RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

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

The Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park
The Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park

, 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.

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 31 October 2024

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County

UNESCO included on its world heritage list, in 2024, the Heroes’ Path, a sculptural ensemble in Târgu Jiu made by Constantin Brâncuși. The...

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County
Attractive Romania
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 17 October 2024

Attractive Romania

Attractive Romania was launched in 2024. It is the most complex online platform created for the promotion of cultural tourism at home, Alao it is...

Attractive Romania
Foto: pixabay.com
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 03 October 2024

On the Transalpina in Ranca

Transalpina is the road located at the highest altitude in Romania, which is why it earned its reputation as “the road above the clouds”....

On the Transalpina in Ranca
Photo: facebook.com/Romsilva - Parcul Național Semenic- Cheile Carașului
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 26 September 2024

Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains

Romania is home to roughly 12,000 caves, actually being one of Europe’s top countries in terms of the number and the diversity of the caves. Being...

Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 19 September 2024

Romania’s wine story

The itineraries and the tours taken around Romania’s wine cellars are focused on one single eventual aim: getting acquainted with the regions...

Romania’s wine story
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 12 September 2024

The Golden Apples Cultural-Touristic Route

The Cultural-touristic “Golden Apples” Route includes destinations such as Bukovina, the Danube Delta, Mărginimea Sibiului, Târgu Jiu and...

The Golden Apples Cultural-Touristic Route
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 01 August 2024

Harghita, the Family Friendly County

In the center of Romania, in Harghita county, there is a petting zoo. Contact with animals can be therapeutic, and here you can find deer, Icelandic...

Harghita, the Family Friendly County
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 25 July 2024

Herculane Spa and Secret Treasures

Today we arrive at one of the oldest spa resorts in Europe, attested around the year 150 CE. Located in southwest Romania, the Băile Herculane spa...

Herculane Spa and Secret Treasures

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company