The Danube Cauldrons in Blooming Season
In the section called "Cazanele Dunarii, the Danube Cauldrons", the river flows through rocky, almost vertical walls
Călin Coțoiu and Ștefan Baciu, 22.04.2026, 19:33
In the section called “Cazanele Dunarii, the Danube Cauldrons”, the river flows through rocky, almost vertical walls, a landscape that changed in the 1970s, after the construction of the great hydroelectric dam at Portile de Fier, the Iron Gates. Under the waters of the huge reservoir are several former settlements whose inhabitants moved nearby, to higher places. The landscape changed a lot after the water level reached the rocky walls, creating a gorge of over 9 kilometers that became a great attraction. This gorge can be easily traversed, on board a speedboat, in a one or two-hour journey through Cazanele Mari, or Greater Cauldrons, Cazanele Mici, or Lesser Cauldrons, and Dubova Bay. The name Cazane, Cauldrons, dates back to the period when the dam did not exist, and the river flowed through the rocks, giving the impression that its water was boiling. Some tourists choose this period to visit the Danube Cauldrons because they can admire, from aboard boats, the yellow Cazane tulip (Tulipa hungarica – lat.), a species that can only be found on the slopes of the Ciucarul Mare massif. From Florentina Muchitsch, general secretary of the Association “Discover the Danube Cauldrons”, we learned why a boat trip in April is special in the Danube Cauldrons:
“It is the most beautiful place in April. We have the Yellow Tulip of Cazane, it has already bloomed. The Yellow Tulip of Cazane or Tulipa Hungarica, as it is called, is an endemic species, first mentioned in 1884. It grows in the reserve of Cazanele Mari, Cazanele Mici. on the slopes of Ciucarul Mare, on the Romanian bank of the Danube. How can we get to the flower? By boat! It is a small, yellow, odorless flower, which blooms right on the bare rock, at a height. We can only see it from the water! We see the rocky walls are dressed in yellow. It is something that cannot be described. It must be lived! A boat trip is an experience that you should not miss. A classic route would be ‘The Face of Decebalus’, Tabula Traiana, Mraconia Monastery, Veteran Cave, Ponicova Cave, of course, the cauldrons. It takes about two hours. The tulip area stretches from the Dubova Bay area to the Ponicova Cave nearby.”
The face of Decebalus, carved into the rock of the mountain, is an unfinished work, which is 55 meters high and 25 meters wide. Also from the boat, on the Serbian bank of the Danube, you can see the “Tabula Traiana”, a memorial plaque from the time of Emperor Trajan, to mark the victory of the Romans in the war against the Dacians, in the years 105 – 106 AD. Also on the Romanian bank is the Mraconia monastery, built on the foundation of an old lighthouse to direct river traffic, which functioned before the construction of the dam.
Spring is the perfect season for hiking on the Ciucarul Mare and Ciucarul Mic massifs. Florentina Muchitsch, general secretary of the Association ‘Discover the Danube Cauldrons’, further told us:
“Spring is perhaps the most beautiful season for hiking in our country. The route on Ciucarul Mare is the most popular, it takes about two to three hours, it is not very difficult. From the top you have an incredible panorama of the Cauldrons and Dubova Bay. It is the most spectacular vantage point over the Cauldrons. The route is accessible even to families with children. The difference in level is 300 meters, it is an intense climb, I would say, then there is a very generous plateau for the return. It is a place where you understand how grandiose the Danube Cleft is, and how beautiful the Danube is seen from above. I recommend this route, then I recommend Ciucarul Mic, the panorama of the Small Cauldrons, which is about 3 hours, less crowded, and, of course, the waterfalls on Valea Ponicovei and Plașevița. They are spectacular in spring because they have water flowing. In summer, if we go to see them, they do not have water.”
After the Danube water level rose, access to the caves in the Danube Cauldrons area is only possible by water, using boats. The Veteran Cave, for example, with traces of Paleolithic habitation, was fortified over 300 years ago to set up an observation point on the Danube for the Austrian army. A spectacular phenomenon occurs during the summer solstice, when the sun’s rays penetrate through a hole in the ceiling into this cave. Another attraction is the Ponicova Cave, one kilometer long, which crosses the mountain from one side to the other. Coming from the water, visitors can step into the gallery and then exit by the road that follows the contour of the Romanian bank of the Danube Cauldrons. It is worth mentioning that visitor access is restricted to only one gallery of the Ponicova Cave, so as not to disturb the bat colony here.
