Centrul de Informare și
Promovare Turistică

Valea Ierii

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Tourist objectives

  • Bondureasa Reservoir

  • Șoimul Gorge

  • Dac's Corner

  • Horned Rock Corner

  • “Ascension of the Lord” Monastery – Muntele Rece

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN VALEA IERII

Bondureasa Reservoir
A small slice of nature that opens up to the viewer like a true corner of paradise. The rocky, sometimes vertical walls rise proudly to the sky like the traditional alphorns of the Moți people. Their peaks seem to touch the heavens. Among the rockfalls that cascade like streams of stone, spruces and birches grow confidently. The area is located between the small Bondureasa reservoir and the confluence of the Ierii Valley with the Măruțu and Galbena streams. The area is quite remote, mainly accessible by off-road vehicles, but it is also ideal for hiking and cycling.

Șoimul Gorge
The heart of the protected area of Șoimul Valley, known for its scenic and game-rich landscape. Starting from Valea Ierii, you ascend against the flow of the stream. The forests on both sides seem to welcome and embrace you for choosing this path. Take time to stop and wash your hands in the cold water, listen to its melody, and breathe in the clean mountain air. Don’t be surprised if you hear birdsong like you’ve never heard before—perhaps the ring ouzel. Continue your climb to fully enjoy what Mother Nature has prepared for you.

Dac’s Corner & Horned Corner
Here, cars are of no use. From Valea Ierii, you begin your hike up the hill overlooking the village. It's a bit of a climb, quite steep, but it’s a walk through nature leading to two rock formations. Some adventurous souls claim that Dacian sentinels once watched over the area from here. The other formation, locals say, gets its name from its appearance—a large rock from which two "horns" extend. Legends aside, the view is breathtaking.

“Ascension of the Lord” Monastery – Muntele Rece
Recently built on a small plateau at an altitude of 940 meters, between two hills, with wide valleys on both ends of the plateau that enhance the area’s beauty. It’s a welcome stop for spiritual reflection and peace of mind.

Summer Hamlets of the Villagers
Along many hiking trails, you’ll come across small huts and annexes. Here, the locals from Valea Ierii spend their summers pasturing animals and making hay for winter. Many stay for weeks. In the past, their ancestors would ascend in late spring and return in early autumn. The scenery seems straight out of a storybook. Time feels like it has stopped here.

VALEA IERII: GATEWAY TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNES

From Valea Ierii you can follow routes to neighboring communes like Săvădisla, Măguri Răcătău, Băișoara, Bistra, and Poșaga, each offering their own tourist attractions:

  • Mikes Castle (19th century), also known as Lita Fortress (Săvădisla commune)

  • “Molhașurile Căpățânii” Nature Reserve (Măguri Răcătău)

  • “Cheile Dumitresei” Protected Landscape Area (Măguri Răcătău)

  • Băișoara Tourist Resort (Băișoara commune)

  • Scărița Belioara Geo-botanical Nature Reserve (Poșaga commune)

  • Poșaga Gorges (Poșaga commune)

  • Singing Stones of Dube (Bistra commune)

  • Old Mill (1583) and Petrișor Spring (Bistra commune)

POȘAGA COMMUNE

Covers an area of 134 sq. km and borders Ocoliș to the northeast, Valea Ierii to the north, Bistra to the southeast, Sălciua to the south, and Rîmetea and Livezile to the east.
Located in a mountainous region, it surprises with its unique beauty. The limestone mountains have created impressive karst formations.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

SCĂRIȚA-BELIOARA RESERVE
The Scărița-Belioara geo-botanical reserve attracts tourists and botanists alike. Rare plants that survived the Ice Age can be found here—gentians, silverleafs, yellow soapwort. The plateau offers a breathtaking panoramic view. The Poșaga Gorges stretch out below, and if you turn your head, you can see as far as Roșia Montană or the Băișoara resort in Cluj County.

POȘAGA GORGES
Formed between two mountains—Feredeu and Vulturese—they offer a fairytale-like landscape. The gorges stretch several kilometers. The surrounding cliffs seem to meet the sky at the top.

POȘAGA SPRING HERMITAGE
Near the hermitage, there’s also a spring and a thermal spring that attract many tourists throughout the year.

SĂVĂDISLA COMMUNE

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

  • Mikes Castle (19th century)

  • Roman Catholic Church in Vlaha (19th century)

  • Church in Finișel (18th century)

  • Church in Stolna (18th century)

  • “Peasant House” Museum

BĂIȘOARA COMMUNE

Băișoara is a renowned tourist resort not only in Cluj County and Transylvania, but also nationally—especially known for winter tourism. The area features ski slopes, 10 tourist guesthouses, 2 hotels, 850 vacation homes, and approximately 400 accommodation spots.

MĂGURI RĂCĂTĂU COMMUNE

Protected Landscape Area “Cheile Dumitresei”

  • Răcătău and Someșul Rece gorges

  • Sources of the Someșul Rece and Răcătău rivers

  • Peat bogs at Căpățâna and Dameș

BISTRA COMMUNE

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

  • Molhașurile Căpățânii – botanical reserve

  • Muntele Mare

  • Singing Stones of Dube

  • Ganea’s Spring in Vîrși

  • Spiruli’s Fountain in Munceloasa

  • Forestry lodge Valea Devii

  • Ursuț’s Beeches in Baiesti

  • Old Mill (1583) and Petrișor’s Spring