The Jiul de Vest flows through Lupeni; the Vâlcan Massif lies south of the town. The mountain resort of Straja is in the northern part of the range at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,400 metres, about 8 km from Lupeni.
Lupeni and Straja: two locations
The Straja gondola provides tourist access to the resort and covers a distance of more than 2.5 km. If you plan to use it to get there, check the operating hours in advance. The different locations are also relevant when planning your trip: the ski area and resort are in Straja, while the Jiul de Vest flows through Lupeni.
Winter sports and mountain biking trails
The Straja ski area covers approximately 26 kilometres and has 12 ski runs, each equipped with a cable lift and artificial snowmaking. It is worth distinguishing the size of the ski area from that of an individual run: Pârtia Straja alone is 8.1 kilometres long. It runs from Vârful Straja at 1,868 metres to the gondola’s valley station at 750 metres. The infrastructure may change as a result of renovations, so check the latest information before making plans.
Mountain biking trails are also available in the area. Traseul Lupilor is an approximately 4-kilometre-long mountain biking trail in the Straja resort near Lupeni. Traseul Baloo is 3.2 kilometres long, is classified as All Mountain/Enduro, and has a medium difficulty level. This lets you plan using specific trail lengths alongside the stated activity characteristics.
Churches, culture and memorial sites
The “Sfintele Femei Mironosițe” Church in Lupeni was built between 1906 and 1908 in the Neo-Byzantine style and has a Baroque bell tower. The “Sf. Ierarh Nicolae” Church was built between 1922 and 1928. Its floor plan is trilobed, with semicircular apses. Older is the Roman Catholic church on Muntele Carmel: built between 1842 and 1848 in the Neoclassical style, it contains an organ by Mátisfalvi Szocs Sámuel. The construction dates of these three churches therefore span the 19th and early 20th centuries, and their architectural features also differ.
An archaeological record at Peștera Belona on Straja Hill in Lupeni documents a settlement from the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. Palatul Cultural Lupeni, also known today as Palatul Cultural „Minerul”, was built by Societatea Anonimă Română „Lupeni” based on the model of the Golden Hall of the Vienna Philharmonic.
The mining history is also commemorated at memorial sites. The Lupeni 29 monument was created by sculptor Ion Irimescu in 1968 and depicts the miners’ strike of 1929 in the Jiu Valley. A separate memorial and burial monument commemorates the miners who died on 27 April 1922 in a serious mining accident at Mina Aurelia. The two sites therefore relate to different events and dates.
Schitul din Straja was founded in Straja in 1999. The complex includes a wooden church and several monks’ cells. The 54-metre-long Tunelul sfinților ortodocși connects the wooden church with the Straja resort; religious scenes and an Orthodox calendar are painted inside the tunnel.
Traditions and events
Nedeia Sânzienelor takes place every year on 24 June in the mountain resort of Straja near Lupeni. This traditional outdoor festival is associated with the harvest, vegetation and fertility. It includes a horse-riding competition in which riders must wear authentic Romanian folk costume from their respective regions of origin.
Another annual tradition in Straja is the “Drumul Crucii” procession, held there since 2000. No specific day of the week is given for it. In December, Lupeni hosts the Festivalul Crailor. Groups of Christmas carol singers from the Jiu Valley and a large audience gather for the event. These dates and traditions add a seasonal perspective on the region’s cultural life to excursions to architectural and memorial sites.
Discover more destinations: Vața De Jos, Simeria, Hărău, Hățăgel, Geoagiu Băi, Peştera, Geoagiu, Diemrich
Go to the main travel overview: Eisenmarkt.
