


Mazii Gap
The distance to the objective: 18 km county road ( DJ705 )
Within the South sector of Apuseni Mountains one may find a mountain unit rich in gold and silver resources, hence the name Metalliferous Mountains. Between the volcano rocks one may find a few calcareous bars which gave birth to specific relics, such as cloughs and gaps. One of them is Mazii Gap. At the base of the rock called Mazii Rock, there is a cave which served as a refugee place, called The Built Cave. This cave is quite large, it has 545 m and it comprises a series of stalactites, stalagmites and colons, as well as an important bat colony.
On the left side of Mazii Gap, there is Dosu Peak (684 m), which offers a spectacular view over the Metalliferous Mountains. One can visist the gaps by walking or riding only during the summer when the weather is fine and the water flow is not so powerful. Starting from 1979 was built as a natural reservation of mix type with a total size of 10 ha, within the administration of Balșa village. Here you can find interesting plants and flowers, some of them: the motley tulip (Fritillaria montana) and the woundwort (Salvia transilvanica). Regarding the fauna in this region, here you can find characteristic animals for this type of region. In this region you can find the Rhinoceros Viper, which is a species protected by Law.