Szamos

Szamos is the Hungarian name for the Someș River, a major watercourse in western Romania and northern Hungary. It is part of the Tisza and Danube river systems, ultimately draining into the Danube basin via the Tisza.

The Szamos has two headwaters in the Apuseni Mountains, Someșul Mare (Great Someș) and Someșul Mic (Small Someș). The streams converge to form the Someș proper, which generally flows northward through western Romania. It passes through or near several significant towns and counties, including Sălaj and Cluj, and flows through cities associated with the Someș system such as Zalău, Cluj-Napoca, and Satu Mare before continuing toward Hungary, where it eventually contributes to the Tisza River.

Human activity along the Szamos has included agriculture, urban development, and flood management. The river valley has long served as an important transportation and settlement corridor, and communities along its banks have faced flooding, prompting embankments and other flood-control measures. Water quality has varied with industrial and agricultural activity, with improvements reported in recent decades as environmental practices have strengthened.

In addition to the river, Szamos is also the name of a Hungarian confectionery brand, Szamos Marcipán, known for marzipan, chocolates, and pastries, with shops and a museum presence in Budapest and other cities.