Going from Mihai Viteazul commune to the north, crossing the village of Cheia and then on the route that passes near the limestone quarry exploited for the Cement Factory in Turda, you reach one of the most remarkable natural attractions in Romania, namely Cheile Turzii.
Cheile Turzii represents an imposing crack in the limestone layer that forms the ridge that watches over the Transylvanian Depression to the west. The depth of this break in the rocks reaches 350 meters, and their length stretches for 3.5 kilometers. They appeared by digging the Hășdate Valley that runs through them. Along with the deepening of the valley, in different levels of stagnation, various karst forms, caves and arches, buttresses, storied towers along the entire height of the gorges, etc. arose on the slopes of the stream.
In total, 60 caves, crevices and arches are known in Cheile Turzii, vestiges of collapsed caves, all of them small in size. Only eight of these exceed 20 meters in length, the largest being 120 meters. The attractiveness of the caves derives from their great diversity of shapes, the arrangement on five different levels and the presence of animal remains and numerous archaeological remains, which date back to the Lower Paleolithic (Prund culture), the ages of copper, bronze and iron.
It is notable that the oldest archaeological remains were found in the caves located in the upper part, in the middle ones more recent remains are found, and in the lower ones, historical traces. This finding precisely marks the moment when the valley deepening process occurred.
Crossing the gorges on a narrow path, sometimes dug through the rock or crossing the gorges on suspended walkways, you can see the karst forms mentioned on the slopes, each with a name inspired by its appearance. Among them, the Yellow Tower decorated with Yew trees, the Grohotișul mare, the Fairy Bath, the Giant Wall where the endemic plant Allium obliquum from the garlic family grows, the Ileana Cosânzeana Lake, the Pointed Tower, and others stand out.
The caves in the area are also notable. Morarilor Cave, Călăștur or Lăbășuc Cave, located at 751 m altitude, Hornarilor Cave with a length of 20 m, Modoloaie Cave, and Hungarian Cave, located at 560 m altitude, the largest of them having a length of 75 m.
The Hungarian cave became famous for the western archaeological discoveries, it is assumed that the Roman priests of Potaissa (Turda) performed religious ceremonies here.
Also, documents from 1703 mention the Hungarian Cave as a shelter for a band of rebels led by Captain Nichita Balica, a popular leader of Francis Rakoczi II's army, who rose up against Habsburg rule. Leading a small band of revolted peasants, Balica attacked the Austrian garrisons controlling Turda at night.
The Turzii Gorges are attractive not only because of their spectacular appearance and capricious morphology, but also because of the diversity and interest presented by their rich vegetation; 997 floristic species can be found here, representing more than a quarter of the total of approximately 3300 plants that grow in Romania.
Tertiary and glacial relicts, steppe, Balkan and Mediterranean elements can be found in these gorges. Numerous plants are endemic or represent global rarities, such as Allium obliquum, a species of garlic found exclusively in Turkestan, Ferrula sadleriana, known only in Hungary along the Danube, or unique plants such as Aconitum fissurae, Carduus fissurae, Dianthus integripetalus, and others.
Fauna, especially insects, show the same variety and mixture of species. Among the mammals that live in this area is the stone marten, which finds shelter in the deepest hollows, and among the 67 species of birds, many are rarities, such as the rock warbler and the mountain coot. Lepidoptera (butterflies) are specific to the Turzii Gorges, some of them being known only in the Urals and near the city of Rijeka in Croatia (butterflies of the genus Phybalopteryx), being remarkable for their beautiful and varied colors.
Due to the beauty of the landscape and the floristic and faunal interest, Cheile Turzii was recognized as a natural monument and included in a natural reserve covering an area of 125 hectares.
At the entrance to the gorge is Cheile Turzii Cottage, a massive construction in the style of old castles. Initially, between 1890 and 1894, a shelter house was built on the current site of the cabin by the Transylvanian Carpathian Society. At the same time, a path through the quays was laid out, but it was destroyed in 1899 during a great flood, which also affected the shelter house. Until 1930, only a ruined tower remained of it. In 1934, the same society started the construction of a new lodge.
The keys are accessible on foot, on a route marked with a red dot. The route takes about 2 and a half hours. For those who want to explore the keys from a vertical perspective, there is a Via Ferrata route. The Via Ferrata route is demanding and requires proper climbing equipment.
Source: Tourist itinerary Alba Iulia - Cluj-Napoca - Oradea (Ministry of Tourism, 1982)
