Petroșani is the capital of the Jiu valley, a long trench between the Retezat, Vâlcan, Parâng and Șureanu mountains in south-western Romania, and for most of the twentieth century it was the heart of the country's hard-coal industry. The hills around the town, including Dealul Botanilor, look down on a landscape of mining towns, pit heads and miners' housing, with the high mountains rising all around.
The miners of the Jiu valley loom large in Romanian history. In 1977, they went on strike against the Ceaușescu regime, one of the few open challenges to communist rule. In 1990 and the following years, after the revolution, miners were brought to Bucharest several times in the episodes known as the mineriads, violently suppressing protesters. Since then, most of the mines have closed, and the valley has struggled with unemployment and emigration. Petrila has turned some of its old mine buildings into a cultural site, and the local mining museum keeps the memories alive.
The mountains are the valley's future. The Parâng mountains, rising just south-east of Petroșani, have a ski resort reached by a chairlift and a road, and in summer the high ridges offer superb hiking with views over glacial lakes. The Retezat National Park, to the west, is one of the wildest mountain areas in Europe, with dozens of glacial lakes and a population of bears, wolves and chamois.
For riders, Petroșani is a crossroads of wonderful roads. The DN66 runs south through the Jiu Gorge, a narrow canyon carved by the river, with tight curves, tunnels and a railway alongside, to Târgu Jiu, home of the sculptures of Constantin Brâncuși. Head east and you can reach the Transalpina, the DN67C, which climbs to over two thousand metres over the Parâng mountains, with stunning views; it is open only in the summer months, usually from late June or July to October, depending on the snow. To the north, the road over the Merișor pass leads to Hațeg.
Petrila, about ten kilometres away, and Petroșani have fuel, shops, guesthouses and restaurants. Try papanași, fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam, for an indulgent dessert, and plan your crossing of the Transalpina for a clear morning, when the views are at their best.