Tureni: Cheile Turenilor, Caves and History

Nature

Cheile Turenilor is also known as Cheile Turului. The nature reserve covers 25 hectares and is located north of the city of Turda in Cluj County. It is designated as a floristic nature reserve of national interest with mixed value.

The Pârâul Racilor formed the gorge in Jurassic limestone. Cheile Turenilor is 1,850 metres long. Its walls reach heights of 100 to 150 metres. Karst formations such as waterfalls, potholes and caves occur along the rock walls.

There are 29 caves in the gorge. Peștera cu Silex is 64 metres long, while Peștera de sub grohotiș reaches a length of 27.5 metres. Other caves include Peștera Vulturilor and Șura Mică. Rare plant species found in Cheile Turenilor include Sorbus dacica, Seseli elatum ssp. osseum and Silene otites.

Archaeology and History

Human settlement in Tureni dates back to the Neolithic period. Most of the finds were made in the area of Cheile Turenilor. Archaeological research in the gorge led to the discovery of 53 settlement complexes between 1985 and 1988. These complexes date from the Middle Neolithic onwards. Tureni is documented in records dating back to 1276.

Church

The Biserica Ortodoxă Română Tureni is dedicated to the Holy Trinity (“Sfânta Treime”). The church was built in 1881 as a nave-style church with a brick-and-stone half-vault. Its iconostasis is made of wild cherry wood. It was carved by Gheorghe Căienar from Cluj-Napoca.

Trails and Themed Experiences

Cheile Turenilor has a themed trail called “Aventură în epoca de piatră”. It was established by Potaissa Junior Ranger.

Trail 31 is marked in blue and is called “Bandă Albastră”. It is the shortest walking connection between Tureni and Cheile Turzii. Its general direction runs from north to south.

Cheile Turenilor can be reached via hiking trails from the municipality of Tureni, located above the gorge. One route leads through the gorge and is marked with a blue triangle. This route is difficult. Another route runs along the left side of the gorge and is marked with a blue dot.

The trail information distinguishes between different connections: Trail 31 leads from Tureni to Cheile Turzii, while the two routes described run from Tureni to Cheile Turenilor. The markings for the gorge are therefore clearly assigned. The blue triangle indicates the difficult route through the gorge, while the blue dot marks the route along its left side. The themed trail “Aventură în epoca de piatră” is also located in Cheile Turenilor and was established by Potaissa Junior Ranger.

You can access other destinations directly: Petreștii De Jos, Maia, Apahida, Smida, Nădăşelu, Săvădisla, Frata and Băișoara.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Cluj-Napoca.