Apuseni Mountains Explained

The Apuseni Mountains (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Munții Apuseni, ; Hungarian: Erdélyi-középhegység,) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians. The highest peak is the Bihor Peak at . 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 Crișana and the Pannonian Plain. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the Munții Metaliferi ("Ore Mountains") with the basaltic masses of the Detunata near Abrud; the Bihor Mountains, with numerous caverns, with the highest peak the Bihorul ;^[1] to the east of this group are the Muntele Mare (highest peak), to the southwest of Cluj-Napoca; the northernmost chain is the Seș and Meseș Mountains.

Boundaries

• To the north: the Barcău River.
• To the south: the Mureș River.
• To the east: the Transylvanian Plateau.
• To the west: the Crișana plains.

Subdivisions

• Criș Mountains (Munţii Crișului, Hungarian: Körös-menti hegyvidék) :
  • Criș Hills (Dealurile Crișene, Hungarian: Körös-menti dombság), including the Beiuș Depression (Depresiunea Beiuș, Hungarian: Belényesi-medence) and the Vad Depression (Depresiunea Vad, Hungarian: Révi-medence)^[2]
  • Pădurea Craiului Mountains (literally:Forest of the King, Hungarian: Királyerdő-hegység)
  • Codru-Moma Mountains (Munții Codru-Moma, Hungarian: Béli-hegység)^[3]
• Seș-Meseș Mountains (Munții Seș-Meseșului):
  • Meseș Mountains (Munții Meseșului, Hungarian: Meszes-hegység)
  • Seș Mountains (Muntele Seș, Hungarian: Réz-hegység, also Plopiș)
  • Șimleu Depression (Depresiunea Șimleu Silvanei, Hungarian: Szilágysomlyói-medence), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan
  • Șimleu Mountains (Munții Șimleu, Hungarian: Szilágysági-dombvidék), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan^[4]
• Bihor Massif (Masivul Bihor, Hungarian: Bihari-havasok):
  • Bihor Mountains (Munții Bihorului, Hungarian: Bihar-hegység)
  • Vlădeasa Mountains (Munții Vlădeasa, Hungarian: Vlegyásza-hegység)
  • Muntele Mare Mountains (literally: Big Mountain), (Munții Muntele Mare, Hungarian: Öreghavas)
  • Gilău Mountains (Munții Gilăului, Hungarian: Gyalui-havasok)
• Mureș Mountains (Munții Mureșului, Hungarian: Marosmenti-hegyvidék):
  • Zarand Mountains (Munții Zarandului, Hungarian: Zarándi-hegység)
  • Metalliferous Mountains (Munții Metaliferi, Hungarian: Erdélyi-érchegység)
  • Trascău Mountains (Munții Trascăului, Hungarian: Torockói-hegység)

See also

• Țara Moților
• Apuseni Natural Park

External links

• Photos from Apuseni Mountains
• Tourist attractions in Apuseni Mountains
• 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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Geografia Fizică a României. 5 June 2019. Editura Universitară. 218. 5 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190605182645/http://old.unibuc.ro/prof/ene_m/docs/2015/oct/28_10_58_31Geografie_fizica_Romania_I_IELENICZ.pdf. dead.
2. Web site: Románia Földrajza . Ordogborda.hu . 2013-02-22 . 2013-04-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130419161641/http://www.ordogborda.hu/foldrajz/HU/index.php . dead .
3. Web site: GEOGRAPHICAL REGISTER - TRANSYLVANIA (Rumania) . 2009-01-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090105131149/http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/hmcb/hmcb15.htm . 2009-01-05 . dead .
4. Web site: HAJDÚ-MOHAROS JÓZSEF (1957 2001) HEVESI ATTILA HORVÁTH ZSOLT A Kárpát Pannon térség természeti tájbeosztása . Lazarus.elte.hu . 2013-02-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120212233811/http://lazarus.elte.hu/~hzsolt/szakdoli/tajbeosztas.html . 2012-02-12 . dead .