The Igniș – Mara Trail
Start: Sat Şugatag;
Finish: Mara/Sat Şugatag;
Reference points: Sat Şugatag – Iezerul Mare – Cheile Tătarului – Barajul Runcu – Mara – Deseşti – Hărniceşti – Sat Şugatag;
Distance: 25 km/32.9 km; Elevation difference: 450 m; Trail grade: maximum –27%; average – 5.3%;
Difficulty level: D
An ambitious, adventurous trail, but as nice as can be. It has everything: villages, wilderness, varied and anti-boredom roads, postcard-perfect views, two protected areas, ascents and descents.
Our eyes will feast upon the grandeur of the mountain peaks, with the wavy landscape of the Igniș volcanic plateau; we will pass by a marsh (Iezerul Mare) which could definitely win an award in a biodiversity contest and by the andesite walls of the Tătarului Gorge (Cheile Tătarului). After reaching Mara, we can return to Sat Şugatag on the embankment of the former forest railway. And if we pedal on a former railway, we can chose to make a halt in Deseşti, a UNESCO site, or one in Hărniceşti, where we meet the Rails’ Trail.
Highlights:
Glorious mountain landscape
Turbăria Iezerul Mare, Cheile Tătarului – protected areas
Cheile Tătarului – protected area, part of Natura 2000 Ignis site
Barajul Runcu (The Runcu Dam)
The UNESCO church in Deseşti (sec. XVII)
The old wooden churches in Hărniceşti (1679) and Sat Şugatag (1699)
