• Protected Area Name: Natura 2000 Site ROSCI0130 Oituz-Ojdula
• Area: 15,319 hectares
• Legislative Recognition: Natura 2000 Site ROSCI0130

Location: The site is located in Covasna County, at the border with Bacău and Vrancea counties, in the Oituz River basin.

Physical Environment:

• Relief: Characteristic of mountainous areas with medium-high relief energy. The site is 90% covered by forests, with the remaining 10% consisting of alpine meadows, hayfields, and wooded pastures.
• Geology/Geomorphology: Located in the northern part of the Vrancea Mountains, including Brețcu Mountains, Cașinului Mountains, Zboina Neagră Mountain, and Lepșa Mountains.
• Hydrology: The hydrographic network has a radial distribution, draining into both the Siret and Olt basins.
• Climate: Temperate-continental climate with remarkable seasonal fluctuations.

Biotic Environment: The site is covered 90% by forests, predominantly beech and mixed forests. It also includes alpine and subalpine meadows. European protected habitats include beech forests, acidophilous spruce forests, alluvial forests, and Dacian beech forests.

Community: The local communities of Ojdula (3,519 inhabitants), Lemnia (1,936 inhabitants), and Brețcu (3,550 inhabitants) primarily engage in agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry. Living conditions vary, with some areas lacking access to drinking water and sewage systems. Traditional crafts include wood and stone carving, red ceramics, and textile work.

Management Plan: The purpose of the project is to develop the management plan for the Oituz Ojdula site, serving as an official document for effective and sustainable management.

Tourism: The protected area has potential for tourism and ecotourism activities, contributing to the economic and social well-being of local communities. The three nearby communities—Brețcu, Oituz, and Lemnia—offer various tourist attractions, including churches, Roman forts, and memorials. Ojdula has a Tourist Information Center, and localities offer hiking trails and historical sites.

Species of Community Interest:

• Triturus cristatus (Great Crested Newt): In good conservation status.
• Bombina variegata (Yellow-Bellied Toad): In good conservation status.
• Rhinolopus hipposideros (Lesser Horseshoe Bat): In good conservation status.
• Ursus arctos (Brown Bear): In good conservation status.
• Canis lupus (Gray Wolf): In good conservation status.
• Lynx lynx (Eurasian Lynx): In good conservation status.

This area serves as an important winter habitat for the brown bear, and other large carnivores such as the gray wolf and Eurasian lynx are present. Additionally, several bat species, amphibians (Bombina variegata and Triturus cristatus), and other species contribute to the biodiversity of the area.

Tourism Opportunities: The protected area offers significant potential for tourism and ecotourism activities, providing economic benefits and sustainable development opportunities for local communities.

Sources of Information: Habitats, Species, and Sites Catalog – Info Natura 2000 in Romania, www.insse.ro Census 2011, www.ghidulprimariilor.ro.

Maps: Attach the location map.

Management Plan: The aim of the project is to develop the management plan for the Oituz Ojdula site, serving as a guide for effective and sustainable management.

Tourism: The protected area has potential for tourism and ecotourism activities, contributing to the economic and social well-being of local communities. In the three nearby communities—Brețcu, Oituz, and Lemnia—there is developed tourism with many tourist attractions. In Brețcu, tourist attractions include the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, the Roman Catholic Church, the Roman Castrum Augustia, the Gábor Áron Memorial House, and the Gábor Áron Statue. Near the village of Brețcu, there is the Oituz Pass, and in front of the pass, you can find the Roman Castrum Augustia. Along the road from Brețcu towards the Oituz Pass, there is the classic obelisk placed in 1899 by the Royal Office of State Construction in memory of Queen Elisabeth. In Ojdula, there is a Local Tourist Information Center, and tourist attractions include the World War I and II Memorial Monument, the Millennial Monument, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Greek-Catholic Church. Several hiking trails start from Ojdula towards the Kőlik Cave or Mt. Pilişka. In Lemnia, tourist attractions include the Roman Catholic Church of St. Michael, built-in 1510, and a well-preserved Baroque-style Roman Catholic complex on Mount St. Michael, constructed in the 16th century. This complex includes a church with two bastions in a south-north position, surrounded by a protective wall. The church, adorned with rich iconography, houses the Rákóczi bell from 1697. For more information, visit http://www.visitojdula.ro.