Văleni-Stânișoara: Mountain Settlement, History and Winter Sports

Văleni-Stânișoara is a long mountain settlement in a valley.

The settlement stretches along the valley.

Nature and active pursuits

In the southern part of Mălini commune, in the village of Văleni, at the exit towards Pasul Stânișoara, there are a ski slope and a ski lift. A cycling tour on the Drumul Talienilor begins at the car park of Pârtia Pojorâta in Văleni-Stânișoara.

In the village of Văleni, at the exit towards Pasul Stânișoara, there are a ski slope and a ski lift.

This assigns the facilities mentioned to the village of Văleni and the exit towards Pasul Stânișoara. The starting point of the cycling tour, by contrast, is at the car park of Pârtia Pojorâta in Văleni-Stânișoara. Both statements identify specific places and retain their respective names. The settlement’s landscape includes its location in the valley, while the winter sports facilities and the start of the cycling tour are situated at the named points.

Culture and history

The Monumentul Ostaşilor Români, unveiled on 22 August 1964, stands on the edge of Văleni-Stânișoara at the foot of a fir forest. It commemorates the Romanian soldiers who fell in the fighting against German troops in August 1944. The monument is approximately 2.5 metres high.

Next to the monument stands a wooden cross above a mass grave containing the remains of Romanian and German fighters. Access from the roadside to the Monumentul Ostaşilor Români has been completely rebuilt. If you approach the memorial site from the roadside, the renewed access leads to the monument. Benches have been installed at the Monumentul Ostaşilor Români. A spring beside the monument provides passers-by with fresh drinking water.

The memorial site thus combines several visible elements: the monument unveiled in 1964, its connection with the fighting of August 1944, the wooden cross above the mass grave, and its location by the fir forest. The additional elements by the roadside are also part of the site’s present-day appearance: the rebuilt access, the benches and the spring.

The monument, the wooden cross and the fir forest are connected at the same memorial site. The cross stands next to the monument and above the mass grave; the benches and the spring are also located at the monument. In this way, both the historical dedication and the visible components of the present-day site remain recognisable alongside one another.

Religious building

The Biserica de Lemn in Văleni-Stânișoara is a wooden church that has been in use since 1886. Its old bell tower was built in 1915. According to tradition, the Biserica de Lemn originally belonged to the monks of Slatina Monastery.

The church thus preserves different periods in its name and tradition: its use dates back to 1886, the old bell tower dates from 1915, and the history of its original affiliation is associated with Slatina Monastery.

Other places

Other places in this selection are Şaru Dornei, Cacica, Dragomirna Monastery, Dărmăneşti, Căsoi, Pojorâta, Gura Humorului and Ciocănești.

For the higher-level travel overview: Suceava.