Árpád Fortification Line, as a Horthist Heritage of the Eastern Carpathians and Capitalization of the Tourism Potential of Ilvelor Valley from Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania

The fortified system Árpád, which bears the name of the former Hungarian dynasty set up during World War II, mainly by the Hungarian horthist, stretched for more than 600 kilometers, one third being on the territory of Romania, and the rest on the territory of Ukraine, Slovakia and Poland. In developing this article, I applied the case study as a research method, which allowed me to inventory and evaluate these Horthy fortifications, but also to collect certain data related to their impact on the life of the local community and tourists visiting the area. Throughout the investigations and the documents studied, I found that the Hungarians built in the Rodna Mountains, right in the heart of the mountains, dozens of casemates for defense and attack and, although they had to be destroyed by those who ordered their arrangement, the hasty withdrawal of the Horthyists left some of the bunkers almost intact. The case study shows that the bunkers here were smaller and slightly stiffer. The Hungarians were inspired by the French and Belgian fortifications occupied by the Germans, and the concept was rethought and adapted to the natural conditions in the Carpathians. Following the study, I found that the horthyst defensive system in Transylvania was planned to have 5 types of casemates, depending on their role: surveillance or firing nests or depending on what they housed: ammunition, soldiers or officers. The entire northern group of the Eastern Carpathians bear the traces of armed conflict. Such arrangements can be found in the territories of Rodna, Ilva Mică, Ilva Mare and Mureşenii Bârgăului, areas with a rich natural tourism potential, which, exploited to its true value, could attract many curious and eager tourists to know the history of the places.