Moneasa ( hu, Menyháza) is a commune in

Arad County Arad County () is an administrative division ( judeţ) of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crișana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center ...

, Romania. Its administrative surface stretches over and it is composed of two villages, Moneasa and Rănușa (''Kisróna'').

Geography

The commune is located in the northeastern part of Arad County, on the border with Bihor County. It lies on the banks of the

Moneasa River The Moneasa is a river in Bihor County and Arad County, Romania. At its confluence with the river Dezna in the village Dezna, the river Sebiș Sebiș ( hu, Borossebes) is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. Situated 82 k ...

, at the foot of the

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 ...

. The nearest town is

Sebiș Sebiș ( hu, Borossebes) is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. Situated 82 km from the county capital, Sebiș is one of the most important urban centres in the Crișul Alb valley. It administers three villages: Donceni (''D ...

, to the southwest; the county seat, Arad, is away.

Population

According to the 2002 census, the population of the commune counts 1,056 inhabitants, out of which 97.7% are Romanians, 1.7% are Hungarians and 0.6% are of other or undeclared nationalities.

History

Traces of inhabitance on this area dating back to the paleolithic and neolithic have been found in the caverns called "Hoanca" and "Izoi". The first documentary record of Moneasa dates back to 1597, while Rănușa was first mentioned in 1556.

Economy

Moneasa is one of the county's communes that have a high economic potential. The exploitation of black and red marble, the springs of mineral waters with bicarbonate (calcic, sodic, oligomineral, and semi-thermal), valorized already in 1866, lumbering and conversion of timber, as well as the exploitation of other touristic resources are the mainstays of the local economy.

Tourism

The commune's primary touristic place is the Moneasa health resort. It is working all year round and it is recommended for treatment of different diseases, mainly rheumatic ones, as well as digestive and gynaecological troubles. The cavern named "''Valea Morii''", a natural reservation of national interest, along with the one called "''Liliecilor''", the water fall "''Boroaia''", the "''Momuța''" peak and the ruins of the blast furnace are the top sights of the commune.

References

*România ghid turistic, Editura Sport-turism, 1983 *Râurile României, București, 1971 Moneasa spa building

Communes in Arad County Localities in Crișana Spa towns in Romania Ski areas and resorts in Romania {{arad-geo-stub