Radio România Internațional

Tag: eco-tourism

  • A trip to the Craiului Forest

    A trip to the Craiului Forest

    The Padurea Craiului Mountains, an area with breath taking landscapes, delicious food and hosts that offer visitors unforgettable experiences. The offer also includes tourist routes, caves, climbing areas and visits to craftsmen. Paul Iacobas, the manager of this eco-tourist destination, tells us more about it: ”The Craiului Forest is located in the north-west of the Apuseni Mountains, in western Romania. It is not a very high area, having around 600 to 800 meters altitude, but it has one of the less common elements found in Romania: the karst. This means you will find there many karstik caves, gorges and plateaus. This forested karst is one of the elements that makes the Craiului Forest a little bit different from other areas in the country.”



    The region has a lot to offer in terms of tourism, especially for those interested in adventure tourism, as Paul Iacobas tells us: ”We can safely say that in the past few years the area has become an established destination for adventure, not only for professionals but also for people who usually spend a lot of time indoors, in front of a computer, and who want to bring some colour to their lives. It is also a very interesting destination for families with children and for the elderly, for whom we organise activities adjusted to their age. If we talk about the people who come here for adventure, I believe the Craiului Forest is a heaven in this respect, perhaps the most beautiful one in Romania. On a rather small area we have the most diverse activities in Romania, from visiting caves to biking, rafting and climbing. The Craiului Forest offers this entire range of activities and many others.”



    The tourist and cultural objectives here are numerous. Paul Iacobaș talks about two of them: ”The Meziad Cave is well known to Romanian tourists as in recent years it has been mapped, marked and equipped. It is one of the longest and most beautiful caves in Romania, with a length of nearly five kilometers and several underground levels. As a cultural attraction, I would mention the wooden churches. Even if they are not as well known as those in Maramureș, they are at least equally old and interesting. ”



    If you are interested in handicrafts, you should know that there are many craftsmen in the Craiului Forest eco-tourism destination. Paul Iacobaș: ”There is white pottery from Vadu Crișului here. It is a very rare kind of pottery and it is said that there are only one or two places in the world where this ceramic can be found, a type of ceramic without iron oxides, which give it the specific appearance, close to porcelain. In the area of Bihor and Craiului Forest, there is also the craft of trumpet violin. It is a violin to which a sound amplifier is attached. Thus, the sound of the violin becomes very metallic and sharp. It is one of the music instruments found at all community events here, from baptisms, to weddings and even funerals. ”



    According to Paul Iacobaș, the Covid-19 pandemic did not affect the plans of the organization he represents: ”The Craiului Forest is part of the national network of ecotourism destinations in Romania. We have another project through which we plan to further develop the tourist infrastructure. We will work to develop some cycling routes dedicated primarily to families with children. We are also working on a calendar of events for the local communities and on a route called Via Ferrata. It will be a route adjusted not only to those accustomed to heights but also to families with children. This way everyone will enjoy the experience. ”



    This year, due to travel restrictions, fewer tourists than usual visited the area. However, all those who did, say they plan to return. Paul Iacobaș: “Most of the tourists who visited us appreciated the fact that it is not crowded, this being a less known area not only to foreign tourists, but also to Romanians. They are delighted that both nature and the architecture of buildings have been preserved in time. It is an ideal place for a 3-day or 7-day holiday. ”



    The Craiului Forest also boasts the longest cave in Romania – Peştera Vântului or the Wind Cave, with over 47 km in length. Last but not least, you have the opportunity to participate in traditional farming activities, such as mowing, fruit picking and animal husbandry. Details about accommodation in the area and the complete activity offer can be found on the website padureacraiului.ro.

  • The Padurea Craiului Mountains

    The Padurea Craiului Mountains

    The Padurea Craiului Mountains, in Bihor County, in the north west of the Apuseni Mountains, are a future major destination for eco-tourism. The process of licensing is underway, and the custodian of this breathtaking area of peaks and valley, namely, the Bihor Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development, finalized a project to develop the area. This Norwegian funded project ran for 20 months, between 2014 and 2016, spotting places with potential for eco-tourism development and possible investments aimed at making the place more attractive for tourists.



    Here with more is Paul Iacobas, head of the Bihor Center for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development: “We have created a number of unmarked cycling routes, but there is information by GPS and maps with route descriptions in both English and Romanian. There are two centers to rent bikes and a bus for tourists who want to rent bikes. In previous projects, we developed a network of routes for visiting caves. The Crystal Cave in the Farcu Mine, and Meziad Cave are the top destinations in the area. They are set up for tourism at the highest standards, in terms of safety and reduced environmental impact. These are followed by the Vadu Crisului and Unguru Mare caves. These four caves are part of a network of caves that tourists can visit under the best of conditions. We are currently working on caves that we will make available in 2018. These are 10 caves to be equipped with bridges, ladders, lighting, with additional safety features, with local guides. We also have adventure routes. We have two via ferrata routes, which blend climbing and trekking. They are set up on vertical walls, where the tourist can climb using fixed points or metal cables. Tourists can climb with no knowledge of climbing, as long as they have safety equipment. We also have rafting routes, starting in Bulz, and ending in Vadu Crisului. It is an accessible family route.”



    Padurea Craiului Mountains will soon have a network of interconnected thematic routes, also accessible by bike. The network will be called the Karst Road, since this is the dominant relief in this protected area. It is a heavily forested area, with interspersed groves and pastures, or cultivated areas on Karst plateaus.



    Andrei Acs, manager of the Natura 2000 Padurea Craiului area, told us about it: “Padurea Craiului is a European protected area that hosts 37 species of European interest, and over 16 habitats. We have large carnivores like wolves and bears, alongside otters. We also have protected flora, and 3 very important habitats, since only 0.5% of the terrain in Europe has such habitats. I would mention a unique species of oak, a rare Mediterranean species. Thanks to the karst rocks, which reflect the sunlight, this area has several rare species of plants.”



    The major attraction in this area is caves. They shelter major bat colonies, as Andrei Acs told us:


    “We have at least 16 species of bat. The largest of them is the horseshoe bat, but we also have the smallest species, as small as a book of matches. All the caves in Padurea Craiului shelter bat colonies. We have over 2000 natural cavities over the 40,000 ha of the mountain massif. In Meziad Cave we have the second largest bat colony in Romania, and one of the largest in Europe, with over 60,000 members in winter. In Padurea Craiului we also have natural botanical reservations. In the Crisul Repede Gorge we have a reservation with caves, archeology sites, and unique plant species, encouraged by the high albedo of the limestone. The Padurea Craiului area is also good for nesting birds. We have three pairs of a species of eagle which was believed to be extinct, but which in the last 10 years has returned to Romania. We also have two nests of black stork, extremely rare in the EU.”



    The Padurea Craiului area still preserves old traditions. In the village of Rosia they have a century old watermill, still working. The wooden churches in Petreasa and Beznea await you, just as the brick wall churches of Remetea and Vadu Crisului.

  • The Development of Rural Communities in the Danube Delta

    The Development of Rural Communities in the Danube Delta

    Formed around three branches of the River Danube that flow into the Black Sea, the Danube Delta is the largest wetland in Europe. It is also the only Delta declared by UNESCO a biosphere reserve and ranks third in the world in terms of biodiversity after the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Archipelago. Although the tourist potential of the area is huge, the locals there are too poor. They have no drinking water supply and sewage systems, no jobs or medical care services. An area such as the Danube Delta, disadvantaged from an economic point of view, needs development and support programs. Capitalizing on the local crafts, traditions, the beauty of the landscape and the specific cuisine, would be just one way of increasing the Delta’s chances of development. Unfortunately, the offer of high-quality services is scarce, mainly because of the lack of infrastructure and also because of the lack of skilled staff.



    Given the growing number of tourists, both Romanian and foreign, interested in spending their holidays in the middle of nature, the “Ivan Patzaichin — Mila 23” Association has come up with a new approach to tourism in the Danube Delta. A kind of tourism that respects the balance between the need to capitalize on the local heritage of the place, such as its biodiversity, local traditions and fishermen’s communities , and the economic component, which would bring money to the area. The project is called “Lotca Habitat — Fish Tourism in the Danube Delta”, a concept new in Romania, but already popular across Europe. Here is Teodor Frolu, Vice-President of the “Ivan Patzaichin — Mila 23” Association with details about this project:



    “It’s about one day, or even just half a day, that the tourist spends together with a fisherman. They go fishing together, using a traditional boat, called “lotca”. As you know, fishermen have some 20 or 30 fishing spots across the Delta, so fishing there also means taking a beautiful trip. At the end of the fishing trip, they take the fish they’ve caught together and they cook it at the fisherman’s house and thus turn it into an added value product, as it is a local traditional product, representative for the local cuisine. So, it’s a different type of stay amidst nature, which any tourist, be it foreign or Romanian, will never forget.”



    Representatives of the “Ivan Patzaichin — Mila 23” Association have calculated some of the benefits of this project. Here is Teodor Frolu again:



    “ First of all, the pressure on the fish stocks will thus drop, because we are talking about a much smaller quantity of fish that is caught, and which is actually included in the economic circuit, being sold to the tourist at a higher, added value, because it is cooked right there. Therefore, although the fisherman catches less fish, he gains more. The second very important thing is that this is a specific eco-tourism service, meaning that we actually capitalize on a very important component of the local tradition, of the local heritage. It’s not a commonly known fact that the gastronomy component is called ‘intangible heritage’ and it’s actually one of the major assets of an area. Also, this project provides an alternative to fishing, another source of income for the Delta’s fishermen. And even if the quantity of fish that leaves the Delta is small, we have here some 1800 accredited fishermen. If at least one percent of them manage to diversify their economic activity, it will be a significant gain for the area and for the community.”



    Five families of fishermen have been included in this project. They have already been identified and are now ready, starting this spring, to help tourists live the life of a local fisherman for a brief period of time. The lotca was designed to be able to carry up to 10 people, and the 5 horse-power engine ensures an autonomy of approximately 6 hours, at a speed of 8 km per hour. While riding the traditional boats, tourists will have the opportunity to watch the birds and take pictures, an activity that has become a passion for a growing number of people. The Danube Delta is a paradise of birds and fish. It is visited by over 325 species of birds, of which 70 from outside Europe. Also, every spring, pelicans return to the Danube Delta, which is home to the biggest colony of pelicans. Delta is truly spectacular in spring, ornithologists say. It is the season of migration, when the Delta is crowded with birds coming from all over the world. Also, the birds sing until the month of June, when the mating season ends. In April — May everything is green. Reeds are growing, lilies are blooming, and the shores are covered in spring flowers.



    With this project, the association would like to create a model to be replicated across the entire Delta. At the end there will be a presentation film describing the main activity of the project, fish-tourism, and there will be a caravan traveling to another ten villages in the Delta, where meetings and discussions will be held with the communities there, for the experience of the Mila 23 fishermen to be disseminated. Here is Teodor Frolu once again:



    “ We provide assistance and we bring experts who can help them develop their own tourist offer. We also give them three traditional boats , which have been redesigned to service tourists. We would like the lotca to become just like Venice’s gondola, therefore a point of attraction, both as an item of local craftsmanship and as a tourist service.”



    The project “Lotca Habitat — Fish Tourism in the Danube Delta” is funded by the German Association for International Cooperation, through the Tourism Cooperation Platform for the Danube Delta Region. The project started in October 2014 and will be finalized in July 2015, and the total budget stands at 29,320 Euros, of which 25% from the Ivan Patzaichin Association’s own budget.