 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Azuga" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Azuga | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location in Prahova County | |
  Azuga Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates:45°26′42″N25°33′19″E / 45.44500°N 25.55528°E /45.44500; 25.55528 | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Prahova |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2024) | Ciprian-George Barbu[2] (PNL) |
Area | 83.04 km2 (32.06 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 930 m (3,050 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[1] | 3,901 |
| • Density | 46.98/km2 (121.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 105100 |
| Area code | (+40) 02 44 |
| Vehicle reg. | PH |
| Website | www |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 3,732 | — |
| 1966 | 4,808 | +28.8% |
| 1977 | 5,397 | +12.3% |
| 1992 | 6,487 | +20.2% |
| 2002 | 6,119 | −5.7% |
| 2011 | 4,289 | −29.9% |
| 2021 | 3,901 | −9.0% |
| Source: Census data[citation needed] | ||
Azuga is a smallresort town in the mountains ofPrahova County in the historical region ofMuntenia,Romania. It is located at the foot of theBaiu Mountains and contains several ski slopes, including the longest ski run in Romania, the Sorica.[3] Once heavily industrialized, Azuga contains a bottled water factory, (a leftover from a notable beer factory that brewed Azuga Beer, now produced elsewhere in Romania under license), a sparkling wine factory,wine tasting, and lodging (Cramele Rhein, owned byHalewood International). The town offers a view over theBucegi Mountains, from street level to the top of the Sorica mountain, where a gondola arrival station is located. Azuga is one of the most famous mountain resorts ofPrahova Valley.
Until the winter of 2002, Azuga was known as an industrial town. After that date, the town was turned into a resort to capitalize on the mountain landscape of theBaiu Mountains. Shortly after, the Sorica slope was certified by theInternational Ski Federation. Today, Azuga houses many hotels and hostels that provide accommodation for tourists. Accommodation in local homes can also be found for a lower price. The town formerly had several other factories including a beer factory, a glassware factory and a wool cloth factory, but those factories were demolished. The refractory materials factory, while still standing, is closed.
Azuga has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Dfb in theKöppen climate classification).
| Climate data for Azuga | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2 (28) | −0.4 (31.3) | 3.3 (37.9) | 8.8 (47.8) | 14 (57) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.4 (66.9) | 14.8 (58.6) | 10 (50) | 5.1 (41.2) | −0.1 (31.8) | 9.1 (48.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.8 (21.6) | −4.4 (24.1) | −0.9 (30.4) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.3 (55.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 15.3 (59.5) | 10.7 (51.3) | 5.8 (42.4) | 1.4 (34.5) | −3.8 (25.2) | 5.1 (41.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −9.3 (15.3) | −8.1 (17.4) | −5 (23) | −0.1 (31.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.8 (51.4) | 11.1 (52.0) | 6.9 (44.4) | 2.3 (36.1) | −1.5 (29.3) | −6.9 (19.6) | 1.2 (34.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 46 (1.8) | 44 (1.7) | 62 (2.4) | 93 (3.7) | 134 (5.3) | 138 (5.4) | 136 (5.4) | 110 (4.3) | 74 (2.9) | 59 (2.3) | 52 (2.0) | 51 (2.0) | 999 (39.2) |
| Source:https://en.climate-data.org/europe/romania/prahova/azuga-12797/ | |||||||||||||
The town is an emerging ski resort, with extensive development in tourism infrastructure.
Sorica is a ski slope with a length of over 2,100 metres (6,900 feet) and a vertical drop of 561 m (1,841 ft). The slope is recommended for both beginners and experienced skiers.
There are also two slopes descending the Cazacu Mountain, one is 1,920 m (6,300 ft) long (with a drop of 530 m) and the other, more suitable for beginners, is 400 m (1,300 ft) long, with a drop of 115 m. Slopes are equipped with ski lifts and a Leitner gondola lift, which goes to the top of Sorica slope, allowing skiers to choose between the two main slopes (access to Cazacu slope requires some tens of meters of ascending, possibly by a small ski lift).
Because of the almost constant winds on the ridge during winter, the uppermost station is a few meters below the top. A higher station would have likely had icing issues, making morning startups difficult as sometimes the only alternative is the snow groomer - snowmobiles not being able to travel in fresh high snow.
In the summer, Azuga is a hiking destination, being a starting point for trips to various mountain destinations inPredeal,Bușteni, orSinaia. Unpavedforest roads attract many bicycle enthusiasts, who can ride along theAzuga River, which is peppered with small woodenartificial waterfalls that oxygenate the water for the manytrouts that naturally populate the river.
.jpg)
