The Apuseni Mountains ( ro, Munții Apuseni, hu, Erdélyi-középhegység) is a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
, which belongs to the
Western Romanian Carpathians, also called ''Occidentali'' in
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...
. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset", i.e., "western". The highest peak is the
Bihor Peak at . The Apuseni Mountains have about 400
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s.
Geography
The Apuseni Mountains do not present an uninterrupted chain of mountains, but possess many low and easy
passes towards the
Crișana
Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Ro ...
and the
Pannonian Plain
The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only th ...
. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the
Munții Metaliferi ("Ore Mountains") with the
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...
ic masses of the
Detunata () near
Abrud; the
Bihor Mountains, with numerous
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
rns, with the highest peak the
Bihorul ();
to the east of this group are the
Muntele Mare (highest peak ), to the southwest of
Cluj-Napoca
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Status
, subdivision_name2 = County seat
, settlement_type = City
, ...
; the northernmost chain is the
SeÈ™ and MeseÈ™ Mountains.
Boundaries
*To the north: the
Barcău River.
*To the south: the
MureÈ™ River MureÈ™ may refer to:
* MureÈ™ County, Romania
* MureÈ™ (river) in Romania and Hungary (''Maros'')
* MureÈ™ culture, a Bronze Age culture from Romania
See also
* Târgu Mureș
Târgu Mureș (, ; hu, Marosvásárhely ) is the seat of Mureș C ...
.
*To the east: the
Transylvanian Plateau
The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a plateau in central Romania.
The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of Transylvania, and is almost entirely surrounded by the East ...
.
*To the west: the
Crișana
Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Ro ...
plains.
Subdivisions
*''
Criș Mountains (Munţii Crișului, hu, Körös-menti hegyvidék)'' :
**
Criș Hills (''Dealurile Crișene'', hu, Körös-menti dombság), including the
Beiuș Depression (''Depresiunea Beiuș'', hu, Belényesi-medence) and the
Vad Depression (''Depresiunea Vad'', hu, Révi-medence)
**
Pădurea Craiului Mountains (literally:''Forest of the King'', hu, Királyerdő-hegység)
**
Codru-Moma Mountains (''Munții Codru-Moma'', hu, Béli-hegység)
*''
Seș-Meseș Mountains (Munții Seș-Meseșului)'':
**
Meseș Mountains (''Munții Meseșului'', hu, Meszes-hegység)
**
Seș Mountains (''Muntele Seș'', hu, Réz-hegység, also ''Plopiș'')
**
Șimleu Depression (''Depresiunea Șimleu Silvanei'', hu, Szilágysomlyói-medence), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan
**
Șimleu Mountains
The Șimleu Mountains ( ro, Munții Șimleu) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Apuseni Mountains. The highest peak is Vârful Măgura Șimleului, with an altitude of .
References
External links
*
{{DEF ...
(''Munții Șimleu'', hu, Szilágysági-dombvidék), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan
*
Bihor Massif (''Masivul Bihor'', hu, Bihari-havasok):
**
Bihor Mountains (''Munții Bihorului'', hu, Bihar-hegység)
**
Vlădeasa Mountains (''Munții Vlădeasa'', hu, Vlegyásza-hegység)
**
Muntele Mare Mountains (literally: ''Big Mountain''), (''Munții Muntele Mare'', hu, Öreghavas)
**Gilău Mountains (''Munții Gilăului'', hu, Gyalui-havasok)
*
MureÈ™ Mountains MureÈ™ may refer to:
* MureÈ™ County, Romania
* MureÈ™ (river) in Romania and Hungary (''Maros'')
* MureÈ™ culture
The Prehistory of Transylvania describes what can be learned about the region known as Transylvania through archaeology, anth ...
(''Munții Mureșului'', hu, Marosmenti-hegyvidék):
**
Zarand Mountains (''Munții Zarandului'', hu, Zarándi-hegység)
**
Metalliferous Mountains
Metaliferi Mountains ( ro, Munții Metaliferi; hu, Erdélyi-érchegység), meaning Ore Mountains, are in the Carpathian Mountain Range and are a division of the Apuseni Mountains.
Peaks
The highest peak is , with an elevation of . The range als ...
(''Munții Metaliferi'', hu, Erdélyi-érchegység)
**
Trascău Mountains (''Munții Trascăului'', hu, Torockói-hegység)
Gallery
File:Pietrele Albe.jpg, Vlădeasa
File:Székelykő.JPG, Piatra Secuiului
File:Székelykő-Torockó.JPG
File:Salina Turda - galeria principală 8.jpg, Salina Turda
Salina Turda ( hu, Tordai sóbánya) is a salt mine in the Durgău-Valea Sărată area of Turda, the second largest city in Cluj County, northwest Romania. Opened for tourists in 1992, the Salina Turda mine was visited by about 618,000 Romanian and ...
File:Cheile Turzii-(42).JPG, Cheile Turzii
File:Arieseni 27.jpg, Arieșeni
File:Cetatea Trascăului văzută de pe Piatra Secuiului.JPG, Cetatea Trascăului
See also
*
Țara Moților
Țara Moților (german: Motzenland), also known as ''Țara de Piatră'' ("The Stone Land") is an ethnogeographical region of Romania in the Apuseni Mountains, on the upper basin of the Arieș and Crișul Alb River rivers. It covers parts of th ...
*
Apuseni Natural Park
The Apuseni Natural Park ( ro, Parcul Natural Apuseni) is a protected area ( natural park category V IUCN) situated in Romania, in the administrative territory of counties Alba, Bihor and Cluj.
Location
The Natural Park is located in western ...
References
External links
Photos from Apuseni MountainsTourist attractions in Apuseni MountainsWebsite with information about the Carpathians MountainsApuseni Mountains - photographs + information in Czech
{{Coord, 46, 30, N, 23, 00, E, display=title, region:RO_type:mountain_source:dewiki
Mountain ranges of Romania
Mountain ranges of the Western Romanian Carpathians
Western Romanian Carpathians