Discover Kudsir: Nature, History and Activities

Kudsir can be explored through two clearly distinct sides: forests, mountains and trails, as well as a history in which industry, Dacian fortifications and regional folklore come to light. For your planning, nature, physical activities and cultural topics can be considered side by side.

Nature and Trails

Poiana cu Goruni near Vinerea is considered a centuries-old oak forest with a protected habitat for the stag beetle. Among other things, porcini mushrooms and chanterelles grow in the forests around Cugir. A hiking trail marked with a yellow triangle leads from Cugir via Valea Grușerii, Călene, Vîrful Grușerița, Dealul Piatra Pleșii and Valea Ghișag to Poiana Pochia. The Wasserlinner water pipeline runs for over 5 km from the reservoir on the Râul Mic, which was then called Taul lui Nila, to the Cugir water tower and is used by locals for walks in the forest.

Under the regulation approved on 27 May 2026, picnicking in Poiana cu Goruni near Vinerea is permitted only in areas set up for this purpose or designated by the local administration, and only daily from 08:00 to 22:00.

Activities

CugiRace comprises five competitions, including a 69.4 km main race with 2,730 metres of elevation gain, as well as a race for children. The mountain running competition starts and finishes in Poiana cu Goruni; its routes lead through the Șureanu Mountains. In Cugir, family hikes and cycling tours are offered as leisure activities. The various types of activities, as well as route length and elevation gain, can be compared separately for planning your day.

If you are comparing hotels in Kudsir, check the travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the booking page.

More Places

You can find more places in the same higher-level area under Săliștea, Pianu De Sus, Câlnic, Sălciua De Sus, Ţelna, Pianu De Jos, Brăzești and Pleșcuța.

History

The iron and steel factory in Cugir was founded in 1799 and is now known as Uzina Mecanică Cugir. The Cugir water tower, also called Castelul de Apă, was built in 1909–1911 and renovated in 2011. Țara Vântului is a viewpoint overlooking Cugir and is associated with burial mounds as well as traces of Dacian and Roman settlement.

The fortification near Cugir was part of the Dacian defense system built to protect the power center of Sarmizegetusa Regia. The traces of Dacian settlement at the fortress date from the 5th to 4th centuries BC; the actual fortress complex was built in the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. The Dacian fortress near Cugir is presumably identified with Singidava, which Ptolemy described as the largest and richest fortress in the MureÈ™ Valley.

Culture and Cuisine

The folklore festival in Poiana cu Goruni began in 2009. From 2012 onward, it was held as the national festival of dances and folk traditions Cugir–Vinerea and continued annually until 2019. The Casa Cugireană restaurant offers traditional recipes dating from 1957 as well as contemporary recipes.

For the higher-level travel overview: Alba.