Groșii Țibleșului Ancient Beech Forests

About Groșii Țibleșului Ancient Beech Forests

The Groșii Țibleșului ancient forests are beech woods untouched by human hands, on the slopes of the volcanic Țibleș massif, in the Lăpuș Land of northern Romania. They were placed under protection in 2005 at the initiative of the commune's forestry district, and in 2017 two of the tracts, Izvorul Șurii (210.5 ha) and Preluci (135.8 ha), were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the site "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". Both lie within a shared buffer zone of 563.6 ha and belong to the 927-hectare Groșii Țibleșului Natura 2000 site.

The forest climbs from about 980 to 1,450 m, on acid soils formed on andesite. Beech dominates, alongside silver fir and sycamore maple, and in places there are small oligotrophic bogs, rare in the north of the Romanian Carpathians. The stands have regenerated only naturally: they hold trees two to three centuries old and plenty of deadwood, left to rot where it falls. Together with the Strâmbu-Băiuț forest to the west, they link Romania's UNESCO beech forests with those of the Ukrainian Carpathians.

Bears, wolves, lynx, wildcats and Carpathian red deer live in the forest, along with birds such as the black stork, the black woodpecker and the Ural owl. Local lore also tells of a hollow beech in the Preluci area where Gheorghe Pașca, a game warden and anti-communist fighter, is said to have hidden in 1949.

Information verified on 21 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Târgu Lăpuș take the DJ109F and DJ171 through Dămăcușeni and Suciu de Jos, then the DJ171A to Groșii Țibleșului (~23 km, ~30 min). From Baia Mare it is ~66 km (~1h15), on the DN18B via Târgu Lăpuș. From the end of the village a mountain road of ~10 km climbs towards Cabana Țibleș (almost an hour's drive); a further ~3.5 km up the Izvorul Rău valley lead to the geological exploration tunnel (IPEG), where the path waymarked with a blue stripe and blue dot sets off for the Arcer refuge.

Public transport: buses from Baia Mare and Târgu Lăpuș to Groșii Țibleșului; from there to the forest you go on foot or by your own car.

Where to park

There is no proper car park. For the Arcer trail, cars are left in the Izvorul Rău valley, downstream of the tunnel, without blocking the forest road.

Rules

The UNESCO zones are under strict protection (IUCN category I): no wood is cut, no plants are picked and you must not leave the roads and waymarked trails. Fires are allowed only at designated spots, litter goes back with you and dogs stay on a lead. The area is bear habitat and there are sheepfolds with dogs on the meadows: walk in a group and make noise on the path. You need hiking boots, rain gear and water; trekking poles help.

Facilities

Cabana Țibleș, a forestry lodge, by prior booking · Arcer refuge, a basic shelter with plank beds and a stove, warm season only · spring ~350 m from the refuge · guesthouses in Groșii Țibleșului · no toilets or shop in the forest · weak mobile signal in the valleys · not accessible to people with disabilities