The Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park
Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park is a protected nature area with plenty of of caves, gorges, waterfalls, pastures and old forests
Daniel Onea, 09.07.2020, 14:00
The
Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park is a protected nature area,
situated in the southwest part of Romania. This is a mountain area
with over 30 tourism trails, with plenty of of caves, gorges,
waterfalls, pastures and old forests, but also plenty of nature
reserves. In
the Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park you will find a large number
of attractions, some of them unique, such as thermal water caves.
Others are shrouded in mystery, and have many legends that explain
how they appeared. Also, the thermal caves in the park are unique in
Romania, and are fairly rare in Europe, even in the world. One of
these caves that you can visit the Steam Cave, a speleological jewel
where steam issues from cracks in the rock. The park has many forms
of relief. There is an area that is slightly eroded, giving rise to
many phenomena. There are waterfalls, such as the Vanturatoarea
Waterfall, with a drop of over 40 meters. The water is aired as the
stream of water smashes into a rock ledge. What is spectacular is the
fact that tourists can see it from behind. Ionut Papa, a mountain
guide and travel blogger, told us that the starting point for
visiting this nature park should be Baile Herculane spa:
There
are many reasons to head up to Baile Herculane. One of the best and
most important reasons is the the Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park,
which promotes a large number of tourist trails, with an impressive
view of Romania’s landscapes and history. In Baile Herculane we find
isolated mountain hamlets. Such hamlets are very rare in Romania, and
are a dying breed. People can go there and spend time with the
locals, and find out about their traditions. There are offers for
spare time activities in a dreamlike landscape. There is also the
part of treatment and wellness within the spa proper, in hotels that
offer such facilities, and tourists can get treatment for a variety
of conditions. Tourists also come here simply to relax and take
advantage of the beneficial thermal waters, which people have known
about for thousands of years.
The
hamlets are easy to reach, but the trail itself is a real adventure.
Here is Ionut Papa once again:
If
we talk about Inelet Hamlet, preferred by tourists, you get there on
a series of wooden stairs, built by the locals, which climbs about 30
meters and are in a very good state of repair. You have to go up
these stairs to get to the main path in Inelet Hamlet. They are built
of very hard essence wood. The locals care for them constantly,
because they are their only connection to the outside world. At the
same time, they are protecting the tourists from any risk. It is a
bit difficult if you have a fear of heights, though. After you climb
the steps and look down, you realize that you are higher than you
thought. However, we, mountain guides, help tourists overcome their
fears and get there in complete safety.
We
went on to ask Ionut Papa what makes the Domogled- Cerna Valley
Nature Park such an attractive destination:
It
is very special, both from the point of view of fauna and of flora.
In terms of flora, we have here a species of black pine, called the
Black Pine of Banat. It is the only one of its kind in Romania. They
can only be found in Baile Herculane and a few adjacent areas only.
In terms of fauna, here we find bears, wolves, but most importantly
this park hosts 45% of the population of butterflies in Romania. If
you are passionate about flora, butterflies and nature in general,
the Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park offers many activities and
possibilities.
This
park is the only one in the country that encompasses an entire
hydrographic basin. This is the basin of the River Cerna and all its
tributaries, and Cerna Valley is considered the most beautiful in the
Carpathians to boot. It looks like a longitudinal throughway that
separates two mountain chains, a 40 km long defile with the river
Cerna at the bottom, flanked by rich coniferous and deciduous
forests. We asked Ionut Papa, mountain guide, what treks we can go on
in the park:
There
are trekking trails of very different degrees. We have long trails,
12 hours long, which are recommended for the people with experience
in mountain backpacking. However, we have trails for beginners, who
want to discover what a nature outing really means. Depending on the
type of tourist, we can recommend what is best for them. None of the
trails we recommend are dangerous. Most are low altitude, 1,500 m at
the most. As a result, there is no danger of falling or exposure.
People come and go guided by us in complete safety.
Ionut
Papa told us people leave the area very satisfied, and made extended
an invitation at the end:
We
hosted many tourists from Germany, and not only. We had tourists from
the US too, some who were going around the world. Once they got to
Romania, our area got recommended to them as a must-go place. I
accompanied them on the trails, we showed them the good places, we
told them about the local traditions and history. They left very
satisfied, and convinced that they would come back on vacation. We
invite tourists to come to a region of Romania that is really worth
visiting. They can practice many activities both in the resort and in
the national park. They can go on lots of treks, they can go horse
riding, or mountain biking. The offer for entertainment in the area
is very rich, and tourists can rely on us, mountain guides, to help
them with anything they need to have an unforgettable vacation.
This
is an open invitation to visit Baile Herculane spa, and its wonderful
surrounding park.
