Hunedoara County

[ Short History | Geographical Outline | Touristic Information | Economy Profile ]

The history of this region is extremely old and rich, dating back to the Middle Paleolithic, with proofs of human settlements from the second stage of the Iron Age, bearing the imprint of the Geto-Dacian civilisation, and then of the Daco-Roman one, and of the emergence, in the first millennium, of pre-state bodies politic (Strei, Dobra, Hunedoara). In the 13th century, Hunedoara became a self-governing county. In the following centuries significant pages of history were written: the battles against the Ottomans led by Iancu of Hunedoara (the 15th century), the uprising of bondsmen led by Horea, Closca and Crisan (1784), the revolutionary acts of 1848-1849 headed by Avram Iancu, the actions of solidarity with the Memorandum champions (1892), the massive participation in the creation of the Romanian nation state (December 1, 1918), the numerous examples of sacrifices in the two world wars. The Hunedoara county is a true sanctum for the history of Romania. On its territory there was the capital of the Dacian state headed by Burebista and Decebalus, Sarmizegetusa Regia (in the Orastie Mountains) and Ulpia Trajana Sarmizegetusa (in the Land of Hateg), established as a capital after the conquest of Dacia by the Romans. Nicolae Olahus (15th c.), Matthias Corvinus, Ioan Budai Deleanu, Aurel Vlaicu, Ovid Densusianu, Silviu Dragomir are only some names of personalities who were born in that region of the country. All the historic vestiges throughout the county increase the tourist potential, served by a continuously developing and streamlined material basis.

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Geographical Outline

The Hunedoara county is situated in western Romania. It stretches on 7,016 sq. km that represent 2.9 percent of Romania’s total surface. The main localities in the county are the municipalities of Hunedoara, Petrosani, Brad, Orastie and the towns of Calan, Hateg, Simeria, Vulcan, Petrila, Lupeni, Uricani and Aninoasa. The county’s total population numbers 543,848 inhabitants, of whom 414,088 urban and 129,760 rural. The main relief contour is represented by the mountains, the Retezat Range topping 2,500 meters. The principal rivers are more than 500 kilometers long, and throughout the county there exist 80 glacial lakes. The riches of the soil and of the subsoil consist of coal (pitcoal), non-ferrous ores (copper and gold), mineral waters, beech and fir tree woods.

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Touristic Information

The Hunedoara county is situated in the South-Western part of Transylvania, where the Apuseni Mountains meet the Meridional Carpathians, so that it has a mountain relief. The Retezat Massif, a part of the Meridional Carpathians and to the South of the Mures Massif, has a surface of 800 sq. km and more than 30 peaks. Among them there are the Retezat (2,484 m above sea) Peleaga (2,509 m above sea) and Papusa (2,502 m above sea). Here in 1935 the Retezat National Park was founded and was named later a reservation of biosphere. Large surface of forests, rivers, valleys and terraces provided since pre-historical times all was necessary to the inhabitants of this county. Inside the Cioclovina and Ohaba Ponor Caves there are vestiges of the palaeolithic man. In Turdas, near by Orastie, there are vestiges of the neolithic culture. In the Orastie Mountains (the Surianul Massif), in Gradistea Muncelului there is Sarmizegetusa Regia, the capital city of the Dacian kings as Burebista and Decebal and in the Haleg Depression there are the ruins of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the capital city of the Roman Dacia. At the foot of the Pojana Rusclii Mountains, in the town of Hunedoara, there is the imposing Castle of Corvin Family one of the best preserved mediaeval buildings in the South-Eastern part of Europe. And also here the oldest Christian monuments were built in the Middle Age: churches in Densus. Streisingeorgiu, Strei, Sintamarie Orlea, Gurasada, Ribila and Criciur, real masterpieces of the early European culture. In the municipality of Deva, the capital city of this county. there are two points of tourist interest: the Magna Curia Castle built in the XVI-th century which is now the Museum of the Dacian and Roman Civilization and the Sports High School which is known in the world thanks to famous gymnasts Nadia Comaneci, Lavinia Agache, Daniela Silivas and Lavinia Milosovici. Also here there is the Fortress of Deva. The easy ways to the historic and tourist zones of this county, hotels, motels, inns, mountain and forestry chalets, ski-lifts and cable cars, ski tracks in the Parang and Valcan (Straja) Mountains as well as the peoples hospitality are only some elements of tourist interest. Travelling in the Hunedoara county the tourist will be able to take part in the folk feasts of the peoples who live here and will know their old costumes, sings and dances and will discover both the beauty of the landscape and the beauty of Romanians' soul.

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Economy Profile

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