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.

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 LacColibita.ro platform aims to tell this story in a friendly way and to connect visitors with local owners around the lake.

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.