Farcău Peak

Farcău Peak lies in the far north-east of Maramureș County, in the Maramureș Mountains, north of the village of Poienile de sub Munte and north-east of the village of Repedea. At 1,957 m it is the highest summit in the Romanian part of this range. The peak is part of the Vârful Farcău - Lacul Vinderelu - Vârful Mihăilecu nature reserve, declared by Law no. 5 of 6 March 2000, which covers 100 hectares in the communes of Poienile de sub Munte and Repedea. The reserve is included in Maramureș Mountains Natural Park. The reserve takes in meadows and the glacial lake Vinderel, which lies in the saddle between Farcău Peak and Mihăilecu Peak (1,918 m), in glacial relief with cirques known as Groapa Julii, Groapa Lupilor and Groapa Bologhii. Rare plants grow on the meadows, such as edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), cottongrass, bog bilberry, alpine hawkweed and Heuffel's crocus. The Farcău massif also shows volcanic and glacial landforms and limestone cliffs. The reserve is a protected area of national interest, IUCN category IV (mixed nature reserve), included in Maramureș Mountains Natural Park.