National Parks in Carpathian Mountains

National Parks

Romania’s diverse natural landscapes offer numerous choices for exciting outdoor experiences. Travelers can walk through serene alpine meadows covered with scores of wildflowers, trek around glacial lakes, take in the lush-green scenery while horse riding or mountain biking, climb curious rock formations, photograph fossil traces of 15,000-year old cave-bear species, track gold eagles or other rare birds, study endangered flora, wander in the countryside, picnic in the fields, try your hand at traditional crafts, - or just relax in the home of a village family and sample wholesome, country fare with home made wine and plum brandy.

The Carpathian Mountains are home to one of the largest undisturbed forests

in Europe.

400 unique species of mammals, including the Carpathian chamois, call the

Carpathian Mountains home.

60% of European brown bear population lives in the Carpathian Mountains.

Adventurers and wildlife enthusiasts who hear the call of the wild can add these

unique experiences to the top of their activities list:

Spotting wild egrets, Dalmatian pelicans, glossy ibises or some other

300 species of birds in the Danube Delta

Rock climbing the unusual-shaped rocks Pietrele Doamnei in the Rarau Mountains
Visiting the Scarisoara ice cave in the Apuseni Nature Park – the 153.6 ft. deep entrance shaft leads to some impressive ice structures, including spectacular six meters high ice stalagmites.
Exploring the Berca mud volcanoes near Buzau – a stark lunar landscape of erupting mud.
Taking the Sky Highway challenge — a trek around the Capra glacier lake in the Fagaras Mountains.
Paddling through the frothy waves of the Crisul Repede and Bistrita rivers.
Trekking Retezat, the rockiest mountain massif of the country, home to more than 80 glacial lakes and over three hundred flower species.
Watching wolves at play in the natural park of Vanatori-Neamt in the Stanisoara Mountains, once the hunting ground of Stephen the Great.
Horse riding in the Calimani National Park, renown for its volcanic bizarre shapes, traces of old craters, and the largest volcanic caldera in Carpathians.
Completing an exciting multi-day hike along the main ridge of the Fagaras Mountains - one of the longest continuous high mountain traverses in Europe, taking you over three of Romania's highest peaks (Moldoveanu - 8,346 ft.; Negoiu - 8,317 ft.; and Vistea Mare - 8,291 ft.).

Apuseni Nature Park

Natural attractions

Scarisoara Glacier (Pestera Scarisoara)

Location: 4 miles north Garda de Sus commune

Nearby large town: Alba Iulia (52 miles southeast)

Open: Mon. - Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Average temperature inside: 32 °F (0 Celsius)

A national monument sheltering the second largest underground glacier on the

continent, the 3,500-year-old ice cave features spectacular icy stalactites

and stalagmites.

Bears' Cave (Pestera Ursilor)

Location: Chiscau village (1/2 miles south of Pietroasa)

Nearby large town: Oradea (50 miles northwest)

Another natural wonder in the Apuseni Park is the Bears' Cave, named after the

skeletons of bears (extinct 15,000 years ago) discovered here by mine workers in

1975.

Arranged on two levels, it features galleries of animals and castles-resembling

stalagmites and stalactites more than a half mile long. Some of the stalactites are

estimated to be 22,000 years old.

They continue to grow at a rate of about one-third inch every 20 years.

The upper level (292 miles) is open to visitors, while the second one (312 miles)

is reserved for scientific research.

Fortresses of Ponor (Cetatile Ponorului)

Location: Padis Area (7 miles from Pietroasa

commune)

Nearby large town: Beius (22 miles northwest)

Web: www.padis.ro/e_index.html

One of the most spectacular and rugged lime

formations in Romania, the area known as

Cetatile Ponorului was declared natural reservation

in 1952 and soon after became a natural monument.

Extending some 21 miles, the area includes the

Flowers' Glade (Poiana Florilor) and the Galbenei

Gorges (Cheile Galbenei).

Nearby attractions

Turda Gorges Natural Reserve

Located just 6 miles outside the city of Turda,

the limestone gorges feature peaks, caves, sinkholes

and 800 ft. high walls.

From here, hiking trails lead to Turen Gorges,

Ciucas Waterfalls, and Borzesti Gorges.

Piatra Craiului National Park

Piatra Craiului Natural Park features the longest and highest limestone ridge in the country (over 15 miles long and 6560 ft. high). Bordered by glacial lakes, the ridge is regarded as one of the most beautiful sights in the Carpathians. The two-day north–south ridge trail is both challenging and rewarding. Starting at either Plaiul Foii in the northwest or Curmatura in the northeast, hikers climb up to the ridge along the narrow spine of the range. The descent at the southern end leads into a karst landscape of deep gorges and pitted slopes where water penetrating the rock has carved a series of caves.

The traditional villages of Magura, Pestera, Ciocanu, Sirnea, make for interesting starting points for the routes on the eastern slope and for getting in touch with the traditional Romanian way of life.

Retezat National Park

Situated in the Southern Carpathians, Retezat National Park has an area of 54400 ha and an altitude between 800 and 2509 m.

The park was founded in 1935 on the area of 100 square km of the ex-hunting domain of the Royal House. The chamois were protected at that time, but soon they were hunted, reason for which from the beginning of the former century certain areas were chosen where grazing was forbidden.

The park was recognized in 1979 as a Reservation of the Biosphere. After the park was

finished, scientists had in view the protection and preservation of some natural elements

that have a very special physic-geographical, hydrological, geological, pale ontological,

speleological, pedological and landscaping value.

Last year, the European Council accorded Retezat National Park the “Diploma of Excellence

for Protected Areas”. Starting the year 1999, the park has been organized by a professional

administration, in 2004 it has become a member of the Pan Parks Foundation and since

2007 it has been protected by ecological European network “Natura 2000”, which aims at

preserving the natural habitats and the plants and wild animal species that represent

community interest.

Hiking in Retezat National Park you may lose your breath, not from the climb, but from the

breathtaking views of nature at her wildest. Peaks of differing heights, many topping the

8,028 ft. mark (such as Peleaga Peak), provide hikers with plenty of challenges. Travelers

willing to tackle them will have their efforts well rewarded.

More than one quarter of the mountain range is above the 5760 ft. altitude where

timberline and glaciers have created terraced valleys that end in magnificent glacial

bays, lakes and waterfalls. Extraordinary passes, gorges, cavernous limestone caves

and sinkholes can be found on the South-Eastern part of the mountain range, in the

limestone area of the Retezatul Mic (the Small Retezat).

Local communities and cultural sights from around the park area add a special value to

that of the landscape and the biodiversity inside the park. The people in the villages of

Salasu de Sus, Rau de Mori and Campu lui Neag preserve to this day the traditional lifestyle

of the area.

Bicazului Gorges - Hasmas National Park

The Bicaz Gorges are famous for their 1000 ft. limestone rocks towering over narrow roads and passes. The road that slices through the Bicaz Gorges (Cheile Bicazului) is among Romania's most stunning and spectacular.

For kayakers and fly-fishing enthusiasts the park's main attraction is the Red Lake (Lacul Rosu), created in 1837 after a major natural landslide. Short and long walks provide access to the lake's spectacular scenery and many fishing spots. The Bicaz Gorges offer a unique view of the Ceahlau Mountains.

Nearby Attractions

The monasteries around Targu Neamt (Agapia, Neamt, Varatec)
The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
The famous hand-made pottery center at Corund

Calimani National Park

Mountain with volcanic origins, Calimani features the biggest inactive caldera in Europe (about 6 miles in diameter).

Massive eruptive rocks and craters of old volcanoes in the Calimani National Park (Parcul National Calimani) are spawned over breathtaking landscapes, matched by the presence of large areas of natural ecosystems and the abundance of Swiss stone pine and juniper trees.

The Calimani Mountains features the highest massif in the Romanian volcanic

chain, the Pietrosu Peak (standing at 6896 ft.).

The natural erosion process in the volcanic plateau has led to the formation of

the unusual shaped 12 Apostles (Cei 12 Apostoli), Red Stones (Pietrele Rosii)

and Nefertiti geological reserves.

Nearby Attractions

The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
The Rodnei Mountains National Park
The wooden architecture, rural life and civilization

of the traditionalMaramures villages

The glacier lakes, waterfalls, volcanic mountains,

caves and the geological reserve Creasta Cocosului in

the Viseu Valley

CeahlauNational Park

Surrounded by watercourses and dam lakes, Ceahlau Mountain, the Olympus of Romania, displays an incredible concentration of flora - over 2,000 flower species, and wildlife. Ceahlau was considered to be the sacred mountain of Zalmoxis, the ancient deity of the Dacians.

Fossil limestone, the rock formations Dochia, Cusma Dorobantului, and the Duruitoarea waterfall are just some of the main attractions in the park. The park is bounded to the east by the Bistrita River and Lake Bicaz, and to the south by the Bicaz River.

Some of the most exciting Romanian legends refer to the strange stone shapes spread around the peaks in the park. The Dochia rock formations are said to represent a mean old woman ("baba") who came on Ceahlau to feed her sheep. Deceived by the sunny days of early spring, she took off, one by one, all her nine-sheepskin waistcoats. When the frost came, it turned both her and her animals into ice, which over the years transformed into the stones we see now.