T10: Padurea Craiului at its best
| Route | Bulz – Remeţi – Caprei Hill – Floroiu – Pin Peak – Scoroşet Peak – Dealu Mare – Făneşti Hamlet – Sărăcel Valley – Bulz |
| Distance | 50 kilometers |
| Cumulative positive level difference | 1,670 meters +, 1669 meters |
| Travel time | 7 hours |
| Degree of difficulty: | difficult |
| Surface | asphalt, dirt road |
| Discover also | two tourist refuges; three viewpoints; Scoruşeţ Peak – where the legends say that, in fact, Horea would have hidden when he was captured by the Austrians; panorama over the Drăgan-Floroiu lake; panorama over the Iadului Valley, to the confluence with Crişul Repede river |
Route description
Marked with a red stripe, this is one of the longest, most demanding but also the most spectacular cycling routes in Pădurea Craiului. On its 50 kilometers, this route “gives everything”. It has some exhausting parts, others more technical, but also landscapes that the daredevils on bicycles will surely remember.
The route starts from the center of Bulz commune, more precisely near the Tourist Information Center, and goes on the County Road DJ 108K, upstream, parallel to Iadului Valley, towards the Leșu dam, respectively Stâna de Vale resort.
After 3 kilometers the route reaches its return point, which descends on the Sărăcel valley.
But the route continues on DJ 108K, towards Munteni village and further, another 7.5 kilometers, until Remețivillage. Here the route marked for mountain biking turns left on the road that leads to the border with Cluj County, respectively to the Drăgan-Floroiu dam and Lunca Vișagului.
For the next 13 kilometers, the recently paved road climbs steeply, in serpentines, up to the altitude of 1,070 meters. Arriving at the border of the two counties, tourists can admire the panorama of the Drăgan-Floroiu lake and that of the Bihor mountains.
At this point the route leaves DJ 108K turning left, on an unpaved road. This is the point where you enter the actual mountain trail. The off-road road crosses the eastern ridge of the Pădurea Craiului mountains on a length of 17.5 kilometers.
First, to the left, next to a shepperds place, we meet the first mountain refuge built here on the initiative of Bulz commune Hall. Along the route there are three more observation points and another refuge, built right at the northern end of the ridge route, above the Sărăcel valley.
From this last refuge the route descends steeply on a rather rough road, in serpentines, for about 6 kilometers. At one point, after reaching a section of asphalt on the Sărăcel valley, the road comes out in the Iadului Valley, meeting the route that we started on. From here, to the right on DJ 108K going downstream after another three kilometers, the route reaches the center of Bulz commune at the Tourist Information Center, where you will find the starting point of this spectacular itinerary.
Partly, this itinerary can be covered in winter on touring skis or snow shoes. On certain segments of it or in several days, it can also be approached as a hiking trail.
