Hunedoara, located in the western part of Romania, is one of the country's 41 self-governing units. The county lies surrounded by Alba to the north and east, Vâlcea and Gorj to the south, and Caras-Severin, Timis, and Arad to the west. Stretching across approximately 7,063 square kilometers, Hunedoara County covers circa 3% of Romania's total surface.[2] The earliest human settlements within Hunedoara's borders can be dated back to the Paleolithic era. Since then, the area has been inhabited by various tribes and nations.[1] Thus, there is a considerable number of historical monuments scattered across the region, including the remains of Dacian fortresses.[10] Another attraction is the city center of Hunedoara's capital, Deva, showcasing the Deva fortress, Magna Curia Palace, and others.[8] Additionally, the city is home to the Corvin Castle.[9] Apart from its history, Hunedoara features several protected natural areas. Among them is the Retezat National Park, which is home to Romania's highest mountains.[6] Furthermore, in the eastern part of the county is situated the Grădiştea Muncelului Cioclovina Natural Park, which protects a number of plant and animal species.[4] Presumably, the best time to visit Hunedoara County is during the summer months, namely August, as it tends to be the warmest month on average.[7]
Deva is located in west-central Romania along the left bank of the Mures River. Apart from being the Hunedoara County's capital, Deva is also known as the "Capital of Romania's Gymnastics." Since 1978, the country's top gymnasts have trained at the Deva National Gymnastics Center, including Nadia Comaneci, Teodora Ungureanu, and Ecaterina Szabo, among others.
One of the predominant historical sights in Hunedoara's capital city is the Deva Fortress, which contains the prison where Francis Davíd, the Unitarian founder of Europe's first official declaration of religious toleration, died in 1579. Perched 1,000 feet high on Citadel Hill, Deva Fortress has witnessed the town's history since 1269. It served as a guardian of the western access to Transylvania from Banat, Crisana, and Central Europe and is now open for visitors to explore. Nearby, the Magna Curia Palace, built in 1621 and modified in the Baroque style in 1746, houses the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilizations.
The Art Theater, constructed in the mid-1800s, represents Deva's Secession Viennese architecture and is the town's primary cultural institution. Deva is also home to the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Nicholas, known for its Roman-Byzantine frescoes.[8]
Another historical destination in Hunedoara County is the Corvin Castle, a Gothic-style fortress. Initially, the castle served as a stronghold, but by the mid-14th century, it became the residence of Transylvania's voivode, Iancu de Hunedoara.
Under Iancu's stewardship, the fortress underwent a transformation into a Transylvanian castle. This preserved edifice showcases various features, including a Knights' Hall, the Council Room, a chapel, a drawbridge, towering buttresses, inner courtyards, and more than 50 rooms with medieval art and furnishings. Moreover, the castle features the 'Nje Boisia' tower, a five-level structure designed with multiple openings for firearms and constructed for military purposes.[9]
For outdoor enthusiasts, one of the most popular outdoor activities in Hunedoara County is mountain hiking, particularly to the glacial lakes and rugged ridges of the Retezat and Parang Mountains. The Jiu Valley, in particular, is often used for long-distance hikes, with Petroșani serving as a gateway to the Parâng Mountains and neighboring towns such as Vulcan or Uricani offering access to the Retezat Mountains.
For mountain biking fans, the Petroșani Basin offers downhill trails near Straja or Petroșani. Furthermore, the rocky walls and landscapes of the Jiu Gorges and the Butii Gorges tend to be frequented by climbers. In the winter, skiers can visit the resorts of Straja and Parâng, offering lodging and skiing slopes. While exploring Hunedoara outdoors, people can travel to the Dacian fortresses found in the county's mountainous locations.[10]
The geographical features of Hunedoara County are reportedly varied, primarily characterized by mountainous terrain. The elevation gradually decreases from 2,500 meters in the south, where the Retezat, Parâng, and Surianu mountainous Massifs dominate the landscape. To the north, the terrain transitions into depressions with plains and high terraces, while a larger depression follows the course of the Mures River.
The county also consists of a hydrographic network, with the Mures River traversing the region for approximately 100 kilometers, accompanied by its tributaries such as the Strei, Cerna, and Râu Mare rivers. Additionally, the area is home to several thermal springs and around 80 alpine-glacial lakes, predominantly found in the Retezat Mountains. Hunedoara's soil resources encompass coal deposits in the Jiu Valley Basin, iron ores in the Poiana Rusca Mountains, non-ferrous and rare metal ores in the Metalici Mountains, as well as abundant stone quarries, forests, and mineral and thermal springs. The county's role in extracting gold and silver ores is of particular significance. Forests and other wooded areas occupy up to 44% of the county's territory, leading to the establishment of several natural reserves, including the Simeria Dendrological Park, Bejan Forest, Deva City Forest, and Slivut-Hateg Forest.[2]
Situated in the Şureanu Mountains, one of Hunedoara County's protected areas is the Grădiştea Muncelului Cioclovina Natural Park. The region is home to a range of protected plant and animal species, preserving living traditions in its villages and harboring historical monuments. Furthermore, Grădiştea Muncelului Cioclovina's landscapes showcase various gorges, sinkholes, caves, and ravines, some of which are used for scientific research.[4] The Grădiştea Muncelului-Cioclovina, Natural Park vegetation, is influenced by various physical-chemical and climatic conditions. The park, located in a non-moral zone, holds considerable floristic value and is home to several endemic species, including sedge, thyme, black burdock, and Sorbus Borbasii. Additionally, the park houses various bat species in its caves, including the dusky bat, dwarf bat, and horseshoe bat, requiring special conservation attention under European and Romanian legislation.[5]
Another protected area is Retezat National Park, covering an expansive area of 380.47 square kilometers. This park holds the distinction of being Romania's inaugural national park and is home to the country's highest mountains. These mountains boast the highest concentration of peaks exceeding 2,000 m in Romania.
One of the park's renowned features is its primeval forest and extensive mixed forest encompassing 1,190 plant species. The mountainous terrain is dotted with 80 glacier lakes, a prominent natural attribute. UNESCO has acknowledged this area as part of a broader biosphere reserve.
This biosphere reserve provides habitat to a diverse array of wildlife species. Among the inhabitants of Retezat National Park are brown bears, chamois, Eurasian otters, European lynxes, European wildcats, foxes, red deer, roe deer, wild boars, and wolves. Furthermore, the park is a nesting ground for at least 120 bird species.[6]
Concerning the climatic conditions of Hunedoara County, the area has a temperate-continental climate.[2] The warmest month in Hunedoara's capital city, Deva, tends to be August, with an average daily temperature of 27°C. As for the coldest month, January is typically considered as such, with temperatures averaging approximately 4°C. January is often considered the driest month in Deva because it generally receives 53 millimeters of rainfall on average. Hunedoara experiences the highest amount of precipitation during June, as it receives about 118 millimeters on a typical basis.[7]
During the Neolithic period, there was evidence in Hunedoara of the "Starcevo-Criș" culture, among Europe's oldest Neolithic cultures. Later, the "Turdaș" culture left habitation remains, particularly at Valea Nandrului near Hunedoara, covering an area of approximately 10 hectares. Moreover, this culture may have been among the first to employ writing, predating the Sumerians by over a thousand years. Subsequently, the region witnessed the presence of the "Petrești" culture (4500-5000 years ago) and the "Coțofeni" culture, characterized by early copper and gold extraction and processing. This was followed by the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and ultimately, the Hallstatt period.[1]
In more recent history, Hunedoara County has a heritage marked by several considerable events, including the Bobâlna Riot in 1437, the peasant uprising led by Gheorghe Doja in 1514, the rebellion led by Horia, Closca, and Crisan in 1784, and the 1848 revolutionary movements for social and national rights led by Avram Iancu. Furthermore, the county is home to Dacian ruins in the Orastie Mountains, particularly in Gradistea de munte, Costesti, Blidaru, and surrounding areas, providing evidence of an advanced Dacian civilization prior to Roman occupation. The region also showcases Roman cultural remnants, including those of the Dacian-Roman capital city, Ulpia Trajana Sarmisegetusa, as well as ancient roads, mines, and camps from that era.[2]
In its historical context, Hunedoara County was situated in the central-western region of Greater Romania, specifically in the southwestern area of Transylvania, encompassing a portion of what is now Hunedoara County.
Following the implementation of the administrative unification law in 1925, the county's name remained unchanged, but its territorial boundaries underwent reorganization. It shared its western border with Severin and Arad counties, while it neighbored Turda County to the north. To the east, it was adjacent to Sibiu and Alba counties, and to the south, it shared borders with Gorj and Mehedinți counties.[3]
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