Roșcani: Church, Paleolithic Era and Mountain Landscape

In Roșcani, the historical arc reaches back to the Paleolithic: an archaeological complex with worked stone artefacts was discovered at Dealul Cerăt and is dated to this period. The site adds a very early chapter of human settlement to the more recent history of the church.

History

The Biserica Buna Vestire stands on a hill to the west and overlooks the entrance to Valea Pancului at the confluence of Valea Pancului and Valea Dobrei. The elevated location offers views of two named valleys and their shared transition at the church hill.

The Biserica Buna Vestire was built in the 15th century. The portal on the south side of the bell tower features a pointed-arch lunette framed by a semicircular archivolt. This portal design is one of the church building’s distinctive architectural details and focuses attention on the south side of the tower.

The Orthodox church in Roșcani is connected with the Caba family through a votive painting on the west wall of the narthex. The family’s graves were found in the crypt of this listed church monument. The votive image and the crypt thus preserve two specific traces of this connection within the sacred building.

Nature

Roșcani lies at the foot of the Poiana-Ruscă Mountains. Hunyad Castle is located in the wider regional surroundings of Roșcani. The mountains Dealul Bunila, Rusca, Măgura Sârbii and Dealul Cutinului are also located in the wider regional surroundings. These named mountain ranges and elevations add individual landscape designations to the mountainous setting, while Hunyad Castle provides a cultural accent.

Other Places

The shared wider destination area also includes Gurasada, Uricani, Teliucu Inferior, Peșteana, Sarmizegetusa, Şoimuş, Râu De Mori and Câmpu Lui Neag.

Cuisine

Păstrăvăria Roșcani is one of the few fish farms in Romania that still produce indigenous trout. These trout are adapted to Romania’s mountain waters. The facility combines a regionally characteristic fish stock with a breeding operation whose products are intended for mountain waters and for consumption.

Each year, Păstrăvăria produces more than 100,000 indigenous trout fry for restocking the mountain waters managed by Direcția Silvică Hunedoara. These include rivers in the Retezat as well as the Strei, Jieț, Grădiște and Sibișel. In addition, around 6 tonnes of trout are produced for consumption. The fry and table trout represent two clearly distinct areas of fish farming: supporting managed mountain waters and food production.

Getting Around

One listed route runs from the Hunedoara Tourist Information Centre via Castelul Corvinilor, Tăul Teliucului, the Cinciș Dam and several places to Roșcani and Dobra. Along this route, a starting point in Hunedoara, a castle, a lake, a dam and several settlements follow one another. For planning such a route, current opening hours, event dates and the applicable route conditions should be checked separately.

For the wider travel overview: Iron Market.