Discover Lupeni: Straja, Mountains and Culture

The resort of Straja is located in the northern part of the Vâlcan Mountains at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,400 metres and approximately 8 kilometres from Lupeni.

Geographical setting

The Vâlcan Massif lies south of Lupeni. The Jiul de Vest flows through Lupeni.

Winter sports

The Straja ski resort covers approximately 26 kilometres and is divided into 12 ski slopes, each equipped with a cable lift and artificial snowmaking.

The Pârtia Straja is 8.1 kilometres long and descends from Vârful Straja at 1,868 metres to the gondola's valley station at 750 metres.

The Straja gondola provides tourist access to the resort and runs over a distance of more than 2.5 kilometres.

Activities

Traseul Lupilor is an approximately 4-kilometre-long mountain bike trail in the resort of Straja near Lupeni.

Traseul Baloo is a 3.2-kilometre-long mountain bike trail for the All Mountain/Enduro discipline, with a medium level of difficulty.

In summer, the mountain resort of Straja hosts an international LongBoard competition with participants from several countries.

Festivals and history

Nedeia Sânzienelor takes place every year on 24 June in the mountain resort of Straja near Lupeni. It is a traditional outdoor festival associated with the harvest, vegetation and fertility.

Nedeia Sânzienelor includes a horse-riding competition in which the riders must wear authentic Romanian traditional dress from their respective regions of origin.

In December, Lupeni hosts Festivalul Crailor. Festivalul Crailor brings together groups of Christmas carol singers from the Jiu Valley and a large audience.

The Lupeni 29 monument was created in 1968 by sculptor Ion Irimescu and depicts the miners' strike of 1929 in the Jiu Valley.

The memorial and burial monument in Lupeni commemorates the miners who died on 27 April 1922 in a serious mining accident at Mina Aurelia.

Palatul Cultural Lupeni, today also known as Palatul Cultural „Minerul“, was built by Societatea Anonimă Română „Lupeni“ based on the model of the Golden Hall of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Religious sites

At Peștera Belona on Straja Hill in Lupeni, a settlement from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods has been documented.

The “Sfintele Femei Mironosițe” Church in Lupeni was built between 1906 and 1908 in the Neo-Byzantine style and has a Baroque bell tower.

The “Sf. Ierarh Nicolae” Church in Lupeni was built between 1922 and 1928 and has a three-conch floor plan with semicircular apses.

The Roman Catholic church on Muntele Carmel in Lupeni was built between 1842 and 1848 in the classical style and contains an organ by Mátisfalvi Szocs Sámuel.

Schitul din Straja was founded in 1999 and comprises a wooden church and several monks' cells.

Tunelul sfinților ortodocși connects the wooden church of Schitul din Straja with the resort of Straja, is 54 metres long and contains painted religious scenes and an Orthodox calendar.

The “Drumul Crucii” procession takes place in Straja every year and has been held there since 2000.

Other places

Other places: Hărău, Diemrich, Zeicani, Sălaşu De Sus, Râu Bărbat, Hățăgel, Petrila, Petroșani.

To the overarching travel overview: Eisenmarkt.