Apuseni Mountains

The Apuseni Mountains (Romanian: Munții Apuseni, Hungarian: Erdélyi-középhegység) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians, also called Occidentali in Romanian. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset" i.e. "western". The highest peak is the Bihor Peak (Hungarian: Nagy-Bihar) at 1849 metres. The Apuseni Mountains has about 400 caves.

The main peaks of the Apuseni Mountains, with Bihorul on the right

Trascău Mountains

The Transylvanian Western Carpathians (Apuseni Mountains - the top ones)

Geography

The Apuseni Mountains do not present an uninterrupted chain of mountains, but possess many low and easy passes towards the Crișana and the Great Hungarian Plain. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the Munții Metaliferi ("Ore Mountains") with the basaltic masses of the Detunata (1,148 metres (3,766 ft)) near Abrud; the Bihor Mountains, with numerous caverns, with the highest peak the Bihorul (1,849 metres (6,066 ft));[1] to the east of this group are the Muntele Mare (highest peak 1,820 metres (5,970 ft)), to the southwest of Cluj-Napoca; the northernmost chain is the Seș and Meseș Mountains.

Boundaries

• to the north: the river Barcău.
• to the south: the river Mureș.
• to the east: the Transylvanian Plateau.
• to the west: the Crișana plains.

Subdivisions

Criş Mountains (Munţii Crişului, Hungarian: Körös-menti hegyvidék) :

• Criş Hills (Dealurile Crişene, Hungarian: Körös-menti dombság), incl. Beiuş Depression (Depresiunea Beiuş, Hungarian: Belényesi-medence), Vad Depression (Depresiunea Vad, Hungarian: Révi-medence)[2]
• Pădurea Craiului Mountains (literally:Forest of the King, Hungarian: Királyerdő-hegység)
• Codru-Moma Mountains (Munţii Codru-Moma, Hungarian: Béli-hegység)[3]

Seş-Meseş Mountains (Munţii Seş-Meseşului):

• Meseş Mountains (Munţii Meseşului, Hungarian: Meszes-hegység)
• Seş Mountains (Muntele Seş, Hungarian: Réz-hegység, also Plopiş)
• Şimleu Depression (Depresiunea Şimleu Silvanei, Hungarian: Szilágysomlyói-medence), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan
• Şimleu Mountains (Munţii Şimleu, Hungarian: Szilágysági-dombvidék), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan[4]

Bihor Massif (Masivul Bihor, Hungarian: Bihari-havasok):

• Bihor Mountains (Munţii Bihorului, Hungarian: Bihar-hegység)
• Vlădeasa Mountains (Munţii Vlădeasa, Hungarian: Vlegyásza-hegység)
• Muntele Mare Mountains (literally: Big Mountain), (Munţii Muntele Mare, Hungarian: Öreghavas)
• Gilău Mountains (Munţii Gilăului, Hungarian: Gyalui-havasok)

Mureş Mountains (Munţii Mureşului, Hungarian: Marosmenti-hegyvidék):

• Zarand Mountains (Munţii Zarandului, Hungarian: Zarándi-hegység)
• Metalliferous Mountains (Munţii Metaliferi, Hungarian: Erdélyi-érchegység)
• Trascău Mountains (Munţii Trascăului, Hungarian: Torockói-hegység)

Gallery

• 
  Vlădeasa
• 
  Piatra Secuiului
• 
• 
  Salina Turda
• 
  Cheile Turzii
• 
  Arieşeni
• 
  Cetatea Trascăului

See also

• Țara Moților
• Apuseni Natural Park

References

1. "GEOGRAFIA FIZICÃ A ROMÂNIE" (PDF). Editura UNIVERSITARÃ. p. 218. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
2. "Románia Földrajza". Ordogborda.hu. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "HAJDÚ-MOHAROS JÓZSEF (1957 2001) HEVESI ATTILA HORVÁTH ZSOLT A Kárpát Pannon térség természeti tájbeosztása". Lazarus.elte.hu. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2013-02-22.

External links

• (in Romanian) Photos from Apuseni Mountains
• (in Romanian) Tourist attractions in Apuseni Mountains
• Website with information about the Carpathians Mountains
• Apuseni Mountains - photographs + information in Czech
• Pictures of the Apuseni Mountains
• Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non-traditional tourist destination 2009