Solca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Solca
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Tomșa Vodă Street, the town center
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Location in Suceava County
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 Solca
Location in Romania
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| Country |  Romania |
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| County | Suceava | |
| Area | 64.63 km2 (24.95 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 509 m (1,670 ft) | |
| Population
(2011)
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| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) | |
Solca is a small town in northeastern Romania, located in Suceava County. It's also known by its German name, Solka, and Polish name, Solka. Solca is part of the historical region called Bukovina. It's the smallest town in Suceava County and the third smallest in all of Romania. In 2021, about 2,405 people lived there.
The town's name comes from the river that flows through it. The word "Solca" comes from a Slavic word meaning "salt," because there are salty springs in the area. Solca is famous for its clean air, for being a former spa town, and for the tasty beer once made there.
Contents
Exploring Solca's Location
Solca is in the middle-eastern part of Suceava County. It sits at the bottom of the eastern part of the Obcina Mare Mountains. The town is located where the Suceava Plateau meets the Eastern Carpathians. The average height of the town is about 522 meters above sea level. The Solca River flows right through the town. People love Solca for its beautiful nature and its very clean air.
Nearby Towns and Distances
Solca shares borders with several nearby villages. These include Marginea to the northwest, Arbore to the north and northeast, and Poieni-Solca to the south and southeast. It also borders Cacica to the south and Mănăstirea Humorului to the west.
Solca is not far from other important places. It's about 23 kilometers from Rădăuți and 32 kilometers from Gura Humorului. The county capital, Suceava, is about 48 kilometers away. Romania's capital, Bucharest, is much further, about 464 kilometers from Solca.
Interesting Places to See
Solca has some cool historical spots. One is a large Orthodox church built between 1613 and 1623. It was once a monastery called Sts. Peter and Paul's Monastery. Another old place is a beer factory, which opened in 1810 and is one of the oldest in Romania. You can also find salt springs in the northern forests. The town is also close to the Cacica salt mine and the famous Arbore church.
There's a traditional Romanian house in Solca that dates back to the 1600s. It was turned into a museum in 1971. Other interesting spots include the Hanul Solca motel, a sanatorium with a summer garden, and the central park. There's also the Tomșa Vodă High School and a Roman Catholic Church built in 1868. Don't miss Pietrele Muierilor, a natural monument near the town.
Even though Solca is called a town, many parts of it look like a village. During the time of the Communist government, about 10 apartment buildings were built along the two main streets: Tomșa Vodă Street and Republicii Street. Solca does not have its own train station or railway connection.
The nearby village of Poieni-Solca used to be part of Solca. But after a vote in 2004, Poieni-Solca became its own separate village in 2007.
Solca's Past: A Brief History
The first time Solca was mentioned in official papers was on January 15, 1418. This was in a document from Prince Alexandru cel Bun of Moldavia. Later, in 1502, a nobleman named Luca Arbore bought the village. It was then given to the Sucevița Monastery.
In the early 1600s, Prince Ștefan Tomșa II of Moldavia bought the village. He built the Sts. Peter and Paul's Monastery there. Over the next few centuries, Solca grew into an important market town for the area.
Under Austrian Rule
In 1775, Solca became part of the Habsburg monarchy (which later became Austria-Hungary). During this time, many German, Polish, and Jewish families moved to Solca. Solca became a popular summer resort because of its fresh air. In 1810, one of Romania's oldest beer factories opened in Solca. This beer became a symbol of the town.
Doctors Eduard Beilich and Hermann Poras helped open a sanatorium for people with lung diseases in Solca. This helped tourism grow, and Solca became a well-known spa in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Wars and Changes
During World War I, Solca was a battleground between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Russia. After 1918, Solca and the rest of Bukovina became part of the Kingdom of Romania. It continued to be a popular resort, especially for people with lung problems. Solca was officially named a town in 1926.
After the Romanian Revolution in 1989, Solca faced some tough times. The sanatorium became a hospital for long-term illnesses, and then a home for the elderly in 2011. The beer factory and the summer garden closed down. Today, Solca is no longer a resort, and most people living there work in farming.
How Many People Live in Solca?
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1930 | 2,822 | — |
| 1948 | 2,212 | −21.6% |
| 1956 | 2,384 | +7.8% |
| 1966 | 2,550 | +7.0% |
| 1977 | 4,541 | +78.1% |
| 1992 | 4,762 | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 4,687 | −1.6% |
| 2011 | 2,188 | −53.3% |
| 2021 | 2,405 | +9.9% |
| Source: Census data | ||
According to the 2021 census, 2,405 people live in Solca. In 2011, there were 2,188 people. This was a big drop from 2002, when 4,456 people lived there. The main reason for this big change was that Poieni-Solca, a village that used to be part of Solca, became its own separate village in 2007.
Solca is the smallest town in Suceava County. It's also the third smallest town in all of Romania. Only the towns of Băile Tușnad and Nucet are smaller than Solca.
Famous People from Solca
- Ilie E. Torouțiu (1888–1953), a historian who studied literature and was a member of an academy.
Images for kids
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Solca's coat of arms
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Map showing Solca in Suceava County
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Tomșa Vodă Street, the town center
See also
In Spanish: Solca para niños
