CityOutline guide

Lunca Ilvei

Commune in Bistrița-Năsăud, Romania

Photo: Radufan at Romanian Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Lunca Ilvei is a community, population approximately four thousand, in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania. It is located in the far northeast of Transylvania, immediately west of the Bucovina.

Getting there and around

Getting there

Trains on the Cluj-Napoca to Suceava route stop at Lunca Ilvei station. Alernatively, it's 60km by car from the nearest town, Năsăud.

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Getting around

The community is small enough to walk around. However, one can sometimes hitch a ride on a horse-cart.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Suceava Ștefan cel Mare International Airport

Suceava · International · SCV

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Read before you go to Lunca Ilvei

Articles and travel topics about Lunca Ilvei and Romania.

Culture & history

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the greatest ancient empire of Europe. At the height of its power in 117 AD, it ruled over considerable parts of Europe, as well as much of North Africa and the Middle East.

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Culture & history

Cold War Europe

From the end of World War II in 1945 until the Eastern European revolutions of 1989, Europe was divided between two political blocs: east and west. The border was figuratively called the Iron Curtain.

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Travel tips

Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)), or Soviet Union, emerged as the successor state to the Russian Empire in 1917, and was dissolved in 1991.

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Itineraries

Danube

The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe, with a length of 2,850 km (1,770 mi). It begins in the Black Forest in Germany and flows east to the Black Sea, forming the Danube Delta on its western coast.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandVisitors to Lunca Ilvei can experience the way of life in a remote mountain community, where employment is provided by farming, forestry and shepherding, as well as rural tourism.

TalkSome older people speak French, whilst younger people are now learning English in school. The local language is Romanian.

Get inTrains on the Cluj-Napoca to Suceava route stop at Lunca Ilvei station. Alernatively, it's 60km by car from the nearest town, Năsăud.

Get aroundThe community is small enough to walk around. However, one can sometimes hitch a ride on a horse-cart.

SeeSheepfolds on the mountains around Lunca Ilvei can be visited on foot or horseback (May to September) to experience a unique traditional way of life.

DoLunca Ilvei makes a pleasant stop as part of a sightseeing, cycling or walking tour. It's en-route for train travellers between Transylvania and the Bucovina.

EatVisit the sheepfolds to sample traditional curd cheese ("caș"), soft whey cheese ("urdă"), and even part-made hot whey cheese ("jintiță") straight from the cauldron in the shepherd's hut.

DrinkSeveral stills in the village make double-distilled brandy ("țuică") from plums, apples and pears. Beware, it's strong, up to 60% alcohol content.

SleepThere are several accommodations, including the "Stefan cel Mare" guesthouse, the Constantin guesthouse, Casa Alexandra, and a youth hostel.

Stay safeHikers should take care of the large dogs that guard sheepfolds. If you want to visit the sheepfold, shout to the shepherd who will call his dogs back.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Lunca Ilvei" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Lunca Ilvei", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Radufan at Romanian Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

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