🏛️ HISTORY • VILLAGE • DAM • LAKE
The story of Colibița, from the old village to today’s lake
A clear look at the transformation of the place: community, relocation, dam, reservoir and the rebirth of the area as a tourist destination.
History of the lake and Colibița village
How Colibița transformed from a small mountain village of wooden huts into today’s scenic reservoir surrounded by cabins and guesthouses.
LOCAL MEMORY
Why Colibița’s history matters
Today’s lake is not only a tourist landscape. It carries the memory of an inhabited valley, a relocated community and a hydrotechnical project that permanently changed the identity of the place.
- old village and mountain households
- dam, reservoir and local transformation
- tourism, cabins and the rediscovery of the area
Timeline
A concise timeline of the key moments in the history of the Colibița area – the village, the dam and the reservoir.
sec. XIX
First permanent settlements
From the 19th century the area starts to be inhabited permanently. Shepherds and woodcutters build small wooden huts along the Bistrița valley, between the Bârgău and Călimani Mountains. The village name, Colibița, comes from these simple huts (“colibe” in Romanian).
sfârșit sec. XIX – început sec. XX
Colibița – clean-air mountain resort
Because of its cool, clean and ozone-rich air, Colibița gradually becomes known as a place for treating respiratory diseases. Local legend tells of a young girl with tuberculosis who recovered here, a story that helped build the old resort’s reputation.
anii 1970
Planning the dam and reservoir
As Romania expands its national hydropower system, the authorities decide to build a storage lake on the upper Bistrița River. The goals are power generation, water supply for downstream towns, irrigation and flood-flow regulation.
1976–1982
Relocation of the old village
The original village lay in the valley that was to be flooded. Houses are gradually demolished and the inhabitants are relocated to the nearby hills, in what is now the village of Mița. The old village site is cleared to make room for the future dam.
1977–1991
Construction of the Colibița dam
The Colibița Dam is built on the Bistrița River as a major hydrotechnical project. Once the valley is closed, the Colibița Reservoir forms at about 900 m altitude, roughly 13 km long and covering more than 270 hectares.
după 1990
Rebirth as a tourist area
After the dam works are completed, the lake shores slowly turn into a tourist area. Cabins, guesthouses and holiday homes are built, and Colibița is rediscovered for its scenery, tranquillity and clean air. Local authorities work towards obtaining official tourist-resort status for the area.
Today
Colibița – the “mountain sea”
Today, Lake Colibița is seen as one of the symbols of Bistrița-Năsăud County. Visitors come for the dramatic scenery, easy water activities, hiking opportunities and modern cabins along the shore. The area’s history can be understood through the transformation of the old village, the construction of the dam and the gradual development of the region as a mountain destination.
Reservoir lake
Colibița Lake is a reservoir at about 900 m altitude, known for its clean air and spectacular scenery.
Bârgău Mountains
The area is surrounded by the Bârgău Mountains, with conifer forests, marked trails and viewpoints over the lake.
Valley villages
Bistrița-Bârgăului, Josenii Bârgăului and Prundu Bârgăului are the main villages along the road to Colibița.
Legends and curiosities
The technical history of the dam is interwoven with local stories, myths and a few interesting facts about the lake.
Did you know…?
- The lake is about 13 km long and covers several hundred hectares, depending on the water level.
- The reservoir is fed by the upper Bistrița River and by streams coming from the Bârgău and Călimani Mountains.
- On the bottom of the lake lies the site of the old Colibița village; during very low-water periods, remnants of the former settlement can sometimes be seen.
Local legends
Many stories circulate around the lake: from the idea of a “cursed lake”, because an entire village was sacrificed to build it, to tales about a submerged church or about air with miraculous effects on the lungs. These legends are part of the area’s charm, but they do not replace the historical and technical facts outlined above.