Uricani is a town in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania.

Understand

The Uricani locality is first mentioned in a certified document dated 1818, when the locality was referred to as Hobiceni-Uricani, the name it carried until the union in 1918. The name of Uricani is derived from the name Hobita (listed in documents from 1411) and Uric (from 1473) from Hateg Land. After Ardeal’s union with the mother country, the locality's name was changed to Uricani. Over time, the village of Campu lui Neag functioned as either a political commune or a village belonging to the Uricani locality. In 1965, Uricani was declared a city, and the villages of Valea de Brazi and Campu lui Neag were added under its jurisdiction.

Like the other Jiu Valley cities, Uricani's principal economic activities revolve around the region's coal mines, although the city, like the region, is in a period of transition as the mines have been gradually closed and many of the workers made redundant. The city lies on the western side of Jiu Valley and at the foot of the Retezat Mountains. The city is located in Hunedoara County and adjacent to Mehedinţi and Gorj counties in Oltenia. It lies at an altitude of 729 m on the west side of the Petrosani Depression and along the West Jiu River. Its area also contains the smaller waterways of Lazarul, Valea de Pesti, Buta, and Bilugu, as well as the fresh water reservoir which contains the drinking water used throughout the Jiu Valley. The city covers 25,141 hectares, the largest geographical area of all the Jiu Valley cities. The city limits are bordered to the east by Cow’s Valley, to the west by Retezat National Park, to the north by peaks of the Retezat Mountains (Custura, Lazarul, 2282m; and Tulisa, 1782m), and to the south by peaks of the Vâlcan Mountains (Coarnele, 1789m; and Siglaul Mare, 1682m). The surrounding mountains are part of the Meridional Carpathians (in an area commonly referred to as the Transylvanian Alps).

Get in

By car

Uricani is accessed via the DN 66A, the 27 kilometer long west branch of the DN 66 that connects it to the cities of Petrosani, Vulcan, and Lupeni.

See

• Retezat National Park. Uricani is one of the entries in Retezat National Park, access from the south-east of the massif being made through Lazăru - the peak Valea Marii and Piule - Buta areas. 
• 1 Cheile Buții (Butii Gorge). Is located on the southern flank of the mountain Retezat being carved in limestone formations from early Jurassic period and provides an extensive network of caves, springs, waterfalls and natural dams. 
• 2 Valea de Pești (Fish Valley). It is the main stream feeding lake of the same name. With an area of 10 hectares, the lake has a considerable length and an extraordinary natural beauty. Also on the upstream, is located Ice Cave and the Arcanu area. 

Sleep

• 1 Complex Turistic Cheile Butii, Câmpu lui Neag. A chance to stay in the Cheile Butii Gorge, where accommodations are in the form of lodges in conjunction with a restaurant featuring Swedish breakfasts at this mountain resort. 162 leu. (updated Feb 2021)
• 2 Pensiunea Retezat, DN66A, Câmpu lui Neag, ☏ +40722538551. Nestled in the valley, this place has an outdoor pool, waterslide, and ropes course (okay, well that may be at a recreation venue called Park Adventure 'Black Părăul' nearby) to make things fun. (updated Feb 2021)
• 3 Pensiunea Fish Valley, Campu lui neag Str. Valea de Pesti Nr. 188 A, Uricani, ☏ +40 745 305 050. Another enchanting country inn, where you can have some quiche in the morning and bask in the sun by the outdoor pool in the afternoon. (updated Feb 2021)

Go next

• Petrosani
• Lupeni
• Aninoasa
• Petrosani
• Deva
• Hunedoara
• Hateg
• Orastie