Project estimated at 50 million euros from European funds for 25 kilometers of ski slopes in Borsa

Borsa City Hall is in discussions with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (ADR) to obtain a minimum of 50 million euros through the Regional Operational Program, in the period 2027 – 2032, so that the Olympic slope here, with the old slope in the Runcu Stiolului area and with the one in Pasul Prislop, will be connected, thus obtaining around 25 kilometers of interconnected ski slopes, equipped with artificial snow along their entire length, and to which access will be made with the same subscription, announced Mayor Ion Sorin Timis on Wednesday.

„The three ski areas, Pasul Prislop, with the old slope, Runcu Stiol, and with the gondola with the Olympic slope will be connected to each other. A first phase, in a project of 25 km of ski slopes, with six more new installations, with a new reservoir lake up in the Stiol area, which will supply the new slopes with snow. So far, we have done the topographic surveys of the entire area – 4,800 hectares. Together with a company from Berlin, we made a 3D model, on a 3D printer, which shows what the slopes are like, how the installations are going to be installed. We laid the power line, we made the access roads, we have the approval from the National Park and, together with the Transcablu company from Brasov, we are carrying out feasibility studies in order to obtain financing, both through the Regional Operational Program, through „North-West ADR, because starting with 2027 Romania will be eligible for financing through European funds for ski slopes, as well as through financing from the Romanian Government or other funding sources,” said Timis, during an event to promote the Maramures area.

Also, the „Belvedere Terrace and Astronomical Observatory” project is set to start in May.

„It will be up there, at the top of the slope. It is composed of four buildings – a mountain rescue shelter, a mountain shelter for those who want to spend the night at the top, a suspended terrace with a 180-degree view of the tourist resort and the Maramures Mountains, with a glass bridge, and a 360-degree terrace. Down there will be a presentation and exhibition area of photographs or other materials related to the Rodna Mountains, and up there, on the 360-degree terrace, there will be the only observatory that will not be influenced by artificial light, because you know that most of them are made somewhere in the cities. In the Baia Borsa neighborhood, there is a 190-meter-high cliff on which we will install a funicular, with a climb from the base of the slope to the top, with an inclination of almost 67 degrees. There, in the Baia Borsa neighborhood, „There are also mineral waters, which we are trying to highlight, so that in the future we can use them in medical tourism,” said the mayor, presenting his projects for the coming years.

In addition, the project will also be accepted by the Ministry of Tourism, to finance a cable car to Pietrosul Rodnei – the highest peak in the Eastern Carpathians.

„We started the project once before, the park rejected it (Rodna Mountains National Park – editor’s note), now it seems they would accept it and it will be a real attraction because it will be one of the highest areas that can be reached by cable car. In the project integrated with the ski slopes, we will also have a spa center with indoor and outdoor covered swimming pools. Between the intermediate station (of the Borsa gondola – editor’s note) and the reservoir (at an altitude of 1300 – editor’s note) an adventure park with 13 installations will be built, which will operate both in winter and in summer, including an installation that produces snow at positive temperatures of up to 30 degrees and there will be a 120-meter slope that will have snow even in summer and, of course, the artificial slope „on a portion of the Olympic slope that can be used during the summer, both for ice-ski enthusiasts and for the sports side,” detailed Ion Sorin Timis.

Also, the former military unit, now closed, at the entrance to the city, will be transformed into a sports base, a training center for athletes, both for athletics and for other sports – handball, basketball or indoor sports.

„Because we are building a multipurpose sports hall there and we are trying, together with the Ministry of Tourism, to build the first indoor slope in Romania. We will see under what conditions and how we can achieve it – that part of the existing slope will be used, that it will be covered, that it will be used in the winter for skiing and in the summer for indoor skiing, or that a new construction will be made… In Borsa, ski jumping was organized 15-20 years ago. We are trying to put the ski jumping arena back into value, but Romania does not really invest in athletes (…) But the area is the property of the city hall, work is also being done on the project there and, if this skiing part of this winter sport for high-performance athletes is developed, an investment will probably be made there too,” said the mayor of Borsa.

The National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT), the Maramures County Council and Visit Maramures organized „Rediscover Maramures”, an event to promote the area