Scărișoara ( hu, Aranyosfő, german: Skerischora) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

located in Alba County,

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 ...

. It is composed of fourteen villages: Bârlești, Botești (''Botesbánya''), Fața-Lăzești, Florești, Lăzești (''Lezest''), Lespezea, Maței, Negești, Preluca, Runc, Scărișoara, Sfoartea, Știuleți, and Trâncești. The commune is situated in the

Țara Moților Țara Moților (german: Motzenland), also known as ''Țara de Piatră'' ("The Stone Land") is an ethnogeographical region of Romania in the Apuseni Mountains, on the upper basin of the Arieș and Crișul Alb River rivers. It covers parts of the ...

ethnogeographical region of the

Apuseni Mountains The Apuseni Mountains ( ro, Munții Apuseni, hu, Erdélyi-középhegység) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians, also called ''Occidentali'' in Romanian. Their name translates from Rom ...

, at the foot of the

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 ...

. Most of the component villages lie at an altitude of over , with Preluca at and Runc at . The surface area is , with about 75% forrested land and 20% agricultural land. Scărișoara is located in the northwestern corner of Alba County, on the border with

Cluj County Cluj County (; german: Kreis Klausenburg, hu, Kolozs megye) is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Transylvania. Its seat ( ro, Oraș reședință de județ) is Cluj-Napoca (german: Klausenburg). Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Kolozs megye ...

and near the border with

Bihor County Bihor County () is a county ( județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea. Toponymy The origin of ...

. The nearest town is

Câmpeni Câmpeni (German: ''Topesdorf''; Hungarian: ''Topánfalva'') is a town in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. The town administers 21 villages: Boncești, Borlești, Botești (''Botesbánya''), Certege (''Csertés''), Coasta Vâscului, Dăndu� ...

, to the southeast; the county capital,

Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical ...

is some further away, in the same general direction. The commune is crossed by

national road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...

, which runs from a major junction in

Turda Turda (; hu, Torda, ; german: link=no, Thorenburg; la, Potaissa) is a city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the Europe ...

, Cluj County, through Câmpeni and Scărișoara, and on to

Ștei Ștei ( hu, Vaskohsziklás) is a town in Bihor County, Crișana, Romania. Between 1958 and 1996, it was named ''Dr. Petru Groza'', after the Romanian socialist leader who died in 1958. History The town was founded in 1952, near a village of ...

, Bihor County, where it connects to

European route E79 European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

. The

Scărișoara Cave Scărișoara Cave (, hu, Aranyosfői-jégbarlang), is one of the biggest ice caves in the Apuseni Mountains of Romania, in a part of Carpathian chain. It is considered a show cave and one of the natural wonders of Romania. It has also been desc ...

is some to the northwest, on the territory of the neighboring commune of

Gârda de Sus Gârda de Sus ( hu, Felsőgirda; german: Obergierd) is a commune located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 1,865, and is composed of seventeen villages: Biharia, Dealu Frumos, Dealu Ordâncușii, Dobrești, Gârda de Su ...

. As of the 2011, the commune had a population of 1,661, of which 82% were

ethnic Romanians The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...

and 15.29%

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

References

External links

Scărișoara on ''www.ghidulprimariilor.ro''Scărișoara on ''www.sate-comune.ro''

Biserica din ScarisoaraAB

Communes in Alba County Localities in Transylvania {{Alba-geo-stub