Discover Arcani: Nature, Culture and Holiday Apartments

Nature

The Sohodol Valley is a protected floristic area. Its great diversity of plant species also includes species that are rare in Romania’s flora.

Water or wind have shaped formations in the limestone. They include Nările, Cuptorul, Peștera Gârla Vacii and Inelul.

The Sohodol Gorge is a karst landscape approximately 12 kilometers long in the Vâlcan Mountains between Runcu and Poiana Contului.

Thus, in the Sohodol Valley, the protection of rare plants combines with a landscape whose distinctive forms were created by natural forces. The geological names give the individual formations their own recognizable character, while the gorge appears as a longer section of the karst landscape between the places mentioned.

Activities

At Aprilia Park in Sănătești, Arcani commune, the dry-ski slope makes it possible to ski at any time of year without snow.

The park has two straight Tubby slides. They are designed for children and also offer adults a safe and entertaining activity.

This means that Aprilia Park features two differently named attractions side by side: The dry-ski slope is intended for skiing without snow, while the two straight Tubby slides appear as a separate attraction. Both are located in Sănătești, which belongs to Arcani commune.

Culture

The “Professor Grigore Pupăză” Cultural Center of the Jaleș Valley in Arcani commune is dedicated to preserving and promoting the local cultural heritage.

It was founded in 1967 under the name Arcani Village Museum.

Four exhibition rooms contain written documents, inscriptions, icons and schoolbooks.

They are complemented by tools from the residents’ traditional activities, ceramics and traditional costumes.

A mill, a pounding mill and a collection of carved posts are also among the exhibits.

The four rooms thus combine written and religious evidence with objects from school, crafts and former everyday life. The mill, pounding mill and carved posts expand this collection with larger wooden or technical exhibits.

The Brădiceanu wooden house in Stroești, in Arcani commune, dates from the 19th century.

The wooden church in the village of Stroești is an Orthodox place of worship dedicated to the “Nativity of the Mother of God.”

It is representative of the region’s traditional architecture and reflects local craftsmanship in wood processing.

It was built around 1710; a crucifix confirms its dating to the 18th century.

The “Sf. Voievozi” Church in Stroești retained its roof covered with wooden shingles in 1871, after the villagers rejected its replacement with sheet metal.

Stroești therefore has a 19th-century dwelling and two churches with their own historical traditions. In the wooden church, the Orthodox dedication, traditional construction and approximate traditional date of origin come together; in the case of “Sf. Voievozi,” the decision to keep the wooden-shingle roof in 1871 has been recorded.

Route

A tourist route begins in Târgu Jiu and leads via Stănești, Lelești, Runcu, Arcani and Peștișani.

It continues via Godinești, Tismana, Padeș and Glogova or as far as Băile Herculane; Arcani lies between Runcu and Peștișani.

On this described route, Arcani is a place within the sequence and lies between Runcu and Peștișani.

Crafts

The weaving workshop of Liliana Arapu is located in Stroiești, in Arcani commune. It has been operating for more than ten years.

In September 2025, numerous adults and children in Arcani took part in courses on learning traditional crafts from Gorj at weekends.

The courses were led by folk-art craftswoman Liliana Arapu.

The workshop and the courses mentioned by date are both connected with Liliana Arapu: The workshop has been operating for more than ten years, while the weekend courses in September 2025 were dedicated to learning traditional crafts from Gorj.

More local pages: Aninişu din Deal, Târgu Jiu, Ţânţăreni, Muşeteşti, Rânca, Turcineşti, Dobriţa, Săcelu

For the higher-level travel overview: Gorj.