Radio România Internațional

Tag: skiing

Creating a new brand just by continuing your activity

Very few people know there are professional ski apparels created and manufactured in Romania. Furthermore, the origin of such a brand can be found in Toplita, Harghita County. It all started off from a small personal workshop.

Dan Cotfas is the manager of the company that created the brand. He span the yearn of it all. Everything started from the workshop of his parents, former workers in the field of tailoring.

“We started the activity in 1992, when my parents, who also worked in the field, retired, yet they felt they still needed to stay active and wanted to do something more. I am a mechanical engineer, a different field of work, and I thought I could offer them a chance to continue, finding them an activity so they could stay in shape, also enabling them to have the satisfaction of still being useful.

So I opened a Limited Liability Company in 1992, me and my parents and my brother, in our grandparents’ countryside house that was available. My parents had two sewing machines because they worked in the field. My father had a “Craftsman’s Record Book “, he had a workshop during Ceausescu’s regime where he manufactured men’s clothing, a bespoke tailoring workshop. We also bought several outdated machines and we started our activity with production for the domestic market, men’s trousers and some women’s dresses. We were astonished to see those products sold very well, being extremely sought-after on the Romanian market at that time. “
And, since at that time our guest today still worked in a different field and the products’ supply and dispatch were more and more difficult, an expansion of the activity was needed.

“We hired four more people so we had, like, six or seven people all told, until 1995. In 1995 we had the opportunity to have a lohn production for a company in Italy. We searched for other premises, we developed the business and, in the beginning, we had our first 15-strong work team and we worked products for a well-known brand in Italy. Shortly afterwards we enhanced our production capacity and began manufacturing technical articles.

So all along, it was a challenge for us to manufacture things we had not been used to manufacturing, also doing things we were not used to doing and things which for Romania, at that time, were unbeknownst. So we started manufacturing ski costumes with thermo-glued seams. We soon began to make mountain jackets, three-layer fabrics, also thermo-glued and we were among Romania’s first workshops to have manufactured goose-down jackets, completely manufactured in Romania. “

There were a couple of years more for them to work according to the lohn system. Meanwhile they accumulated enough experience and their products were quite sought-after, so they opted for the enhancement of their production capacity, also personalizing it. Dan Cotfas once again.

“We thought that, given they experience we’ve gathered, we should create our own brand as well. And we began with our own brand. We began with a shop of our own in Toplita, then we set up a shop in Targu Mures. We also developed the sector of selling of our own brand in Romania, there even was a time when we had 29, 30 partners we worked with and for whom we had our production, and our products sold in Romania, countrywide. “

All things considered, eventually they were a small step away from getting international recognition.

“In 2011-2012, we started our work for commissions we received from the ski monitors in Italy. After that, we were able to get commissions, to present collections in Austria as well as in Germany, in Finland, Great Britain, so much so that we also made ourselves visible on the ski slopes in Italy, Austria, Finland and Germany.

The volume of our commissions started increasing by the year, given the products were very good, all accessories and fabrics were premium, so they were professional fabrics, fabrics manufactured in Japan, with technical characteristics of the highest level. As we speak, we have more than 90 clubs we work with. Annually, we work commissions we receive from these clubs: winter sports gear, outfit for mountain rescuers, apparel for mountain climbers and, latterly, we have also developed the fashion side sector, mainly the goose down outfit.”

These are very useful pieces of info, for all of us, at wintertime, whether or not we are into practicing professional winter sports!

4 February 2025
Athlete of the week

Romania is a country with spectacular mountains. They are covered in snow for several months a year. Nevertheless, Romania does not have a place among the countries where the winter sports are developed. There are a few certified slopes, whether we speak about ski, bobsleigh or luge slopes. Preparing for and taking part in competitions is quite expensive, which is another hindrance for the winter sports athletes trying to prove themselves. Notwithstanding, as of late, Romanians results at international level have given us all a little bit of hope. A case in point is 27-year-old skier Ania Caill, a specialist in alpine skiing. Last week, Caill stepped onto a step of the podium several times as part of the competitions held in Italys Val Gardena. Were speaking about the International Ski Federations alpine skiing circuit competitions. In both downhill events she competed in on Wednesday, Caill came in 3rd. Then on Thursday, in the giant slalom, Ania Caill came in 2nd. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Caill the Athlete of the week.

Ania Monica Germaine Caill was born in France in Limoges, on October 27, 1995. Her mother is Romanian, so Ana Caill has a double Romanian-French citizenship. Until 2011, she competed for France. However, in 2012 she decided to compete for Romania. Ania participated in the 2014 edition of the Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia, as well as in the Olympic Games held in South Koreas Pyeongchang, in 2018. Her performance back then was lackluster. In 2022, Ania Caills points in international competitions earned Romania a position in alpine skiing as part of the Beijing Olympics. However, Ania Caill was denied inclusion in the Romanian delegation. Nevertheless, Ania Caill is the best-placed Romanian according to the alpine skiing world rankings.

(EN)

12 April 2022
Athlete of the week

Romania is a country with spectacular mountains. They are covered in snow for several months a year. Nevertheless, Romania does not have a place among the countries where the winter sports are developed. There are a few certified slopes, whether we speak about ski, bobsleigh or luge slopes. Preparing for and taking part in competitions is quite expensive, which is another hindrance for the winter sports athletes trying to prove themselves. Notwithstanding, as of late, Romanians results at international level have given us all a little bit of hope. A case in point is 27-year-old skier Ania Caill, a specialist in alpine skiing. Last week, Caill stepped onto a step of the podium several times as part of the competitions held in Italys Val Gardena. Were speaking about the International Ski Federations alpine skiing circuit competitions. In both downhill events she competed in on Wednesday, Caill came in 3rd. Then on Thursday, in the giant slalom, Ania Caill came in 2nd. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Caill the Athlete of the week.

Ania Monica Germaine Caill was born in France in Limoges, on October 27, 1995. Her mother is Romanian, so Ana Caill has a double Romanian-French citizenship. Until 2011, she competed for France. However, in 2012 she decided to compete for Romania. Ania participated in the 2014 edition of the Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia, as well as in the Olympic Games held in South Koreas Pyeongchang, in 2018. Her performance back then was lackluster. In 2022, Ania Caills points in international competitions earned Romania a position in alpine skiing as part of the Beijing Olympics. However, Ania Caill was denied inclusion in the Romanian delegation. Nevertheless, Ania Caill is the best-placed Romanian according to the alpine skiing world rankings.

(EN)

12 April 2022
Disabled skiing

A project to make skiing available to
disabled persons was launched by an association called Caiac Smile, a group of people
who love sports and want to make it accessible to everyone. They started out
with adaptive rowing and have now moved on to skiing. Starting from the idea
that everyone would love to be able to ski, Caiac Smile Association created
adaptive ski equipment for people with locomotor disabilities that enables them
to go smoothy down the ski slopes.

Ionuţ Stancovici, the president of
the Caiac Smile Association, told us how it all began:

We created the Caiac Smile
Association in order to promote canoe-kayak slalom as a competitive sport. Working
with children, I remembered seeing a video a few years back about a person with
disabilities from the US who said he loved rowing. He was saying it’s the only
sport where he feels he is just like everybody else, because in rowing we mainly
use the upper body. So, we started working with people with disabilities, and
they all said the experience was great and became regular members of the club. Then
winter came and the season of winter sports. The disabled members of our club wanted
to continue doing sports over the winter and we started to look into ways of
making it possible for them to ski. The adaptive equipment on the market was
very expensive and we couldn’t afford it so we used a normal wheelchair instead,
removed its wheels and attached it to skis.

While in terms of equipment they
used a makeshift adaptive wheelchair, in terms of working with people with
disabilities, the Caiac Smile Association employed the professional techniques
used in the West. Ionuţ Stancovici, the president of the Association explains:

We used this adaptive equipment in
2019 in Maramures and Satu Mare and was a big success. Then I went to Austria,
where I trained for 10 days on how to teach people with disabilities to ski and
came across some wonderful cases there, families who were able to enjoy sports
together again thanks to adaptive equipment. It was very inspiring! I decided to
try to do this in Romania, as well. When I came back, I taught some of the club’s
members with special needs to ski by themselves. We took the equipment we
created to other places around the country and we started to get more and more
calls. So, we began a countrywide fund-raising campaign to buy the latest
models of mono skis so that they can be available in resorts around Romania.

The winter sports season has already
begun this year. We asked Ionuţ Stancovici, the president of the Caiac Smile
Association, about their schedule:

We’re in Cluj now, before that we
were in Vatra Dornei. The tournament is under way. The equipment has arrived,
we’re getting it from France, the whole project was a success. We began the
fund-raising campaign last November and with the help of several companies we’ve
already managed to buy 13 mono skis. Thanks to the many people who got involved
in this campaign to raise funds, we’re now able to travel all over the country
to promote this sport in Romania. The mono skis are available at different ski resorts
such that wherever they live around the country, disabled people can reach them
quite easily.

The disabled associations from
different regions of Romania are invited to encourage their members to take
part in activities tailored to their needs. Ionuţ Stancovici:

Everyone who wants to get involved
in our project is invited to go to our Facebook page and find out how they can
help, with donations and not only. They can also check out our schedule and
come and find us, to ski with us or to help as volunteers. Volunteers who are skiers
themselves can help disabled people who cannot use their arms, while volunteers
who can’t ski can help by driving people to the resorts or help with the meals.
The important thing is for everyone to enjoy themselves. Everything we do, whether
it’s sports or our charitable work, is done with enjoyment and fun. Come and
have fun with us!

Given the success of the project to
endow ski resorts in Romania with adaptive skiing equipment for people with disabilities,
the Caiac Smile Association, which initiated the project, also wants to promote
the use of kayaks for disabled persons on a number lakes around the country. (CM)

8 February 2022
Sports flash

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
tested daily.

The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.

There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
legal matters are still to be sorted out.

Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
official permits for the stadium.

(EN)

3 February 2022
Sports flash

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
tested daily.

The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.

There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
legal matters are still to be sorted out.

Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
official permits for the stadium.

(EN)

3 February 2022
Ski resorts see busy weekend

With the extension of the
state of alert over the coronavirus pandemic, a number of measures were taken
in Romania regulating mountain tourism during the winter season. Ski slopes are
still open, but measures are in place to prevent overcrowding, which the
authorities view as the main factor in spreading the virus. Cable cars are allowed
to fill half their usual seats and restaurants and hotels near the ski slopes
are subject to restrictions.

There’s been a lot of snow
in Romania in recent days and many people have travelled to the mountains over
the weekend. The roads were full of traffic, almost like before the pandemic, as
tourists flocked to the mountain resorts. This was the first weekend this season
when almost all ski tracks were open, owing to the fresh layer of snow. To avoid
overcrowding, skiers had to wait tens of minutes in line for a cable car. The authorities
dispatched security forces to make sure rules are complied with.

To cope with the high demand
at the weekend, the Romanian Railways Company added more carriages to the
trains linking Bucharest to the mountain resorts in Prahova Valley and to the
mountain city of Brașov. The so-called snow trains were also put into circulation.
Until the end of February, 36 such trains will be ensuring daily connections to
mountain resorts such as those in Prahova Valley and in Dorna Valley. While a train
journey from Bucharest to Brașov takes a little over two hours, travelling by
car takes a longer time, owing to the traffic queues that form on certain sections
of the road and which sometimes stretch for several kilometres. And if it also
snows, then traffic becomes really difficult. This happens every winter in
Romania because of a lack of alternative routes to the maintain resorts.

Romania only has some 200 licenced
ski tracks with a total length of approximately 162 km. This isn’t a lot, in
fact it’s what you get in a single ski resort in Austria or France, where tens
of millions of euros are invested every year in skiing infrastructure. (CM)

18 January 2021
Tourist Attractions in Gorj

Rafting, canoeing, spelunking, rappelling and ziplining, climbing, mountain biking, skiing are some of the activities included in the most popular tourist packages. At the same time, old monasteries have always been a point of attraction for visitors to the county. Gorj is a county with great potential for tourism, and it has all the necessary ingredients, according to Oana Palos, spokesperson for Gorj County Council:

“As a mountain county, we have plenty of possibilities for adventure tourism all year long, in both summer and winter. In the mountains of Gorj there is an area known across the country, the resort of Ranca. Winter sports lovers can ski here. We have six ski slopes, a ski lift and you can also do mountain climbing, paragliding, snowboarding, and bobsledding. However, the reigning sport is rafting. From this point of view, Gorj County is exceptional. Experts say rafting here is excellent. Transalpina is the highest road in Romania. And, though it is said that the road touches the clouds, it is in fact the old road used since Roman times by our shepherds, making the connection to the Sibiu area.

Adventure tourism, as well as monastic tourism and cultural tourism are popular in the area. Monastic tourism is diverse, due to the many monasteries in Gorj County, built in centuries past, according to Oana Palos:

“One example would be Tismana Monastery, the oldest hermitage in the south of the country. There is a great tourist circuit, very much appreciated by tourists across the country. The rest of the world is just starting to find out about us, because, in addition to the other tourist destinations, Gorj is starting to take important steps in promoting itself. We get more and more foreign tourists. The city of Targu Jiu stands out with its Heroes Avenue, where we find the works of the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi, famous across the world. We have a city break package for Targu Jiu. We also have a county package, covering most tourist objectives.

The cultural agenda in Gorj County is well put together, with various cultural manifestations for tourist promotion, as well as entertainment. Throughout the year, every month, tourists get to enjoy the beauty of the scenery and the local cuisine. They can spend wonderful moments at events taking place year long, with a long tradition.

“In the summer, events are mostly folkloric. I would mention the International Folklore Festival, held each August, with lots of foreign guests. On the streets of Targu Jiu you can see people in traditional costume from many counties. The months of August and September are full of events that bring people outdoors, we have a whole chain of events. Of these, I would mention especially the ‘Visit Brancusis Home program, which has grown by the year, enjoying great success. If you want to visit Gorj County in autumn to enjoy the multicolored scenery of Transalpina, you can also get to know the rural areas, where they preserve centuries-old traditions, and where people observe closely the local holidays. You can enjoy local delicacies on Harvest Day, which in fact goes on for several days, and throughout the events you can enjoy traditional events and the famous local wine. It goes well with the local cheese, made by the shepherds in the Transalpina area. We also have a festival dedicated to folk music and literature. We have a variety of cultural events, attracting people with various interests, from academics to tourists who want to spend a few relaxing days in the Gorj area.

This interesting area is famous for its wild forests. In Gorj there are lots of nature reserves, where you can hunt and fish. There is also a place that is less known and promoted, though much appreciated by the locals.

“We are talking about the only spa in the county where you can take a few moments for your peace of mind, and take care of your health. The place is called Sacelu, and has been documented as far back as Roman times. Here you find lots of vestiges of Roman baths. The place is not that well known, we have barely started to promote it, but it is famous among locals. It is well worth a visit, here you can recover mentally and physically. It is a special place precisely due to its Roman baths, which can give a run for its money to many spas in Romania.

There you have it, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, and skiing, all in one place. In Gorj you can find carefully put together tourist packages, with various levels of difficulty, for beginners and experienced adventurers alike. For foreign tourists, these come in addition to the local history, culture, and beautiful traditions.

(Translation by C. Cotoiu)

26 November 2015
Tourist Attractions in Gorj

Rafting, canoeing, spelunking, rappelling and ziplining, climbing, mountain biking, skiing are some of the activities included in the most popular tourist packages. At the same time, old monasteries have always been a point of attraction for visitors to the county. Gorj is a county with great potential for tourism, and it has all the necessary ingredients, according to Oana Palos, spokesperson for Gorj County Council:

“As a mountain county, we have plenty of possibilities for adventure tourism all year long, in both summer and winter. In the mountains of Gorj there is an area known across the country, the resort of Ranca. Winter sports lovers can ski here. We have six ski slopes, a ski lift and you can also do mountain climbing, paragliding, snowboarding, and bobsledding. However, the reigning sport is rafting. From this point of view, Gorj County is exceptional. Experts say rafting here is excellent. Transalpina is the highest road in Romania. And, though it is said that the road touches the clouds, it is in fact the old road used since Roman times by our shepherds, making the connection to the Sibiu area.

Adventure tourism, as well as monastic tourism and cultural tourism are popular in the area. Monastic tourism is diverse, due to the many monasteries in Gorj County, built in centuries past, according to Oana Palos:

“One example would be Tismana Monastery, the oldest hermitage in the south of the country. There is a great tourist circuit, very much appreciated by tourists across the country. The rest of the world is just starting to find out about us, because, in addition to the other tourist destinations, Gorj is starting to take important steps in promoting itself. We get more and more foreign tourists. The city of Targu Jiu stands out with its Heroes Avenue, where we find the works of the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi, famous across the world. We have a city break package for Targu Jiu. We also have a county package, covering most tourist objectives.

The cultural agenda in Gorj County is well put together, with various cultural manifestations for tourist promotion, as well as entertainment. Throughout the year, every month, tourists get to enjoy the beauty of the scenery and the local cuisine. They can spend wonderful moments at events taking place year long, with a long tradition.

“In the summer, events are mostly folkloric. I would mention the International Folklore Festival, held each August, with lots of foreign guests. On the streets of Targu Jiu you can see people in traditional costume from many counties. The months of August and September are full of events that bring people outdoors, we have a whole chain of events. Of these, I would mention especially the ‘Visit Brancusis Home program, which has grown by the year, enjoying great success. If you want to visit Gorj County in autumn to enjoy the multicolored scenery of Transalpina, you can also get to know the rural areas, where they preserve centuries-old traditions, and where people observe closely the local holidays. You can enjoy local delicacies on Harvest Day, which in fact goes on for several days, and throughout the events you can enjoy traditional events and the famous local wine. It goes well with the local cheese, made by the shepherds in the Transalpina area. We also have a festival dedicated to folk music and literature. We have a variety of cultural events, attracting people with various interests, from academics to tourists who want to spend a few relaxing days in the Gorj area.

This interesting area is famous for its wild forests. In Gorj there are lots of nature reserves, where you can hunt and fish. There is also a place that is less known and promoted, though much appreciated by the locals.

“We are talking about the only spa in the county where you can take a few moments for your peace of mind, and take care of your health. The place is called Sacelu, and has been documented as far back as Roman times. Here you find lots of vestiges of Roman baths. The place is not that well known, we have barely started to promote it, but it is famous among locals. It is well worth a visit, here you can recover mentally and physically. It is a special place precisely due to its Roman baths, which can give a run for its money to many spas in Romania.

There you have it, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, and skiing, all in one place. In Gorj you can find carefully put together tourist packages, with various levels of difficulty, for beginners and experienced adventurers alike. For foreign tourists, these come in addition to the local history, culture, and beautiful traditions.

(Translation by C. Cotoiu)

26 November 2015
Snow festivals in Romania

Our trip starts in Maramures, northern Romania and the resort of Borsa, a perfect holiday spot in winter. Tourists will find here a whole range of hotels, boarding houses, restaurants and tourist information centres to help visitors find the most interesting places to see. At this time of the year, however, skiing is the biggest attraction. In Borsa, preparations are being made for the weekend, when the resort plays host to a special event. We found out more about this from Anca Aurelia Sava, the head of the Culture Service with the Borsa Town Hall:

“This weekend Borsa is hosting the 12th Snow Festival organised by the Borsa Town Hall. The Festival will take place near the ski run, and will include a variety of events, including pop and traditional music, special guests, an outdoor dance rink and ski competitions for children and adults. At night, skiers will also go down the slopes carrying lit torches, and there will be fireworks as well. The employees and volunteers with the mountain rescue service, with which we work every year for the Snow Festival, ski down to the base of the ski run with lit torches. This year there will be around 80 people doing that. A chair lift will take skiers up the 2 km long run and there they can take another ski lift up another piste, which is 900 m long.”

The town of Borsa is located between two nature parks: the Rodnei Mountains National Park and the Maramures Mountains Nature Park, Anca Aurelia Sava also told us. The Pietrosul Rodnei nature reserve is right near the town. The 2,303 m Pietrosul Rodnei peak is the highest in the Eastern Carpathians, and in 1979 the entire area was declared a biosphere reserve, protected by UNESCO:

“The landscape is outstanding, and there are plenty of tourist sites. Maramures is known as the country of wood. We have many wooden churches, and a lot of tourists appreciate traditional architecture. During the winter, most of the people come here for winter sports, while in the summer they enjoy hiking. We have glacial lakes and a waterfall called the Horses Waterfall, which is 90 m high. Another interesting site is the Museum of Roots. A forest ranger collected, over the years, various tree roots. He gave each one a name and is now displaying them in a small cottage, alongside war items that he has found in these forests over the years.”

Visits to the Museum of Roots are free of charge. Tourists from around the world come to see its founder, the 69-year old Stefan Grec. Apart from hundreds of roots and military items, he also collected old banknotes, gemstones, as well as tens of Easter painted eggs from Maramures and Bukovina.

Another popular resort in winter is Vatra Dornei, lying only 89 km from Borsa, in Bukovina. Vatra Dornei plays host to a snow festival held this weekend and the next. Petru Ariciuc, the head of the mountain rescue service, tells us more:

”This year, the Snow Festival is held over two weekends. This season, the resort has been very busy, also because the weather has been very good. Vatra Dornei has three ski trails for intermediate skiers. The 3,000 m long Dealu Negru ski slope can be accessed by chairlift, the Parc Slope is 1,500 meters long and is serviced by two ski lifts, including one for children, while the brand new Veverita slope is 800 meters long and is fitted with a ski lift, floodlighting and snow cannons. We are holding the snow festival so late into the season in order to prolong the season and attract as many tourists as possible to the resort. Music shows will be staged over the two weekends, featuring ethno, pop rock and traditional music bands. We’re trying to cater for all taste. Friday is dedicated to pop and rock music, while Saturday will mostly feature traditional music. We have held ski competitions on the Veverita slope almost every weekend recently, getting both adults and children involved. Last week, for example, we had 102 participants aged between 5 and 70.”

People who don’t have their own skiing equipment can rent it from one of the many sport equipment rental centres located at the foot of the ski slope. Fees range from 8-10 lei per hour to 40 lei per day. Skiing lessons cost between 65 and 80 lei per hour. Apart from skiing, Vatra Dornei provides other types of activities as well. Petru Ariciuc explains”

”We have three treatment facilities in Vatra Dornei. There’s also a four-star spa centre in one of the new hotels and tourists can come here to relax after skiing. Horseback riding is also available as an alternative to skiing. Tourists don’t have to venture into the difficult alpine terrain on horseback, but can have a relaxing ride around the resort. Horse-drawn sleigh rides in the area of the Calimani national park are also an option.”

In February, many mountain resorts also host night-time parties on the ski slope, an attraction for young crowds in particular.

12 February 2015