Lacul Tăul Mare Roșia Montană

Tăul Mare is part of the network of artificial lakes built in the Roșia Montană area to support mining activity. The construction of the tăuri began in 1733, during the period of Austro-Hungarian rule, to supply water to the hundreds of șteampuri — mechanical installations used for breaking rocks and separating gold from ore. In 1778, there were 8 main tăuri in the area, which powered 692 șteampuri. Tăul Mare, the largest and deepest lake in the area, is located at an altitude of 930 m, on the upper valley of the Roșia, fed by three streams from the hills of Rotundu, Vârși and Suley. It has a surface area of approximately 32,000 sq m, a volume of 160,600 m³ and a maximum depth of 10 m. The dam is 120 m long and 25 m high, with a drainage gallery and access tower. The last major repair of the dam took place in 1913–1914. Roșia Montană as a whole has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021, as the most active mining site in the Carpathians of Romania, with continuous activity dating back to the Bronze Age. Today, Tăul Mare is developed for sport fishing and represents one of the main vantage points of the area — from a certain angle, the surface of the lake takes the shape of a heart. The panorama encompasses Vârful Cârnic, Vârful Cetate and Vârful Vulcan. Roșia Montană, including Tăul Mare and the network of tăuri in the area, forms part of the mining cultural site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 — one of the most recent and most significant international recognitions of Romanian cultural heritage.