Rarău Massif

The Rarău Mountains are a mountain group of the Moldavian-Transylvanian Carpathians, part of the Eastern Carpathians, whose highest point is Vârful Rarău (1,651 m). To the west, the Colbu river separates them from the Giumalău Mountains. To the north lie the Câmpulung Moldovenesc depression and the Moldova valley, to the east and south-east the Slătioara stream separates them from Obcina Voronețului and the Stânișoara Mountains, and to the south stretch the Bistrița Mountains. The name "Rarău" was already in use in 1541; before that, the massif was called Dodu. Unlike neighbouring Giumalău, which is made of crystalline schists, Rarău has a limestone structure similar to that of Ceahlău and Bucegi, and rugged terrain. Its best-known feature is the Pietrele Doamnei rock group, towers of Mesozoic limestone from under 10 m to over 70 m high. Other landforms include Piatra Șoimului, Piatra Zimbrului (a sheer limestone wall), Popii Rarăului, Pietrele Buhei in the Izvorul Alb valley and the Moara Dracului gorge on the Valea Caselor stream, 60-70 m long and 4-5 m wide. The Bat Cave (Peștera cu Lilieci) lies about one kilometre north of Pietrele Doamnei. Vârful Rarău lies within the municipality of Câmpulung Moldovenesc and carries a telecommunications relay complex. The massif is crossed by county road DJ175B (the Transrarău) and by the main ridge trail marked with a red stripe, which starts at the Mestecăniș Pass, runs over Giumalău and Rarău and continues towards the Stânișoara Mountains. On the southern slope, in the village of Chiril in Crucea commune, stands Rarău Monastery. The massif lies within the Rarău-Giumalău site of community importance (ROSCI0212) and the Munții Rarău-Giumalău special protection area for birds (ROSPA0083), covering parts of Câmpulung Moldovenesc and the communes of Crucea, Pojorâta and Stulpicani. These sites include the Pietrele Doamnei, Codrul secular Slătioara and Fânațele montane Todirescu nature reserves and protect, among others, the brown bear, the wolf, the lady's slipper orchid and the western capercaillie.