AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Baraj Călinești is the name locals give to the great reservoir created by damming the Tur river at Călinești-Oaș, a village in Țara Oaș (the Land of Oaș), in north-west Satu Mare County. Set in a bowl of forested hills, Lacul Călinești-Oaș is the largest stretch of open water in the county and one of the bigger lakes in Transylvania, drawing anglers, paddlers and families for a day—or a weekend—out on the water.↗↗↗
What makes it special is the combination of scale and tranquility: kilometres of shoreline fringed by deciduous woodland, clean air and water thanks to the area's lack of industry, and a relaxed leisure scene of boats, cabins and lakeside food. It is an easy escape from the towns of Satu Mare and Negrești-Oaș, and a base for exploring the folk traditions of the Oaș country.↗↗
A reservoir in the heart of Țara Oaș
The lake sits about 12 km from the small town of Negrești-Oaș and roughly 40–46 km from the county seat, Satu Mare, with the village of Călinești-Oaș spread along its northern shore. The water runs roughly east to west, filled by the Tur—the only mountain river in Satu Mare County, which rises in the Oaș hills—and ringed by slopes carpeted in deciduous forest that tumble right down to the water's edge.
