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Cavnic is worth visiting, but not only for skiing!
Whenever we talk about Cavnic, the tourist resort of local interest, we tend to imagine ourselves on the slopes, in a setting dominated by white expanses and tall fir trees, powdered with snow. However, the town of Cavnic means much more than just winter sports, so our recommendation is to keep it on the list of destinations to visit in the warm season as well.
The small mountain town has a rich history, which one can discover by visiting the town’s historic sites. Following the chronological order of events, we begin the discovery of Cavnic by admiring the glorious Pillar of the Tartars, an obelisk over 7 m high, bearing the inscription "Anno 1717 usque hic fuerunt tartari", meaning "In 1717, the Tartars arrived until here". This monument evokes the bravery with which the locals, backed by the peasants from Șurdești, succeeded to prevent the Tartars’ invasion in 1717. It is said that in order to defeat the Tartars, the people of Cavnic resorted to a unique method, dressed as brondoși (traditional costume), with masks and harnesses with bells, and thus frightened the horses of the enemies, making it impossible for them to advance. This event seems to have been the source of the custom of the locals to dress up as brondoși around Christmas, a tradition perpetuated to this day. In 1736, in memory of the resounding victory, a small reserve of larch was planted in the place called the King's Garden, and some of those secular specimens can still be admired.
We continue by talking about the spiritual dimension and submit to your attention a pearl of the church tradition in Cavnic, namely the church "St. Varvara". The patron saint of the place of worship was not chosen by chance, St. Varvara being the protector of the miners, but also of prisoners, geologists and architects. The erection of the church was completed more than two centuries ago, in 1812, but its decoration would be completed about a century later. The edifice surprises by the imposing turret, whose height exceeds 30 m, but also by the altar and the pulpit that were carved in massive salt. This holy place, between the walls of which thousands and thousands of prayers have been said, will reward one’s curiosity for having discovered it by instilling a natural state of inner peace and tranquility.
Then we discover the period of glory of the town of Cavnic, which overlaps with the mining past of the settlement, an era of prosperity, when here miners would extract the purest gold in the world. Today one can see some of the places and buildings which are emblematic for the mining industry in the area. To begin with, we stop at the ruins of the gold foundry - "Logolda". The Logolda foundry was built in 1862 and soon became famous for its cyanide technology used to extract gold, a method which was used for the first time in this region of the world. Although this objective is worthy of attention and, with a proper arrangement, it could have become a magnet for tourists, it has not been the subject of any restoration process so far. Until this happens, however, it is worth taking the time to visit this place where the deserted, time-worn walls have given way to wildlife. Among the old technological archetypes of Cavnic, of a special historical importance is the flotation of non-ferrous metals, dated around 1810-1820, together with the housing complex and the administration of the Cavnic mine, erected between the 18th-20th centuries, in the Handal neighborhood. Due to their antiquity and, moreover, the importance they had in the industrial course of the town, all these are also on the list of heritage monuments. We do not yet leave the period when the town was an important mining center and we visit the Born and Papp Museum, a modest institution that pays homage to Ignaz Edler von Born, a renowned metallurgist dedicated to the study of minerals and Papp Simon, an illustrious geologist, whose name is linked to crude oil extraction technology. Here tourists will discover documents, photos, scientific papers, as well as a collection of minerals that belonged to the two personalities. The museum also houses a number of mining tools and objects. Although the mining industry brought undeniable economic benefits, hard work in the Cavnic mines is a lesser-known side of this story. In addition to the local labor force, political prisoners were also forced to work here, some of them perishing deep underground. A concrete monument was erected in 1993 in memory of the prisoners and leaders of the historical parties who were exploited in the Rainer Gallery between 1951-1955.
Last but not least, we must talk about the appreciation for the picturesque landscape, surrounded by the mountains that guard the settlement, like imposing guards, but also by the trees that compete valiantly among each other to become one with the sky. From the resort, wherever one dares to go, one will be able to choose from the many hiking trails, well-trodden by curious nature lovers. All one has to do is come and enjoy an energy dose, by taking a deep breath of the harsh, clean mountain air, and letting yourself be carried away into a complete experience, with a rich history and even more wonderful nature.