Apuseni Mountains

The main peaks of the Apuseni Mountains, with Cucurbăta Mare in the right

Trascau Mountains

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

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

Geography

The Apuseni Mountains do not present an uninterrupted chain of mountains, but possess many low and easy passes towards the Crişana and the Great Hungarian Plain. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the Munţii Metaliferi ("Ore Mountains") with the basaltic mass of the Detunata (1,148 metres (3,766 ft)) near Abrud; the Bihor Mountains, with romantic scenery and numerous caverns, with the highest peak the Curcubăta Mare (1,843 metres (6,047 ft)); 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 northermost chain is the Seş and Meseş Mountains.

Boundaries

• to the north: the Barcău River
• to the south: the Mureş River
• to the east: the Transylvanian Plateau
• to the west: the Crişana 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)
• Pădurea Craiului Mountains (literally:Forest of the King, Hungarian: Királyerdő-hegység)
• Codru-Moma Mountains (Munţii Codru-Moma, Hungarian: Béli-hegység)

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

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), incl. Trascău Mountains (Munţii Trascăului, Hungarian: Torockói-hegység)

External links

• 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