Discover Rădaia: Archaeology, Nature and Holiday Apartments

Archaeology and History

The Rădaia–Orat archaeological site lies on Orat Hill, approximately 1 kilometre east of Rădaia. The site is located near the historic imperial road from Napoca to Porolissum. Behind the Rădaia railway stop, in the municipality of Baciu, there is a Neolithic settlement called Rădaia–“La Haltă”.

Rădaia was formerly known as Poșta Merei. The settlement was located on the most important connecting road between the central and northern parts of Transylvania. In the upper part of Rădaia there is a quarry that local residents formerly used to extract stone.

The stone from the Rădaia area is darker than the stone from Viștea. It is suitable for houses and stables. In the surroundings of Rădaia, in the village of Mera in the municipality of Baciu, you will find the Muzeul Bivolului Mera.

The archaeological traces are distributed across different locations: Rădaia–Orat lies on a hill east of the settlement, while Rădaia–“La Haltă” is located behind the railway stop in the municipality of Baciu. The historic imperial road from Napoca to Porolissum forms part of the surroundings of the Rădaia–Orat site. The former name Poșta Merei and the former use of the quarry also preserve traces of the settlement’s earlier history.

The stone also has its own local peculiarity. Compared with the stone from Viștea, it is darker; at the same time, its former use for houses and stables has been documented.

Nature

The Cheile Baciului gorge lies in the surroundings of Rădaia and is a mixed nature reserve of national interest. The protected area covers approximately 3 hectares. Cheile Baciului features limestone escarpments and rocky areas.

Geological features include fossil deposits. Mixed-forest, meadow and rock vegetation are also characteristic of Cheile Baciului. The fossil area is located near Corușu, in the surroundings of Rădaia.

The area covers 2 hectares. It is considered a natural monument of palaeontological value. Fossilised shell remains can be found there.

In the wider surroundings of Rădaia lies the Hoia-Baciu Forest. It covers approximately 3 square kilometres. Hoia-Baciu is a mixed forest. Tree species include, among others, oaks and hornbeams. Other tree species are Turkey oaks, pines and hazels.

The forest is home to, among others, field mice, squirrels and wild boar. Bats and owls are also among the animals living there.

Cheile Baciului brings together several landscape features in a small area: limestone escarpments and rocks stand alongside fossil deposits as well as mixed-forest, meadow and rock vegetation. The nearby fossil area near Corușu adds its own palaeontological focus with its fossilised shell remains.

Hoia-Baciu is not within the protected area described here, but in the wider surroundings of Rădaia. There, the mixed forest covering approximately 3 square kilometres forms a different landscape unit. Oaks, hornbeams, Turkey oaks, pines and hazels are part of its tree population; field mice, squirrels, wild boar, bats and owls make up its animal life.

Activities

The northern part of Cheile Baciului is rocky and steep and is considered suitable for shorter climbing tours. Guided tours to search for paranormal phenomena are possible in the Hoia-Baciu Forest. These tours take place during the day and at night.

The experiences described therefore also differ: in the northern section of Cheile Baciului, rocky and steep areas are associated with shorter climbing tours. In Hoia-Baciu, the guided tours focus on searching for paranormal phenomena and are offered both in daylight and at night.

Getting There and Staying

The municipality of Baciu can be reached both by train and by road. In Rădaia, Pensiunea Bonanza offers 40 places.

For the higher-level travel overview: Baciu.