Fundata Grădiștei Gorge expands with spa and ice rink

The Cheile Grădiștei Complex expands its capacity with a new spa center and a new ice rink, built on top of the mountain in Fundata

We got here after a discussion with Ilie Moga, from Deposib, who provided the solutions for the treatment and protection of the wood used in the construction of the Spa center and the ice rink.

We had been to Cheile Grădiștei before, but this time we wanted to see the new constructions. We chatted with Ovidiu Gârbacea, the owner of the two resorts Cheile Grădiștei Moeciu and Cheile Grădiștei Fundata. From the new skating rink he is now building in Fundata we got to hear the story of one of the largest tourism and leisure projects in Romania, visited by tourists and professional athletes alike.

Casa Ovidiu - the first hostel in Moeciu Brasov

A former top athlete and coach of the Olympic biathlon team, he gave up his sporting life immediately after 1990 to devote himself to entrepreneurship and the dream of building a tourist and leisure resort in Moeciu, like those in the foreign resorts he visited on his travels as an athlete. Born and raised in the Moeciu mountain area, his first step in business was logging. First with a tractor, then with a gater, the timber business grew and was the fulcrum for the development of the tourism project. In 1992 he started the first tourist boarding house "Casa Ovidiu", built by enlarging the parental house. After his success, he went on to build more guesthouses, hotels and restaurants in the same area.

Sport at high levels. Ovidiu Gârbacea is building a vast tourist complex and a sports base with international-level facilities on the mountain top in Fundata

In 2006 he moved his investment up to Fundata, acquiring land and building the access road for the new complex he was going to build in Fundata, in an area that had never been exploited for tourism until then. Here he developed another tourist complex with hotels, villas, restaurants and more. In keeping with his passion for sports, he gradually built a sports base for training and recreation, with football pitches, tennis courts, sports hall, biathlon track with cross-country ski runs, beginner and advanced ski slopes, where training and sports competitions are hosted. Now, in 2021, the construction of an ice rink of international Olympic standards and a Spa center with a professional swimming pool, swimming pool and various facilities, sauna, saline, fitness rooms is under construction in Fundata, and outside, a zip line, a summer sledge track, a chair lift, an athletics field and playgrounds for children are in the works. It's a very large complex with many facilities for both leisure tourists and sports enthusiasts as well as professional athletes.

Protective materials used for wood

Here at the top of the mountain, wood could not be missing as a building material. It is used on large areas in both the spa area and the ice rink. Bochemit products supplied by Deposib Expert. They ensured that the products chosen provided protection against fire, moisture, fungi, mold, mildew and insects.

Bochemit Antiflash is a 3-in-1 product that protects wood against fire, insects and fungi (tested according to EN 113, EN 73, EN 46). The boric acid, the active substance in the product, is highly concentrated, being the only fire retardant on the Romanian market that gives the wood such a high resistance against both mold and decay. Unlike other fire retardants based on boron salts, Bochemit Antiflash does not need to be diluted with warm water. This eliminates the danger of recrystallization and white stains on wood. Bochemit Antiflash is technically approved by the Romanian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration and ISU approved, and is recommended for the industrial and professional treatment of wooden building materials and other wooden products inside buildings.

Bochemit Opti F+ Preventative protection against all natural wood pests (fungi, insects, mold), both indoors, throughout the life of the wood, and outdoors, for up to 10 years. It is a liquid, concentrated product, very suitable for treating wood used in construction (floors, wainscoting, paneling, frames), as well as that used for exterior landscaping. It is recommended for the treatment of class 1, 2 and 3 construction wood according to EN 335. The treatment can be used for both new and old wood. The treated wood does not peel and after drying can be finished with materials commonly used for interior or exterior wood protection. It is manufactured in clear, brown or green, the clear version being resistant to yellowing.

Estetik Bochemit is a range of oil-based varnishes designed for impregnating indoor and outdoor wood. The oils provide protection against UV radiation and prevent water penetration into the wood. The range includes eight colors: pine, golden pine, mahogany, chestnut, walnut, walnut, rosewood, white and grey, which can be applied with a brush or a brush stroker. For a uniformly colored surface, the wood must be well sanded and prepared beforehand. On interior wood apply 1 or 2 coats of oil, but for exterior wood at least 2 coats are needed for effective protection.

Get the full story from Ovidiu Gârbacea, the owner of the Moeciu-Fundata mini-resort.