Small Villages in Cerna Mountains – Isolation or Blessing?
Paul PĂTRĂŢANU*1
* Corresponding author
1 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest, ROMANIA
E-mail: paulpatratanu@yahoo.com
Pages: 227-233. URL: https://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/ccau/jssp/arhiva_si2_2013/06JSSPSI022013.pdf
Cite: Pătrățanu P. (2013), Small Villages in Cerna Mountains – Isolation or Blessing? Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, Special Issue 2, 227-233. URL: https://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/ccau/jssp/arhiva_si2_2013/06JSSPSI022013.pdf
Abstract. In order to find and study the last remains of the Romanian village civilization, looking especially in the most remote areas of Romania, I discovered the hamlets in Cerna Mountains, which are probably the best example for that purpose. Although a national road passes less than 1 km away from them, there is a 300-400 m high natural limestone wall that separates the hamlets from the road and limits the access in the area to a few trails that can be passable only on foot or by horseback. Beside the physical isolation, the hamlets are not connected to any utilities: water, sewer, gas, and or even electricity. There is no hospital in the area and there are only two schools with three or four children, for whom the teacher has to come from at least 12 km away. Despite these inconveniences, people here have benefits that we who live in urban areas or in rural areas close to urban have been stripped of or have given up voluntarily. The paper tries to weigh up the advantages and the disadvantages of living in this area to understand if and in favour of whom they tip the balance.
K e y w o r d s: small villages, hamlets, isolated settlements, Romanian village civilization, Cerna Valley