The unique landscape of this huge ravine has made it a protected area. More than 100 m deep and over 600 m across, scored by rust-coloured gullies, Groapa Ruginoasă – "the Rusty Ravine" – is a natural spectacle in every season.
How it formed
Groapa Ruginoasă is a ravine cut by erosion, which is still at work today. Erosion has laid bare the rock beneath, quartzites in shades of red and violet, which give the place its name. About 80 years ago it was only a small gully; the bare slopes keep widening from year to year.
The ravine lies in the Apuseni Natural Park, in the commune of Pietroasa, Bihor County.
The trail from Vârtop
From the guesthouse it is 45 minutes to an hour on foot. A trail waymarked with a red cross starts from the Vârtop resort; another option climbs from the DN75 road along the yellow stripe waymark.
Good to know
- Stay on the path and do not go down the slopes of the ravine, which are still eroding.
- The ravine is a protected area: do not take stones and leave nothing behind.
- A waymarked trail to the Padiș Plateau also starts from Vârtop, for a full day's hike.