The Apuseni Mountains ( ro, Munții Apuseni, hu, Erdélyi-középhegység) is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, which belongs to the

Western Romanian Carpathians , photo=File:MunteleVulcan_2.jpg , photo_caption=Vulcan Mountain in Apuseni Mountains , country=Romania , region_type=Province , region= , range=Carpathians , border= , geology= , period= , orogeny= Alpine orogeny , area_km2= , length_ ...

, also called ''Occidentali'' in

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset", i.e., "western". The highest peak is the Bihor Peak at . The Apuseni Mountains have about 400

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

Geography

The Apuseni Mountains do not present an uninterrupted chain of mountains, but possess many low and easy passes towards the

Crișana Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Rom ...

and the

Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...

. Going from south to north the principal groups are: the

Munții Metaliferi Metaliferi Mountains ( ro, Munții Metaliferi; hu, Erdélyi-érchegység), meaning Ore Mountains, are in the Carpathian Mountain Range and are a division of the Apuseni Mountains. Peaks The highest peak is , with an elevation of . The range al ...

("Ore Mountains") with the

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

ic masses of the

Detunata Detunatele is a site of columnar jointing in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. ''Detunatele'' means lightning strike. The columns are made of hexagonal-shaped basalt and are tall on two peaks: Detunata Goală and Detunata Flocoasă (Barren De ...

() near Abrud; the

Bihor Mountains Bihor Mountains ( ro, Munții Bihorului, hu, Bihar-hegység) is a mountain range in western Romania. It is part of the Apuseni Mountains, which are part of the Carpathian Mountains. The massif has a length of from the northwest to the southe ...

, with numerous

rns, with the highest peak the Bihorul (); to the east of this group are the Muntele Mare (highest peak ), to the southwest of Cluj-Napoca; the northernmost chain is the Seș and Meseș Mountains.

Boundaries

*To the north: the Barcău River. *To the south: the

Mureș River Mureș may refer to: * Mureș County, Romania * Mureș (river) in Romania and Hungary (''Maros'') * Mureș culture, a Bronze Age culture from Romania See also * Târgu Mureș, the capital of Mureș County * Ocna Mureș Ocna Mureș (; la, Sali ...

. *To the east: the

Transylvanian Plateau The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a plateau in central Romania. The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of Transylvania, and is almost entirely surrounded by the East ...

. *To the west: the

plains.

Subdivisions

*''

Criș Mountains Criș may refer to several places: * Körös, a river called the ''Criș'' in Romanian * Criș, a village in Blăjeni Commune, Hunedoara County * Criș, a village in Daneș Commune, Mureș County * Criș (Târnava Mare), a river in Mureș County * ...

(Munţii Crișului, hu, Körös-menti hegyvidék)'' : **

Criș Hills Criș may refer to several places: * Körös, a river called the ''Criș'' in Romanian * Criș, a village in Blăjeni Commune, Hunedoara County * Criș, a village in Daneș Commune, Mureș County * Criș (Târnava Mare), a river in Mureș County * ...

(''Dealurile Crișene'', hu, Körös-menti dombság), including the

Beiuș Depression Beiuș (; hu, Belényes) is a city in Bihor County, Romania near the Apuseni Mountains. The river Crișul Negru flows through Beiuș, and the city administers a single village, Delani (''Gyalány''). Between the late 18th and very early 20th ...

(''Depresiunea Beiuș'', hu, Belényesi-medence) and the

Vad Depression Vad may refer to: Geography Romania *Vad, Cluj, a commune in Cluj County *Vad (Hungarian: ), a village in Șercaia Commune, Brașov County *Vad, a village in Copalnic-Mănăștur Commune, Maramureș County *Vad, a village in Dragomirești Commune ...

(''Depresiunea Vad'', hu, Révi-medence) **

Pădurea Craiului Mountains The Pădurea Craiului Mountains are in the northwestern part of the Apuseni Mountains of the Carpathian Mountain range, located between the and the Beiuș Depression. The Dealurile Vestice (Western Hills) are located to the west of these mou ...

(literally:''Forest of the King'', hu, Királyerdő-hegység) **

Codru-Moma Mountains The Codru-Moma Mountains (Munții Codru-Moma) are a part of the Apuseni Mountains. They are specifically located in the Arad and Bihor counties, within the Western Romanian Carpathians of Crișana, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a ...

(''Munții Codru-Moma'', hu, Béli-hegység) *'' Seș-Meseș Mountains (Munții Seș-Meseșului)'': ** Meseș Mountains (''Munții Meseșului'', hu, Meszes-hegység) ** Seș Mountains (''Muntele Seș'', hu, Réz-hegység, also ''Plopiș'') ** Șimleu Depression (''Depresiunea Șimleu Silvanei'', hu, Szilágysomlyói-medence), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan ** Șimleu Mountains (''Munții Șimleu'', hu, Szilágysági-dombvidék), often considered part of the Transylvanian Basin-Podişul Someşan *

Bihor Massif Bihor Mountains ( ro, Munții Bihorului, hu, Bihar-hegység) is a mountain range in western Romania. It is part of the Apuseni Mountains, which are part of the Carpathian Mountains. The massif has a length of from the northwest to the southe ...

(''Masivul Bihor'', hu, Bihari-havasok): **

(''Munții Bihorului'', hu, Bihar-hegység) ** Vlădeasa Mountains (''Munții Vlădeasa'', hu, Vlegyásza-hegység) ** Muntele Mare Mountains (literally: ''Big Mountain''), (''Munții Muntele Mare'', hu, Öreghavas) **Gilău Mountains (''Munții Gilăului'', hu, Gyalui-havasok) * Mureș Mountains (''Munții Mureșului'', hu, Marosmenti-hegyvidék): ** Zarand Mountains (''Munții Zarandului'', hu, Zarándi-hegység) ** Metalliferous Mountains (''Munții Metaliferi'', hu, Erdélyi-érchegység) **

Trascău Mountains The Trascău Mountains ( ro, Munții Trascăului) are located in the Apuseni mountain range of the Western Romanian Carpathians, in Romania. The Trascău Mountains are crossed by the picturesque Arieș River valley. The highest elevation in th ...

(''Munții Trascăului'', hu, Torockói-hegység)

Gallery

File:Pietrele Albe.jpg, Vlădeasa File:Székelykő.JPG, Piatra Secuiului File:Székelykő-Torockó.JPG File:Salina Turda - galeria principală 8.jpg, Salina Turda File:Cheile Turzii-(42).JPG, Cheile Turzii File:Arieseni 27.jpg, Arieșeni File:Cetatea Trascăului văzută de pe Piatra Secuiului.JPG, Cetatea Trascăului

References

External links

Photos from Apuseni Mountains

Tourist attractions in Apuseni MountainsWebsite with information about the Carpathians MountainsApuseni Mountains - photographs + information in Czech
{{Coord, 46, 30, N, 23, 00, E, display=title, region:RO_type:mountain_source:dewiki Mountain ranges of Romania Mountain ranges of the Western Romanian Carpathians Western Romanian Carpathians