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Tag: Nera Gorges

  • The Nera Gorges

    The Nera Gorges

    The parks most grandiose place is the Nera Gorges, a canyon stretching over more than 20 kilometres. The Nera River is crossing this spectacular, breath-taking canyon, the biggest in Romania, with stonewalls reaching up 200 meters, into which the water has carved numerous ponds, caves, canyons and waterfalls. Tens of tourists are visiting the Nera Gorges every year and for this reason the authorities want to turn it into an eco-tourism destination. Raluca Peternel with the WWF branch in Romania has worked on the Nerei project from its very beginning.



    Raluca Peternel: “The Nera Gorges as an eco-tourist destination has been proposed upon a selection carried out in all the south western Carpathians. The initiative is part of a bigger project run by WWF Romania jointly with its partners. As part of this project called ‘Wildlife in the Carpathians – wealth for the people, research was carried out on areas with tourist potential in south western Carpathians. Because the Nera Gorges got the highest number of points, the place was promoted as an ecotourist destination. The area is famous for its legends, breath-taking beauties as well as cultural values like traditions and customs. The area has its well-preserved forests that have been proposed for UNESCO. There is accommodation here that can cater for all tastes as well as many entertainment facilities. All tourist routes are marked and certified and have been included on a map, which is available in guest-houses, the parks administration centre and in many other places. Tourists cannot get lost if they have this map, which comprises comprehensive information about the region.



    The Nera Gorges-Beusnita natural reserve was created back in 1943 to protect the biodiversity in the region as well as a series of areas of breath-taking beauty, some of which have been included in national and international rankings. Here is the Bigar waterfall, a unique place in the world, which looks like a cupola inundated by waters coming from underground caves. The Devils Lake is one of the most interesting lakes in the region and was formed after the ceiling of a cave had collapsed. It is 9 meters deep, the deepest Karst lake in the country. In a wild area of the park, the Ochiul Beiului Lake is crater shaped, and is 3.6 meters deep. It is blue in colour, and so clear that you can see the fish swimming in it. 20 minutes away from Ochiul Beiului Lake is Beusnita Waterfalls, in fact a chain of smaller waterfalls, 15 meters tall, covered in green moss.



    The Nera Gorges area has some of the most beautiful ancient and semi-virgin beech forests in Europe. The forested peaks are not too high, but we find a rich biodiversity. Here we find 30 orchid species, and a luxuriant vegetation climbs the limestone walls, in the cracks grow wild lilac bushes, alongside other sub-Mediterranean plants. Calin Uruci, a biologist with the park’s management, told us: “In terms of biodiversity, along the Nera River we have species that are Tertiary Age relics, such as the Balkan Loach. If we speak of the beech copses on the limestone plateaus, on the Nera’s steep banks, we are about to issue a UNESCO backed website, since here we have some of the most representative ancient and semi-virgin beech forests in Europe. Numerous invertebrate species find shelter here, which is provided by the old-growth trees, and the significant quantities of deadwood, helping to regenerate elements in forest ecosystems. Basically, in a dead tree there’s more life, due to species that take shelter here, than in a living one. The older the tree, the more valuable it is in terms of biodiversity. The park is special due to its sub-Mediterranean climate and its Karst relief, which is why we have here species such as the horned viper, or species endemic to the park, such as the Carpathian scorpion, which you can see on the national park’s crest.



    The Nera Gorges area also shelters many species of birds, mammals, while its pristine waters are home to many species of carnivorous fish. Calin Uruci: “We have large numbers of peregrine falcon, in fact, we have here more than three quarters of daytime predatory birds in the country, and 9 out of the 10 species of woodpecker in the country. We also have rare species, protected at the European level. In total, we have over 140 species that are protected. In terms of running water bodies, we have the common kingfisher, one of the most beautiful birds in Romania, and people who go by boat down the Nera river can see them fly along it in summer. In terms of mammals we have a sizeable population of lynx, as well as several wolf packs. Bears are rarer, it is only a transit area for them. Since water is the most important element, this park has a well represented population of otters.



    This area, which is about to be turned into a destination for eco-tourism, has everything to gain from the development of local communities. Producers will be able to better sell their traditional fares, which are being advertised at international fairs, such as Banat spirits, Tirol cheeses, jams and preserves, and many types of honey.

  • Adventure Tourism in Romania

    Adventure Tourism in Romania

    Of the many destinations they cater for, the head of an adventure tourism agency specializing in mountain areas, Radu Vatcu, proposes the south west of Romania: “Nera River crosses the Cheile Nerei National Park, a nature reserve, close to the Danube Cleft. This is a low difficulty trail, without large elevation differences, which is 20 km long. It can be a challenge for tourists in terms of endurance. We have various packages, one involves a night spent outdoors, in a tent, or a combination of trekking and rafting. We go up river, spending the night in Vogiun Grove. The place is named after its owner, an old man living alone in this isolated area. He offers a place for camping free of charge, in order to protect the area and enjoy the company. It is one of the few places open for camping in the Cheile Nerei park. It is not far from Devil’s Lake. This is a karst lake that formed when the roof of a cave collapsed. It is a very deep lake, with exceptionally clear waters, of an intense blue, so clear you can see the trout schools swimming. You can take a boat from there and go down Nera River, about 15 km.”



    The price for a package is 1,200 lei, about 270 Euro per person. This includes transportation from Bucharest. The distance to the destination is 600 km. In addition to mountain packages, Radu Vatcu also promotes packages for the Danube Delta, which are of great interest to foreign tourists: “Everyone who took advantage of these left satisfied. Romania has a few advantages compared to other European countries, its natural beauty and wild landscapes which no longer exist in other European countries, with the exception of northern countries. They do have such areas, but they have the disadvantage of weather. We had a large group of Belgian tourists, we have accompanied Israeli tourists, we’ve had tourists from all over Europe, and their number is growing.”



    Adventure tourism can be one of Romania’s main engines for development, according to Dan Panturu, manager of another adventure tourism agency: “We are working on two lines: team building for companies in Romania, foreign and domestic. The second line of development for our business is adventure tourism for groups of friends, which is smaller, but more flexible. These two lines can sometimes blend. A smaller group which is into adventure tourism, there is a greater availability of sports with a higher degree of adrenaline. For larger groups, the adrenaline level is set depending on the aim established by the company, and the level of fitness of the participants. They like all the products, but some are better liked. I am referring to the way the customer reacts when engaging in a given type of sport. We, as an adventure tourism company, feed off the happiness of the tourists when they finish their engagement.”



    Dan Panturu told us about their rafting package for Buzau river, accessible to a wide range of customers, children, adults, and even semi-professionals. It is level three in difficulty, from a scale of one to five. This is a team sport, which takes synchronicity and delegating a leader, and it brings satisfaction by the fact that you overcame difficulties with the team, colleagues and friends, a product accessible to anyone: “It costs about 200 lei per person, which includes the equipment and professional rafting boats. From our point of view, the most important things are guides that accompany the group, one per boat, and they are all accredited by the International Rafting Federation, 3rd class. This means that tourists are in good hands. In addition to these services, we offer technical assistance. We have a car that runs parallel to the river, ready to intervene in critical moments. If anyone wants to quit at any point, they can use that car. We offer transportation and we can film the activities from the shore or the boat.”



    According to Dan Panturu, managing an adventure tourism company, there are tourists who come to Romania to discover its beauties: “They are into adventure tourism, and they seek out specific places, with licensed guides to take them there. Foreign tourists come from all over the world, a lot of them from Europe, because it is handy. It is interesting that they do research before coming to Romania, and sometimes they know about places that most Romanians don’t. They don’t look for highways, which we still don’t have enough of, they seek out the wild places, which we have plenty of. They want to see as much as they can, have as many activities as they can, come into contact with the locals. Places for rafting are often found in poorer places in Romania, but there you can find old time culture, authentic people, welcoming and open. Romania’s most beautiful areas start off 3 or 4 km away from national motorways. You discover a different Romania, another facet, as we knew it when we visited our grandparents up in the mountains.”



    Here are just a few of the tourist offers in Romania for people interested in adventure tourism. In the hope we have aroused your interest, we will see you next time with another proposal.