Turzii Gorges are a gorge made by the Aries Valley in the Trascau Mountains. The gorges extend along the Hasdate Valley in Cluj County and are a UNESCO-protected natural reserve. With a length of over 1350 m and a height of over 200 meters, the Turzii Gorge was formed by the erosion of limestone rocks by the Hasdate river.
Surrounded by other tourist routes such as Borzesti Gorges, Cheile Turului or Ciucas Falls, this rare beauty destination is one of the best mountain climbing areas in Romania. Relief in this area has created over 250 climbing routes and climbing.
At Turzii Gorge tourists can encounter a wild karst relief with over 1000 species of plants and animals. Among steep cliffs, grotesque, caves and stone towers, the abundance of flora and fauna bring together lovers of nature from all over the country.
Through the steep relief of the Keys, you can find the rock eagle, but also flowers such as the foot of the rooster, violet stink, wild garlic, odoleanul, homage or garofita with white or pink petals. Turks gorge are a spectacular destination, watched by passionate expeditionists, but also by those who want to escape from the agglomeration and stress of the big cities.
Once there, tourists will discover a plateau where several terraces and kiosks with everything are installed. This plateau is a good place for barbecues or picnics.
Tourists who want to get to the top of the Keys will have to cross 3 bridges along the 4 kilometers. Each bridge is named in a way: the first bridge is "Vizuina Spalata", the second is "Middle of the Key", and the last, "Cave Bridge".
The Turks gorge can be relaxing or challenging, depending on how much tourists want to venture through the steep relief. Here you can see about 50 to 60 caves, but also arches (crashed cave debris) or ridges. The caves have small dimensions, the largest one reaches 123 meters (Cetateaua Mare cave), but only 8 exceed 20 meters long.
The main tourist attraction is the Balica cave or the "Cetateaua Mare" cave, on the right side of the Hasdate valley. The Legend says that here housed Nechita Balica outlaw in the village of Petrestii de Jos during the anti-Austrian revolt of the Curuti.
Other caves worth visiting are:
Cave Calastur - from the highest point of the Gorge
Bats' Cave
Cave oven
Hill Hill
The Chei tourist area also includes the Chez Turzii cottage at 1,385 meters, a medieval cottage and highly visited by lovers of rustic accommodation.
Tourists can choose from a variety of tourist routes, including:
Turzii Gorges - Ciucas, a 3-hour route to visit the Ciucas Falls;
Keystone Bridge Circuit, 4 to 5 hours;
Turzii Gorges - Tureni Gorge - a 10 km trail that takes about 4 hours;
Turzii Gorges - Deleni - Faget Chalet - Cluj, a 29 km trail that runs in 10 hours;
A long and rewarding route is the Cheile Turzii - Iara - Baisorii Mountain Chalet, 40 kilometers that can be covered in about 12 - 14 hours.
On Cheile Turzii you can practice climbing (allowed only with adequate equipment and with a 50-meter rope) and paragliding. The escalation period is spring until late autumn, but AID-marked tracks are hardly at all available for climbing and must be approached with great care.
On the Sand of the Sand you can fly paragliding to Petrejdi or to the cottage, but it is not an activity recommended for beginners.
