Country Romania Commune Ardusat Area 31.09 km (12.00 sq mi) | County Maramureș County Historic region Transylvania Population (2002) 2,543 | |
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Ardusat (Hungarian: Erdőszáda) is a commune in western Maramureș County, Romania on the banks of the Someș River, near the border with Satu Mare County. The first record of its existence dates back to 1230. It is composed of three villages: Ardusat, Arieșu de Câmp (Mezőaranyos) and Colțirea (Kolcér).
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Ethnographically it belongs to "Țara Codrului" (The Forest Land), with which it shares numerous cultural traditions. The local Ardusat Choir has been the best in Romania for decades, and has won numerous prizes at Italian, Eastern European and American contests.
Sights
In addition to the local crafts, superstitions, and folklore, other attractions for tourists include the Greek-Catholic (Uniate) Cathedral (18th Century), the ruins of the Degenfeld Castle, and a 300-year-old sequoia tree. The remnants of the railroad bridge over the Someș, destroyed by the 1970 floods, can still be seen. The river has great fishing. Since 2005 Ardusat has had its own celebration, which takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday after August 15 (the Dormition of the Theotokos). The religious celebration of the cathedral is scheduled every year on January 6. The church at the very center of the village was Romanian Greek Catholic, until the communist party of Romania made the church Romanian Orthodox.