“The Petro Aqua Ecological Association in Petroșani has been working hard for over 20 years to bring rafting back to the forefront on the Mureș River, in Alba County, an occupation that dates back to antiquity, and this work is publicly recognized by the Alba authorities, whether we are talking about the city halls or the county council.
The other day, as a full recognition of the work done over time by the “Petro Aqua” Petroșani Ecological Association in Alba and Hunedoara counties and in the municipality of Alba-Iulia, in the field of rafting and the national heritage of this profession that has been in our lands since antiquity, the president of the association Imre Szuhanek received a letter of appreciation from the Mayor of Alba-Iulia, Gabriel Pleșa.
Publicly appreciated and recognized work
Such considerations were received, we remind you, also from the president of the Alba County Council, Ion Dumitrel, in the official framework of several events that took place in the neighboring county and where those from “Petro Aqua” were involved in several projects, as well as from the mayor of Ciugud, the richest commune in Romania, where the people of Petroșani were also involved, together with the city hall, in a project related to the history of rafting in the area and which ZVJ reported on at the appropriate time.
Today we present to you what the mayor of Alba-Iulia had to say, and through what the mayor of Alba highlighted, we can also take stock of the work done by the members of the Petroșani association. And you will all see what we, ZVJ, have been saying for a long time: involvement, a lot of work, achievements. This after the victorious work done by “Petro Aqua” at the Bolei Cave, for now the only cave that can be visited on a large tourist scale, out of the hundreds of caves that the Jiu Valley has. A former “black hole” and foul-smelling, has become the “pearl” of local Petroșani tourism.”
by Corneliu Bran
Letter from the mayor of Alba Iulia
“To the NGO Petro Aqua Petroșani,
Dear Mr. President, Imre Szuhanek,
Starting from the spectacular achievements obtained through the activities carried out by the association coordinated by you, especially in Alba Iulia, in Alba and Hunedoara counties, such as:
The international seminars organized on rafting and the age of this profession at the National Museum of the Union of Alba Iulia in 2006, 2008, 2022, with the presence of several European personalities from Bessarabia, Italy, Spain and Germany;
The construction of the log raft in Alba Iulia in 2008, when you built part of the “Salt Road” between the ancient Partos bridge – Alba Iulia and the port of Segedin in Hungary (with rafters dressed in Dacian clothes) and the raft in Ciugud in 2022, when you organized in partnership the first Rafting Festival in Romania;
Collaboration for the development of Environmental projects since 2003 with the Romanian Christian Scouts and with the Albamont NGO from Alba Iulia for environmental protection actions and ecological events;
Steps started since 2008 for the inscription of the Rafting Craft in our country in the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage;
Our partnership started in 2021 to ensure a sustainable green-blue infrastructure, related to ecological navigability on the Mureș River in Alba County;
Coordination of the project A Clean Mureș for Future Generations, started in 2003 for the sustainable promotion of the municipality of Alba Iulia and the Mureș River;
Achievements regarding the touristic promotion of the Bolii Cave – the only one in Hunedoara County (where you frequently organize acapella concerts, carols, violin, flute, trumpet concerts, plays, icon exhibitions, exhibitions of authentic folk costumes, round tables, etc.);
Homage seminars dedicated to the distinguished writers Ioan Dezideriu Sîrbu and Lucian Blaga;
The mystical management of the Church of the Boatmen in Tisa and the involvement of the local population, together with the two IATR presidents (Agel Portet and Frank Thile), who have visibly manifested themselves (including financially) in the sacred preservation of this special and undisputed Romanian heritage.
And considering our intention to continue our relationship that began many years ago and continued alongside you and the NGO “Petro Aqua”, which in addition to the ingenuity of the actions carried out so far have also been very effective, please accept the continuation in partnership with our city hall of activities specific to ecological development, cultural-historical ones and the promotion of the municipality of Alba Iulia at an international level at least in the following directions:
Continuing the efforts for the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage of Rafting;
Organizing raft expeditions in Alba County, addressing ecological themes for children from the municipality of Alba-Iulia and the localities along the Mureș River;
Completing the log raft for the Partos landing stage;
Participating in specific international events to promote the municipality of Alba Iulia;
Restoring the Salt Road from Uioara de Sus to the ancient Port of Partos in Alba Iulia;
Organizing practical courses for your training of local helmsmen, recruited and trained from among the volunteers of the Romanian Christian Scouts organization and/or from the Alba Lifeguard team, to ensure the safe navigability of children’s rafts.
With special admiration, the mayor of the municipality of Alba Iulia, Gabriel Pleșa”.
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