In the South-West part of Cluj, a narrow road in the heart of the mountains leads us to the wonders of Măguri Răcătău commune, more precisely to the Someșul Rece Gorge. Going through these areas you don’t know what is more important, the destination or the trip itself, because the mountain landscape, nature and the whole road come to seduce you, regardless of the season.
We start from Cluj towards Gilău, Someșu Rece and then Măguri Răcătău commune on the 107T county road. For a walk in the true sense of the word, we can park the car and walk that road to the Someșul Rece dam. As mentioned above, the landscape is perfect regardless of the season, and the journey itself is the one we must truely enjoy, whether we reach the dam or not.
Taking a walk in a slow rhythm, the round trip can be covered in 4-5 hours, but we can guarantee that it is worth every minute spent in the mountain air of Măguri Răcătău commune. In the summer days, on the road leading to the Gorge, there is no lack of hay smell, the horses left free in the village or the villagers who are delighted to be asked about the wonders of the place. Between Gura Negruței and La Luncuța, the Someșul Rece river forms a deep and wild gorge, crossed by a forest road, at the upper end of which is the Someşul Rece dam.
On the rocky slopes we can find either trees, grown as if to defy nature, or short mountaineering trails. Someșul Rece Gorge is one of the most protected areas of Cluj County and due to this fact, wild animals are not a rarity in these forests of pine trees and spruces. And as the details always make the difference, with little attention we can see how some trees have taken some strange shapes, due to the wind and low temperatures in those areas. They have learned to adapt in the harshest conditions, the struggle for survival being a way of living in these places. During the summer, the green of different intensities steals our eyes, but when the snow comes and the temperatures drop, this place turns into an enchanting winter landscape.
During the Second World War, this area was considered one of strategic importance, as well as the rest of the mountains in the Cluj area where various hiding places were prepared but also extremely strategically located places of attack. Since those times, it has remained a paved road known as “Antonescu’s road”, which connects Măguri Răcătău to Valea Ierii. Nowadays, in peacetime, this road has lost its military importance, being crossed only by tourists or used in sports competitions.