# Alba County

Alba County is in Transylvania in Romania.

## Cities

* 46.27388923.051 Abrud — its Roman Catholic Church (14th-18th centuries) has murals dating from the 14th and 15th centuries
* 46.07638923.5727782 Alba Iulia — Alba Carolina Fortress is a massive baroque fortification built in the 18th century, one of the largest of this kind in Eastern Europe
* 46.31027823.7166673 Aiud — an important tourism centre for agrotourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism
* 46.47638922.7569444 Arieșeni — a mountain trekking where you can visit waterfalls, peaks and lots of caves
* 46.37944423.2797225 Baia de Arieș — home to the Muncel Monastery, a place of pilgrimage where on the second Sunday after Pentecost
* 46.17527823.9144446 Blaj — the castle of the Bethlen dynasty is a popular tourist site near Blaj
* 45.887523.6583337 Câlnic — home to the well-preserved Câlnic Citadel, a World Heritage Site, first mentioned in 1269
* 46.362523.0455568 Câmpeni — known for the beauty of its landscape
* 45.84361123.3636119 Cugir — a heavy industrialised town who products include products components and firearms
* 46.3923.8610 Ocna Mureș — known for its salt mines and for the ruins of the medieval castle from 1290, Novum Castrum ("Teleki Castle")
* 46.45425423.56749611 Rimetea — designated as a protected architectural and urban area because of its preservation of houses built in the 17th-18th centuries
* 46.30825823.08260612 Roșia Montană — gold mining started during the Roman era, and finally ended in 2006
* 45.95472223.5713 Sebeș — its an Evangelical-Lutheran Church was rebuilt in Gothic style in the 15th century, and later renovated in the Renaissance style
* 46.223.6814 Teiuș — has several old churches
* 46.15888923.22111115 Zlatna — three nature reserves on the territory of the city have a special value for tourism

## Understand

The Apuseni Mountains are in the northwest; the northeastern side of the Parâng group - the Șureanu and Cindrel Mountains - are in the south. In the east there is the Transylvanian Plateau with deep but wide valleys. The three main elements are separated by the Mureș River valley.

## Get in
### By car

Two important European national roads pass through Alba County:
* E81 (DN 1), which connects the south of Romania and the northwest of the country, and
* E68 (DN 7), which ensures the transit between the south and the west of Transylvania.
Two highways also pass through Alba county:
* A1, which enters the county in the area of Cunța locality and leaves the county in the area of Șibot locality, and
* A10, which intersects with A1 in the area of Sebeș municipality.

### By train

The railway lines that cross Alba County are:
* Alba Iulia – Târgu Mureș railway line
* Alba Iulia – Zlatna railway line (a branch line)
* Arad – Alba Iulia railway line
* Sibiu – Vințu de Jos railway line
* Șibot – Cugir (a branch line)
* Teiuș – Brașov railway line
* Războieni - Târgu Mureș - Deda

## See

The main tourist attractions in the county are:
* 46.48979322.8109391 Scărișoara Glacier Cave
* 46.42492223.5444172 Trascău Citadel
* 46.30111123.5216673 Râmeț Monastery
* 45.82225723.603474 Dacian fortress of Căpâlna
* The city of Alba Iulia
* The Apuseni Mountains
* Scărișoara karst complex — Bihor Mountains 2-3 hours from Garda de Sus
* Maidens' Fair on the Găina Mountain — which takes place on July 20 (St. Elijah) on Mount Găina (1484 m) 8 km southwest of Avram Iancu
* The Dealul cu melci ("Snail Hill") west of Vidra
* Barren Detunata and Shaggy Detunata (Detunatele)
* The Câlnic Citadel and the castle of Gârbova
* The towns and churches of Sebeș and Aiud
* The Ocna Mureș resort
* The Țara Moților ethnographical area. Situated in the Apuseni Mountains, Țara Moților is a region with strong and distinct Romanian traditions.
* Roșia Montană Mining Cultural Landscape - Mining began 2000 years ago on Mt. Kirnik, with well-preserved Roman galleries. A Canadian company attempted an open-pit mine, but abandoned the project around 2007. Roșia Montană is a famous locality among mineral collectors for fine native gold specimens.

## Do

* On the narrow railway between Abrud-Vidolm there is a mountain train, "Mocănița", with stops at Abrud, Roșia Montană (Gura Roșiei), Câmpeni, Bistra, Lupșa, Baia de Arieș, Brăzești, Sălciua, Ocoliș, Vidolm (declared historical monument).

### Ski

* 45.56672423.5093371 Domeniul Schiabil Șureanu (drive Sebeș -> Șugag -> Oașa Lake -> Luncile Prigoanei -> Poarta Raiului). Ski resort in the Șureanu mountains.

## Eat

* 46.42425723.5642661 Conacul Secuiesc (Székelykő Kúria), Colțești village, ☏ +40 730 210 768, office@conaculsecuiesc.ro. Great home made food in a wonderful setting, with a view of the mountains. (updated Mar 2015)