Straja Mountain Resort Is Not Yet On the Map to Foreign Tourists

Tucked away in the Valcan Mountains, Straja resort is one of the few in Romania where tourists may ski on all slopes. The artificial snow is well over half a meter on all of them. Many ski slopes had been built in the past years, and so they had been built in Straja too.

To reach there, when coming from Targu Jiu to Petrosani, you make a left turn right before Petrosani, and after 20 minutes car ride you get to Lupeni. On the road you pass through Aninoasa and Vulcan, two miners’ towns. When mining industry was still strong here, the people in the neighboring towns were competing with each other, most of all in soccer games.

Once in Lupeni, you take again a left turn to get to Straja. It should help not missing the turn the huge side-road sign giving you directions. The road cuts through the yards of the people living there, and at the end of it starts the aerial line whisking tourists at the top of the slopes. It is a 5 kilometers long line, and the ride up the mountain takes 20 minutes. If dangling in a chair up into the air does not appeal to you, than you can take a taxi ride. It costs some 700,000 lei s20 eurost for four people and their luggage.

"The building of ski slopes started in 1995. During the communist regime there were a few mountain lodges here," remembers Ion Parau, who manages the slopes close to Lupeni town, together with his brother, Emil.

"There is plenty of snow on all slopes, so people can choose the slope of their choice. Tourists from all over the country are coming here, but most of them are from Timisoara and Arad. Foreign tourists do not come here a lot. This is our weak point: our resort is not well known abroad", said Parau.

He is very proud of the installations pressing the snow and the night lighting system on the Saint George slope. "My brother and I took care of this area for the past three years and I am in love with my work. One may ski here since early December, and the place was fully booked since October this year. Last season, the last day for skiing was on May 5," said Parau.

The busiest season is in February, when the Winter Celebrations take place. And at the end of March takes place the Veterans Cup - which in fact refers to skiers older than 35 years of age. The competition has a decades"" long tradition in Romania.