Attraction
Vârciorog Waterfall
Vârciorog Waterfall is a waterfall about 15 m high, situated at the foot of Vârful Piatra Grăitoare (1,658 m), in the south-eastern part of the Munții Bihorului, on the territory of Arieșeni commune, Alba County. It is part of a protected natural reserve of geological and scenic interest, covering an area of 5 ha.
Foto: mihai moise, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vârciorog Waterfall is on the upper course of the Vârciorog stream, a tributary of the Arieșul Mare, within Arieșeni commune, Alba County, close to the border with Bihor County. The waterfall is 15 m high and drops in a single leap over a rocky escarpment, at the base of which the water has carved a deep hollow. The Vârciorog stream runs noisily through a dense fir and spruce forest, and the waterfall can be heard from a distance along the trail.
The waterfall and the area around it were declared a nature reserve by Law no. 5 of 2000, with a total area of 5 ha. In winter the waterfall partly freezes.
Access is from the DN75 road, about 2 km from the centre of Arieșeni towards Vârtop, from where a 3.5 km forest road (yellow dot markings) leads to the waterfall. The waterfall lies at the foot of Piatra Grăitoare peak.
The Vârciorog Waterfall reserve (IUCN category IV) is managed by the Alba Forestry Directorate.
Satul Vanvucești, comuna Arieșeni, județul Alba