling that casts light inside the cave, leaving the fairylike impression of an „alive fire”. The Meziad Cave, on the national road DN 76 up to Beiuş, then 16 km deviation, spelaeological preserve in the Pădurea Craiului Mountains, one of the biggest caves in Romania (4,750 m in length, on several levels). It only can be visited in the presence of a guide. Other caves: The Old Man’s Cave, in the Old Imaş Depression. The Ciur-Ponor Cave, the longest underground watercourse in Romania, 5,000 m. The Corbasca Cave, famous for the richness of big concretions. The Borşig Glacier. The Cave in the Bârsa Ravine in the Bihor Mountains, at an altitude of 1,100 m. The Vadu Crişului Cave, on the national road DN 1 up to Topa of Criş, then a 6 km deviation, it is set for visiting, 5 km in length. The Cave from Tăşnad (20 km south-east of Oradea), near Tâşnad. The „Rădeasa’s Fotresses Cave” (an 1 - 2 hours walk from Padiş chalet), famous because of its five natural windows, the sunlight gives the rocks a fantastic image.
Waterfalls and valleys
The Săritoarea Bohodeiului Waterfall (on the Oradea-Deva road, near Pietroasa), it has a height of 80 m, the third in Romania (as height), and together with the neighbouring area forms a complex preserve (geological, floristic and forest). The Crişul Repede Narrow Path it accompanies the national road Cluj - Oradea and then crosses the Pădurea Craiului Mountains, it is a complex preserve (geological, faunistic and floristic), with a surface of 247 hectares. This preserve includes 11 caves and the limestone narrow path of the Crişul Repede (from the springs up to Bucea). Other waterfalls and valleys: The Bulbuci Waterfall with 40 m in height, in the Bihor Mountains, The Devil’s Mill Waterfall with 20 m in height, from Stâna de Vale towards Valea Drăganului, The Sighiştelul Valley a geological preserve, 2 km away from Sighişel, near Câmpeni, The Valley and the Spring of the Galbena.
Lakes
The Peşa Lake in Băile 1 Mai, floristic preserve, on a surface of 4 hectares, the unique place in Europe where the tropical water lily grows in natural conditions. This lake never freezes due to its thermal springs (30 - 400C) supplying it with water. Other lakes: The Cefa Lake, fish nursery near Cefa, The Leşu Lake a leisure area on the Leşul Valley, „Tăul lui Ghib”, unique within the Romanian limestone landscape.
Preserves and monuments of nature
Cetătile Ponorului (The Ponor Fortresses) in the Bihor Mountains, (an hour walk from Galbena chalet), they represent a natural complex preserve made up of three huge avens, a cave and an underground river flowing through a 4 km long tunnel, and surfacing in the Izbucul Galbenei. In this Karst complex, unique in Europe, water worked hardly creating „a world of hidden wonders”, stunning precipices, waterfalls and deep lakes. The Karstic Intermittent Spring from Călugăreni (12 km away from Vaşcău, south of Ponoarele), it is a geological preserve situated at the border of the Bihor county (at an altitude of 400 m), including a famous intermittent Karstic spring, famous due to its curing qualities. The regularity of these springs depends on the seasons, for instance, they appear every 3 - 4 minute after spring heavy rains. Other preserves and monuments of nature: The Glade of Wild Daffodils a floristic preserve near Goroneşti, The Forest Point „Dealul Ţimleu”, 8 km away from Băile 1 Mai, near Beltia, The Karstic Area Vaşcău with steepnesses, caves, intermittent springs.
Spas and Touristical Health Resorts
Băile Felix (8 km South of Oradea and 22 km south-east of the Borş road border crossing point), it represents one of the most famous resorts in Romania, known since Roman times. It is located at an altitude of 140 m, in Crişurile Plain, this geographical situation gives the resort a mild, moderate continental climate (annual average temperature: 10,50C due the moist north-western air which brings here masses of sea air). Băile Felix possesses rich treatment facilities: devices for tub bath, facilities for warm mud and paraffin treatments; pools with thermal mineral water for kinetotherapy; devices for underwater elongations; facilities for electro-and hydrotherapy, sauna, aerosol and inhalation devices; indoor and outdoor pools with thermal mineral water (operating nonstop), medical gyms, medical massage, rooms for Gerovital treatments. Access: by train - Băile Felix railway station, on Oradea - Vascău line or Oradea station, then by bus up to the resort, by road - DJ 760 Oradea - Beiuş, by plane - TAROM flights from Bucharest to Oradea and then by bus up to the resort. Băile 1 Mai (8 km south-east of Oradea and 2 km north-east of Băile Felix) is situated at an altitude of 140 m, surrounded by oak forests, with a moderate continental climate, and oceanic influences. Among the various treatment facilities, we can mention: devices for thermal mineral water baths, swimming pool with thermal mineral water, gyms. Access: by train - Oradea railway station on Bucharest - Episcopia Bihor line, then by bus, by road - on the national road DN 76 from Oradea to Beiuş, with deviation near Sânmartin. Stâna de Vale (24 km from Beiuş, at an altitude of 1,100 m), it is a permanent spa located at the foot of the Poieni Peak (1.650 m) in a depression surrounded by fir forests. It has a mountain climate with cold winters and chilly summers-the annual average temperature is of 40C. The snow persists from November to March. The resort also has ski tracks for amateurs and athlets and, in terms of treatment facilities: tub plant baths, ion galvanisations, magnetodiaflux, sauna, massage. Access: by train - the Beiuş railway station on Oradea - Vaşcău line, then by car up to the resort; by road - the national road DN 1 (E 60), Oradea - Cluj-Napoca up to Aleşd, with deviation on Valea Iadului, near the accumulating lake Leşu, DN 76 (E 79), Oradea - Beiuş, then about 30 km through Budureasa. Other spas: Băile Tinca, at an altitude of 131 m, 36 km south of Oradea and 25 km away from Salonta.
Historical vestiges
The Ruins of the Biharia Fortress, 13 km away from Oradea, on the national road DN 19, ground fortress, built in the 10th century, it was the capital of the Romanian principality led by Menumorut. The Ruins of the Oradea Fortress (1114 - 1131), it is surrounded by ditches which used to fill with the water of the thermal rivulet Peşa. Other historical vestiges: The Ruins of the Piatra Ţoimului Fortress in Aleşd (13th century), The Ruins of the Pomezeu Fortress (13th century), near Beiuş.
Religious Buildings
The Roman-Catholic Cathedral in Oradea, it was built between 1752 - 1780 and represents the largest Baroque church in Romania, made of Carrara and Vaşcău marble, inspired by the Baroque buildings of Northern Italy. The Orthodox Church „cu Lună” (with Moon) in Oradea, it was built between 1784 - 1790, blending the elements of the Baroque style with Neoclassical ones. Under the horologe of the church tower we find a sphere, 3m in diameter, which works on the basis of an original mechanism indicating the Moon phases in its rotation. Other religious buildings: The „Saint Ladislau” Church in Oradea (1723 - 1733), The Roman Catholic Church „Sf. Treime” („Saint Trinity”) in Beiuş (1752), The „Saint Dumitru” Church in Tinăud, near Aleşd, (1658), Wooden Church in Abram (1700), Wooden Church in Rieni, near Beiuş, on the national road DN 76.
Cultural Buildings
The Baroque Palace in Oradea, the largest Baroque building in Romania, it was built between 1762 - 1770, the construction is very similar to the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. The central part of this building has 365 windows representing the days of the year. There is an impressive festivity hall. The Library in Oradea, it has more than 300,000 volumes, among which rare books. It is placed inside a building which combines many styles: Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. The Cannonics Rows in Oradea, it was built in 1773 in Baroque style, composed of a corridor with a length of over 100 m, with more than fifty Romanesque archways. Other cultural buildings: The Palace of the County Council in Oradea, The „Black Eagle” Palace in Oradea, The Memorial House of the Poet „Ady Endre” in Oradea, with books, documents and manuscripts regarding the activity of this classic of world and hungarian poet, restless militant for the Romanian - Hungarian friendship, The Museum of the „Crişurilor Land” in Oradea, with different departments: history, arts (A. Durer’s engravings collection), natural scineces (ornithologic collection, an unique valuable collection of eggs, with more than 10,000 pieces). The museum also has a documentary library with more than 10,000 volumes.
Etthnogrraphy
The Bihor County has an extremely valuable ethnographic potential, the main centres are: Avram Iancu (folk weaving: towels), Bunteşti (centre of artistic wood carving), Leheceni (red Bihor pottery, with ancient traditions), Leleşti (near Beiuş, red and white pottery), Vadu Crişului (not.enamelled white pottery), Budureasa (dowry chests).
