Vacationing on the Danube Gorges
Todays destination is in southwestern Romania, to an area whose fame has long passed the countrys borders. The Danube Gorges offers us a spectacular view, as the river squeezes through the mountains.
Daniel Onea, 04.09.2014, 14:52
Today’s destination is in southwestern Romania, to an area whose fame has long passed the country’s borders. The Danube Gorges offers us a spectacular view, as the river squeezes through the mountains. You can indulge in most of your favorite outdoors activities there, from trekking to extreme sports. Accommodation is also exceptional, as well as your choice of cuisine, with fish topping the list.
While spending your vacation there you can see a monumental sculpted portrait of Decebalus, the last king of ancient Dacia, 55 meters tall and 25 meters wide. To get a better idea of its size, it is only six meters less tall than the Statue of Liberty and eight meters taller than Christ the Redeemer of Rio. It is the tallest stone sculpture in Europe, as we were told by Marin Caramizaru, head of the local tourist association, in Mehedinti county:
Marin Caramizaru: “We sought to diversify our tourist offer as much as we could. First of all, we advocate a return to nature. We recommend the Ciucarul Mare, Ciucarul Mic and Trescovat trails, offering a spectacular view of the gorges. We also recommend bicycle tours. You can rent a bike at most of the places where you find accommodation. The most popular activity is boat riding. You can also rent water bicycles and kayaks locally. There are a few caves worth visiting too. The most beautiful is the one in Gura Ponicovei. Prices vary depending on your circuit, it is between 25 and 35 lei per person for a trip between an hour and a half and two hours long.”
The autumn is the most beautiful season in this area, according to Raluca Crista, executive director of the Danube Gorges Local Action Group: “It is the ideal period for admiring the vegetation. The Danube Gorges is a great destination for all. We have tourists who trek the length of Europe, or travel the length of the Danube. There are several camping sites. There are traditional houses, privately managed, which you can rent for periods of time, then you can find B&Bs rated at two or three stars for very affordable prices. We have also developed business tourism, which is on the rise. We have some very interesting projects in agro-tourism too. We have boat rides, kayak rides, archery, paintball, spelunking, rock climbing, etc. Autumn is beautiful here, especially once figs ripen, and the local village of Svinita makes great fig preserves. That place is famous. Tourists can book accommodation in local homes and actually take part in making the sweets, or even homemade liquor from figs.”
Foreign tourists, mostly from Germany, Hungary or the Czech Republic, love cycling, according to Marin Caramizaru, head of the local tourist association: “The Danube Gorges is the venue for two very important cycling events, Eurovelo 6 and the Iron Curtain Circuit. The Danube Gorges boasts a great ethnic and cultural variety. We invite tourists to get in touch with our association to take advantage of the best offers in the area, in terms of accommodation, spots to visit, and tourist guides who know the area best.”
The Figs’ Festival, The Danube Villages’ Festival, The Tulip Festival in Dubova and The Cauldrons Fest in Moldova Noua are some of the events staged in this area. The Danube Gorges is home to Serb, Czech, German and Hungarian communities.
Raluca Crista, executive manager of the Danube Gorges Local Action Group: “There are also Nedeile, known as the Village’s Prayers, a celebration usually attended by the entire community. The prayers have great spiritual value as they bring together old and young people and traditions are passed on. The locals wear traditional costumes and exhibit their favorite poems or sketches, they sing and dance. We would like to set up an exhibition room for local craftsmen to display their work.”
Taken in by the beauty of the places, tourists come here from all over the world. Raluca Crista told us more: “Some tourists come here regularly, once every year or two, and feel things have improved. Others come every year on Christmas, for instance. They are keen on discovering these areas together with spaeleology and cycling associations. They give us positive feedback. Many come from the Czech Republic, Germany or Austria. I have also talked to a few tourists from Indonesia and Thailand. Two weeks ago we had a group from Switzerland. Tourists come from all over the world”.
The most popular dishes are based on fish. All guesthouses and restaurants offer the traditional fish sour soup, fish brine, fish grills served with garlic sauce and polenta. Local fairs are turned into genuine gastronomic feasts. Having said that, we hoped we’ve whetted your appetite and convinced you to contact your travel agent and book a ticket now. Until next time, have a safe travel and good weather!
