Arieș River (Mureș)

Arieș
Aranyos
River
300px The Arieș River in Turda
Countries	Romania
Region	Transylvania
Counties	Alba, Cluj
Towns	Turda, Câmpia Turzii
Source
- location	Lake Mihoeşti, at the junction of headwaters: Arieșul Mare and Arieşul Mic.
- elevation	570 m (1,870 ft)
- coordinates
Mouth	Mureş River
- location	Upstream of Gura Arieșului
- elevation	263 m (863 ft)
- coordinates
Length	164 km (102 mi)

The Arieș (Hungarian: Aranyos) is a tributary of Mureș River in Transylvania, Romania.

Most probably "Arieș" means "Gold River", the name being derived from the Latin "Aureus". The Hungarian name "Aranyos" means "Golden" and it was first mentioned in 1177.

Course

The source of the river is in the Bihor Mountains, part of the Apuseni Mountains, which translates as The Western Mountains. The Arieș is formed near the village of Mihoiești at the junction of two headwaters: Arieșul Mare and Arieșul Mic. Its length is approximately 164 km. It flows through Alba and Cluj Counties and flows into the Mureș near the village of Gura Arieșului, which is close to the town of Luduș.

The towns of Câmpeni, Baia de Arieș, Turda, and Câmpia Turzii lie on the river Arieș. The upper valley of the river, Țara Moților, is a beautiful rustic region and an important mining region (Roșia Montană), rich in gold, silver and uranium. Those mines of Apuseni Mountains (also known as "Metaliferi Mountains") were exploited since Dacian reign, and later on they attracted the Roman invasion.

Towns and villages

The following towns and villages are situated along the river Arieș, from source to mouth: Mihoești, Gura Sohodol, Câmpeni, Boncești, Lunca Merilor, Bistra, Gârde, Lunca Largă, Pițiga, Lupșa, Hădărău, Lunca, Valea Lupșii, Valea Șesii, Muncelu, Baia de Arieș, Sartăş, Brăzești, Sălciua de Jos, Poșaga de Jos, Lunca, Vidolm, Lungești, Buru, Moldovenești, Cornești, Cheia, Mihai Viteazu, Turda, Câmpia Turzii, Luna, Luncani, Hădăreni, Gligorești

Tributaries

The following rivers are tributaries to the river Arieș (from source to mouth):

Left: Arieșul Mare, Valea Caselor, Bistra, Bistrișoara, Dobra, Valea Caselor, Izvorul Călugărului, Lupșa, Sartăş, Sălciuţa, Poşaga, Valea Coșegii, Ocoliş, Ocolişel, Iara, Borzești, Pârâul Muntelui, Hășdate, Valea Pordei, Sănduleşti, Valea Racilor, Aluniș Valea Sărată, Pârâul Florilor, Valea Largă

Right: Arieșul Mic, Sohodol, Abrud, Râul Luteștilor, Ştefanca, Râul Mușcanilor, Valea Şesii, Hermăneasa, Cioara, Ponor, Huda lui Papară, Valea Morilor, Vidolm, Rimetea, Nadeș, Văleni, Plăiești, Bădeni

References

• Administrația Națională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - București
• Institutul de Meteorologie și Hidrologie - Rîurile României - București, 1972
• Trasee turistice - Județul Alba [1]
• Trasee turistice - județul Cluj [2]
• Kniezsa István- Erdély földrajzi nevei [3]

Maps

• Munții Trascău [4]
• Harta Munților Apuseni [5]
• Harta județului Alba [6]