Comuna Măguri - Răcătău: Mountain Nature and Crafts

The Căpățâna Peat Bog combines botanical significance with a striking high-altitude location. The nature reserve lies on the main ridge of the Gilău-Muntele Mare Massif at 1,600 metres and has been protected since 1969. It is a nature reserve of national importance and a distinctive natural landmark for a trip to Comuna Măguri - Răcătău.

Protected areas, high-altitude landscapes, and views

Wildlife offers a different focus: Împărăția lui Zamolxe is a 514-hectare zoological nature reserve. Species found there include lynx, wolves, roe deer, otters, and capercaillies.

Cheile Dumitresei is a landscape of value at Cluj County level. The Țâcla Gabrii rock offers views of the villages of Măguri and Mărișel.

Villages and routes

The year-round inhabited village of Măguri is located in Măguri-Răcătău commune at an elevation of 1,250 to 1,400 metres.

The Măguri-Răcătău–Vârful Dumitreasa–La Potcoavă hiking trail is accessible by car as far as Șaua Dobrin. Access conditions may change after weather events, so check the conditions for this section before setting out.

Another route runs from Valea Ierii via Dobrin to Măguri-Răcătău. The route is 28 kilometres long and takes approximately an hour and a half without stops. It is suitable for off-road vehicles with four-wheel drive, ATVs, and bicycles. A county transport directory from 2020 also lists a Cluj–Someșul Rece–Măguri-Răcătău connection. If you are considering this for your journey, check the current departures in advance.

Crafts, museum, and remembrance

The “Căsuța Bunicii” Museum displays authentic plates and cloths, headscarves, traditional costumes, woven bags, and traditional weaving tools. The objects were moved from their original, hard-to-reach location to a room in the centre of Răcătău village. Here, visitors can explore the ethnographic collection through its diverse textiles, household objects, and weaving tools.

The blacksmithing tradition is also associated with a person and a specific date: Simion Drînda from Măguri practised blacksmithing throughout his life and opened his own forge in 1975. In 2023, the Romanian Ministry of Culture named him a “Living Human Treasure.”

The cemetery of Mănăstirea Muntele Rece is part of the area’s historical memory. After the battles of 1944, 26 fallen soldiers were initially buried there, including nine unknown soldiers.

The gathering on Muntele Dobrin

A traditional gathering takes place annually on Muntele Dobrin around the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. At the gathering on 29 June 2023, the programme began with a liturgy in the wooden church, followed by a folk concert. The date and programme refer to that gathering, not to a programme set for every year. If you are planning to attend, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Măguri-Răcătău, Comuna Gârbău, Baciu, Rasca, Comuna Mărgău, Sancraiu, Comuna Fizeșu Gherlii, Iara.

For the broader travel overview: Cluj-Napoca.