The Straja story

Lupeni has been documented for more than three centuries, back when local life revolved around herding and hunting. Once coal was found here, in the 19th century, the Jiu Valley filled up quickly and became one of Romania's major mining centres.

Straja mountain stayed for a long time a reserve of pasture and quiet for the people in the valley: a place you climbed in summer with the animals, and in winter only with a serious reason.

The resort sits at roughly 1,445 metres, on the northern slope of the Vâlcan Mountains, about eight kilometres from Lupeni. Above it, Straja Peak rises to 1,868 metres, flanked by ridges such as Mutu and Coarnele.

The Straja plateau, wide and sun-exposed, is the key to the whole place: the upper runs open onto it, people gather on it at midday, and from its edge, in clear weather, you can see the towns of the western Jiu Valley and the crests of the Retezat.

In 1996, on a ridge close to 1,480 metres, the Heroes' Cross was raised, about 19 metres tall, in memory of the soldiers who fell in the First World War. It is visible from far away and has become the landmark by which you recognise Straja from the valley below.

A few years later, in 1999, work began on the wooden skete beneath the cross, with monastic cells and a 57-metre access tunnel whose walls carry icons arranged by the Orthodox calendar. The Way of the Cross also starts here, the Good Friday pilgrimage with fourteen stops marked by stone crosses.

The Jiu Valley's shift from mining toward tourism gave Straja the push it needed. The cabin settlement expanded year by year, and the cable installations multiplied through investment that was mostly private.

Today the area counts around 12 runs and roughly 26 kilometres of descent, with cable installations that include a gondola from the Brăița area, several chairlifts and tow lifts, plus snow guns along much of the route. A few runs are lit for night skiing.

Straja was officially declared a tourist resort in 2002. Around the plateau, roughly two hundred cabins, guesthouses and holiday homes have gathered over time, and the gondola from Lupeni carries visitors up in about a quarter of an hour.

Winter brings ski races and snow festivals; in summer, Straja becomes a starting point for hikes toward Straja Peak, toward the Vâlcan Pass and, further on, toward the Retezat. It is a story still being written, and this platform will fill it in as the resort team adds verified detail.