Șureanu Mountains

The Șureanu Mountains, also known as the Sebeș Mountains, are a range of the Șureanu-Parâng-Lotru group of the Southern Carpathians. They cover 1,585 km² and are bounded by the Mureș valley to the north, the Cindrel Mountains to the east, the lower Strei corridor to the west and the Hațeg and Petroșani depressions to the south. The highest summit is Vârfu lui Pătru (2,130 m), followed by Vârful Șureanu (2,059 m), both on the Alba County side. The range has no sharp ridges but broad erosion surfaces. The only glacial lake is Lake Șureanu (1,737 m), in the cirque east of Vârful Șureanu, while Iezerul and Iezerașul, in the Cârpa cirque, are snow-melt lakes. The range is drained by the Sebeș, the Cugir (which rises below Vârfu lui Pătru) and the Strei, whose upper course, the only part crossing the mountains, is called Petros. Vegetation is layered: beech forest on the lower slopes, spruce forest between 1,300 and 1,700 m, dwarf mountain pine and subalpine and alpine grassland on the summits. Mammals recorded include brown bear, wolf, lynx, wild boar and roe deer. The Hunedoara part of the range, in the north and west, includes the Dacian fortresses of Sarmizegetusa Regia, set on the south-western spur of Vârful Godeanu (1,656 m), Blidaru, Costești, Piatra Roșie and Bănița. In the south-west, on limestone, there are gorges and caves: the Crivadia Gorges, Șura Mare Cave, the Cioclovina karst complex and Tecuri Cave, all within Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park.