natural wonder
Scarisoara Ice Cave
Cave in the Apuseni mountains holding one of the largest underground glaciers in Europe, with a wooden stair descent.
33 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeRomaniaAlba County
Lupşa
Alba County, Romania · Europe
About Lupşa
Lupşa sits on the route: 10 minutes from Baia de Arieş, 33km from Scarisoara Ice Cave.
Lupşa is in Alba County, Romania, with about 3,800 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Baia de Arieş, about 6 km away.
Lupșa (German: Wolfsdorf; Hungarian: Nagylupsa) is a commune located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of 23 villages: Bârdești, Bârzan, Curmătură, După Deal, Geamăna, Hădărău, Holobani, Lazuri, Lunca, Lupșa, Mănăstire, Mărgaia, Mușca, Pârâu-Cărbunări, Pițiga, Poșogani, Șasa, Trifești, Văi, ValeaRead more
Holhorii, Valea Lupșii, Valea Șesii, and Vința.
The commune is located in Țara Moților, on the slopes of Muntele Mare to the north and the Metaliferi Mountains to the south. The area has a specific mountain relief developed on crystalline schists and metalliferous rocks. It ranges in height between 550 m (1,800 ft) in the meadows of the river Arieș (which traverses it for 19 km) to 1,350 m (4,430 ft) in Geamăna. Lupșa is on the DN75 Turda–Câmpeni national road, 95 km (59 mi) from Alba Iulia, the county seat, 15 km from the city of Câmpeni, and 9 km from Baia de Arieș, the nearest town.
In 1978, the communist regime opened the Roșia Poieni copper mine near Geamăna, which at the time had over 1,000 residents. In 1986, production from the mine caused the formation of a muddy lake, which gradually submerged almost the entire village. By 2015, at most 15 people remained. The main objective is a partly submerged church, which has become a tourist attraction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Lupşa?
Within an hour or so of Lupşa: Scarisoara Ice Cave (33 km), Cheile Turzii (Turda Gorge) (43 km), Turda Salt Mine (51 km), Râpa Roșie (52 km).
Are there any good drives near Lupşa?
The nearest famous roads are Transalpina, Pasul Urdele (Transalpina) and Transfagarasan (DN7C).
Where is Lupşa?
Lupşa is in Alba County, Romania, about 6 km from Baia de Arieş.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,766
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Romania
- Region
- Alba County
- Timezone
- Europe/Bucharest
- Coordinates
- 46.3667, 23.2000
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Romania
Rovinieta (road tax sticker) required for all national roads.
Full driving guide for RomaniaTags
Worth the detour from Lupşa
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Cheile Turzii (Turda Gorge)
A limestone gorge with walls up to 300 m, walked on a path that crosses the stream on a series of bridges.
43 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Turda Salt Mine
A spectacular ancient salt mine transformed into an underground theme park with a Ferris wheel, boating lake, and amphitheatre deep below the surface.
51 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Râpa Roșie
An 800 m wall of red sandstone ravines up to 125 m high just north of Sebeș, eroded into organ-pipe pinnacles that glow crimson at sunset: Romania's 'little Grand Canyon', visible right from the approach road.
52 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Cluj-Napoca
Transylvania's vibrant unofficial capital with a thriving arts scene, grand Habsburg architecture, and a multicultural Romanian-Hungarian heritage.
55 km · about 65 min drive
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