Panoramic circular tour to the rock world of Szamos Bazaar

Itinerary

• From Varasó Saddle (Şaua Vărăşoaia), a few hundred meters from the junction of the red stripe and red dot markings, we follow the red stripe marking to the Kopott csapás Saddle (Şaua Cumpănăţelul).
• At the Kopott csapás Saddle (Şaua Cumpănăţelul), turn right onto the blue cross marking, which we follow to the Oncsásza Meadow (Poiana Onceasa).
• From Oncsásza Meadow (Poiana Onceasa), we follow the red dot marking to the Szamos Bazaar (Cheile Someşului Cald).
• Follow the right branch of the red dot marking (in the direction of travel) where the valley splits. This junction is not very visible on the ground but is marked on maps.
• We follow the red dot marking through the Aragyásza Cave (Cetătile Rădesei) all the way to the end of the tour (our starting point).

Detailed description of the tour

Up to the ridge

From the shepherd’s huts lined up between the pine-covered cones of Varasó-havas (1461 m) and Magura (1573 m), we only need to walk 3.5 km on the red stripe marking to reach Kopott csapás Saddle (Şaua Cumpănăţelul). Initially, we ascend a wide cart road bordered by pine trees until we reach the gentle clearing of Égett-kő (Piatra Arsă). From here, we climb through a juniper-covered hillside toward the saddle opposite us. The space around us opens up: ahead lies the mountain ridge stretching from Horgas-havas (Vârful Cârligatele) to Tolvajos-kő (Piatra Tâlharului), undulating between 1600 and 1800 meters in height. Looking back, almost the entire Bihar Mountains emerge with the Pădis Plateau, and in the distance, we can glimpse the Southern Carpathians. A terrain model unfolds around us, with meadows and pine forests interspersing the cone-shaped mountains. Unfortunately, the pine forests are drying out intensely in many places or have already died off in patches, mainly due to decreased precipitation over the past decades and various pests, such as bark beetles, proliferating massively.

Views from the ridge

The rocky ascent crowned by a beautiful panorama ends at Kopott csapás Saddle (Şaua Cumpănăţelul). At the junction of hiking trails, we leave the red stripe and turn right to follow the blue cross marks. The path leads across a plateau-like, exposed mountain ridge, with only a few gently protruding peaks and cliff edges surrounded by juniper thickets or solitary pine groups. Walking along the watershed between Sebes-Körös and Fekete-Körös rivers, the panorama not only opens toward the south but also allows a view of the nearby Vlegyásza mountain range to the north.

We cover less than one and a half kilometers on the open, grass-covered ridge, then gradually descend on the blue cross side down the southern flank of the ridge. The path leads through juniper groves from Szőlő-kő (Piatra Grăitoare) and later descends more steeply through pine forest to Oncsásza Meadow (Poiana Onceasa). Although we see some trail marks here, they disappear over time, making it harder to follow the track. To navigate comfortably, using GPS and the Naturewalker app is essential here, while fallen trees blocking the path also complicate progress.

In the Meleg-Szamos valley

It is worth visiting Oncsásza meadow’s edge, a vast, marshy, pine grove-dotted plateau at the boundary between the upper open ridge and the forest closing in below. Multiple trail markings merge at the edge of the meadow. We switch from the blue cross to the red dot marking, turning right. Without GPS help, finding and continuously following the path is almost impossible, as discontinued trails, reduced traffic, and numerous fallen trees have caused the old tracks to vanish. Shortly after, at the valley floor, the path leads us onto a wide macadam road heading into the Meleg-Szamos valley. We descend steadily and comfortably to the bottom of the valley, where we meet the Meleg-Szamos (Someşului Cald) flowing from the opposite side. We follow the narrowing gorge along a rushing creek that roars loudly during snowmelt.

At one point, the red dot trail splits into left and right branches - although nothing except a sign indicates this. Since autumn 2024 (for years), both routes, steeply climbing the cliffs, are officially closed due to fallen trees. The trails are marked but difficult to walk in places, and navigating through the sea of fallen trees is challenging. We recommend the right-hand branch in the direction of travel, which showcases the wild, daring rock scenery of the northern side of the gorge, including the spectacular cave called Baltazár’s Palace (Peşteră Honu). (The left branch is initially impassable and, later on, no better than the parallel recommended trail.)

The initially stepped rocky trail climbs steeply to the entrance of Baltazár’s Palace (Peşteră Honu) cave: the mostly dry spring cave can be explored for a long stretch with a headlamp. Although the path seems to continue in the open entrance chamber, it actually turns left just before it and finds a way above the gully.

Below the towering cliffs above us but winding above the gorge’s edges, a stony path reveals impressive depths. Fallen trunks blocking the way slow progress, and steep descents are hindered by groups of fallen trees. After one harder and one easier creek crossing, we finally reach the Szamos Bazaar (Cheile Someșului Cald), one of the most amazing parts of the Pădis karst region in Bihar. It is no coincidence that the area’s explorer, geologist Gyula Czárán, was inspired by this fairy-tale-like environment: he named many spectacular spots with eloquent or fairy-tale geographic names, and the unique canyon reminded him of an Eastern bazaar. “Don’t be fooled by the name; this is a bazaar where no one gets extorted, nothing is sold for money, and everything is enjoyed freely,” he wrote.

At the clearing widening under the cliffs, the Aragyásza and Feredő streams (Pârâul Feredeului and Pârâul Rădesei) join to form the Meleg-Szamos (Someșului Cald), which flows onward as one. We enter the Szamos Bazaar, among rock towers sometimes 100 meters high, viewing the sky-reaching stone giants from the Fortuna Grove (Poiana Rădesei) jungle. The landscape’s untouched nature is shown by the debris carried and sometimes piled up by the water, creating a wild and chaotic scene.

The path leads toward cliffs blocking the valley’s depth. Our tour faces adventurous challenges, as after visiting a small but impressive waterfall reachable to the right, we must choose between climbing the chain-secured surface rocks or continuing through a “tunnel” in the Aragyásza Cave (Cetățile Rădesei). Those seeking a truly unique hiking experience should take the latter route. However, during flooding, only the bypass trail with rock steps blasted by Gyula Czárán can be used – this starts at the confluence of the two streams with a chain-secured section.

Through the Aragyásza Cave

Following the left (valley-side) branch of the red dot marking, we enter a roughly 50-meter-long, very narrow gorge valley secured with chains. We climb higher stepping on rocks and tree trunks. The canyon, named Medúza-zug by Czárán, leads into the cave. The current state of Aragyásza Cave excellently illustrates how the closed passage was transformed into a gorge by water erosion. We can walk along the wide, 212-meter-long cave corridor crossed by a roaring creek, sometimes holding onto chains. Walking through huge rock halls, we sense the mystical atmosphere of the underground karst world, lit by shafts broken into the darkness.

The rock tunnel itself is not very long, but first-time visitors will certainly spend a long time marveling. By its mere size and wild, timeless naturalness, the Aragyásza Cave is captivating, and the sound of rushing water in the dark makes the atmosphere even more special. While admiring the breathtaking view, we must be careful only to cross safely on slippery stones and the high rock steps secured with chains. Good footwear and a headlamp are absolutely necessary. Czárán Gyula also built bridges and other wooden structures along the cave route, but these and their replacements have long been washed away by floods.

The cave, and thus the upper entrance to the Szamos Bazaar, opens at the bottom of a cliff wall with a 15-meter-high and 7-meter-wide cave entrance (“Babylon Gate”), where the stream disappears underground. The red dot trail leads here, where we say goodbye to the amazing rock world of Szamos Bazaar. Leaving the cave, we climb out of the gorge on a narrow path: the trail splits, so we turn left, then follow the path climbing on the left side of the valley (direction of travel) and then, further ahead, take a rightward bend. The few hundred meters of forest section is just the descent of the circular tour: the red dot marking soon brings us back below the shepherd lodges to the tour’s starting point.