Rudăria Watermills: 22 working mills in Eftimie Murgu, Banat

A valley where water still grinds the flour

The village of Eftimie Murgu lies in Țara Almăjului, in the south of the Banat, in the mountains of Caraș-Severin County. Until 1970 it was called Rudăria; it was renamed after Eftimie Murgu, a native of the village and a figure of the 1848 revolution. The Rudăria stream, a tributary of the Nera, runs through the village, and along it stand the wooden watermills that have made the village famous throughout Romania.

The first mills here were recorded as early as 1722, when there were eight. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries 51 mills worked on the stream, but a spring flood swept away 28 of them; some were rebuilt and others abandoned. Today 22 mills stand in the valley. The ensemble is listed as a historic monument of national importance, and in 2000–2001 it was repaired with specialists from Sibiu and European programme funding.

What makes Rudăria special is that the mills did not become exhibits. Each belongs to several families who use it in turn, following the old custom of «turns» (rânduri). Once a month the mill is stopped for repairs, and all co-owners have to take part. The mills have names, from family names or from their temper: Popeasca, Trăiloanea, Vămulea, and several called Îndărătnica («the Stubborn One»). By one of them, villagers once chiselled a tunnel almost 30 m long through the rock to bring water — it is now known as the Mill by the Tunnel (Moara de la Tunel).

Why go

It is a rare chance to see centuries-old technology at work. The mills have a horizontal wheel and a vertical shaft: water from a wooden chute strikes the paddles, and the wheel turns the millstones right above it. A walk along the stream from mill to mill takes a few hours, sometimes on a wide track, sometimes over wooden footbridges above the water, past rocks and beech forest.

With luck you may meet an owner pouring in maize or wheat and buy a little flour straight from the stone. The association Acasă în Banat, which surveys and rescues the Banat's mills, occasionally guides groups through the valley and shows how grain is milled; such visits should be arranged in advance.

What to see and try

• Îndărătnica between the Rivers (Moara Îndărătnica dintre Râuri) — one of the most photogenic, where the streams meet.
• Trăiloanea mill — you can often look inside and see the millstones.
• The Mill by the Tunnel — with its water channel cut through the rock.
• Maize and wheat flour from the mills — ask the owners if a mill is working.
• The Rudăria gorge above the mills — for those who want a longer walk.

Practical information

Getting there: Eftimie Murgu is about 10 km from the small town of Bozovici in the Nera valley. From Reșița it is about 75 km via Anina. The mills start in the village itself and stretch up the valley along road DJ571F for several kilometres; you can leave the car in the village. From Ukraine the nearest border crossing is Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmației, but from there it is more than 500 km to the Banat, so travelling via Hungary is more convenient.

When: the mills can be seen all year, but the best time is April to October. They grind not to a timetable but when it is a family's turn and the stream has enough water. Viewing from outside is free; the mills are run by their owners, so only go inside with permission.

Contacts: Acasă în Banat association — [email protected] (tours and events by prior arrangement). Check the details before you travel.

Nearby

• Beușnița waterfalls in the Nera Gorge – Beușnița National Park.
• La Văioaga waterfall above the Nera.
• Oravița–Anina railway — Romania's oldest mountain railway, with a daily train.
• Bozovici and the Nera valley — the heart of Țara Almăjului, with village farmsteads and orchards.

Official website: acasainbanat.ro

Photos: Strainu, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; Ela Vaida, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, Wikimedia Commons; IonutBizau, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.