\n<\/p>\n
The
\nDomogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park is a protected nature area,
\nsituated in the southwest part of Romania. This is a mountain area
\nwith over 30 tourism trails, with plenty of of caves, gorges,
\nwaterfalls, pastures and old forests, but also plenty of nature
\nreserves. In
\nthe Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park you will find a large number
\nof attractions, some of them unique, such as thermal water caves.
\nOthers are shrouded in mystery, and have many legends that explain
\nhow they appeared. Also, the thermal caves in the park are unique in
\nRomania, and are fairly rare in Europe, even in the world. One of
\nthese caves that you can visit the Steam Cave, a speleological jewel
\nwhere steam issues from cracks in the rock. The park has many forms
\nof relief. There is an area that is slightly eroded, giving rise to
\nmany phenomena. There are waterfalls, such as the Vanturatoarea
\nWaterfall, with a drop of over 40 meters. The water is aired as the
\nstream of water smashes into a rock ledge. What is spectacular is the
\nfact that tourists can see it from behind. Ionut Papa, a mountain
\nguide and travel blogger, told us that the starting point for
\nvisiting this nature park should be Baile Herculane spa:
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There
\nare many reasons to head up to Baile Herculane. One of the best and
\nmost important reasons is the the Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park,
\nwhich promotes a large number of tourist trails, with an impressive
\nview of Romania’s landscapes and history. In Baile Herculane we find
\nisolated mountain hamlets. Such hamlets are very rare in Romania, and
\nare a dying breed. People can go there and spend time with the
\nlocals, and find out about their traditions. There are offers for
\nspare time activities in a dreamlike landscape. There is also the
\npart of treatment and wellness within the spa proper, in hotels that
\noffer such facilities, and tourists can get treatment for a variety
\nof conditions. Tourists also come here simply to relax and take
\nadvantage of the beneficial thermal waters, which people have known
\nabout for thousands of years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The
\nhamlets are easy to reach, but the trail itself is a real adventure.
\nHere is Ionut Papa once again:
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If
\nwe talk about Inelet Hamlet, preferred by tourists, you get there on
\na series of wooden stairs, built by the locals, which climbs about 30
\nmeters and are in a very good state of repair. You have to go up
\nthese stairs to get to the main path in Inelet Hamlet. They are built
\nof very hard essence wood. The locals care for them constantly,
\nbecause they are their only connection to the outside world. At the
\nsame time, they are protecting the tourists from any risk. It is a
\nbit difficult if you have a fear of heights, though. After you climb
\nthe steps and look down, you realize that you are higher than you
\nthought. However, we, mountain guides, help tourists overcome their
\nfears and get there in complete safety.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We
\nwent on to ask Ionut Papa what makes the Domogled- Cerna Valley
\nNature Park such an attractive destination:
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It
\nis very special, both from the point of view of fauna and of flora.
\nIn terms of flora, we have here a species of black pine, called the
\nBlack Pine of Banat. It is the only one of its kind in Romania. They
\ncan only be found in Baile Herculane and a few adjacent areas only.
\nIn terms of fauna, here we find bears, wolves, but most importantly
\nthis park hosts 45% of the population of butterflies in Romania. If
\nyou are passionate about flora, butterflies and nature in general,
\nthe Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park offers many activities and
\npossibilities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This
\npark is the only one in the country that encompasses an entire
\nhydrographic basin. This is the basin of the River Cerna and all its
\ntributaries, and Cerna Valley is considered the most beautiful in the
\nCarpathians to boot. It looks like a longitudinal throughway that
\nseparates two mountain chains, a 40 km long defile with the river
\nCerna at the bottom, flanked by rich coniferous and deciduous
\nforests. We asked Ionut Papa, mountain guide, what treks we can go on
\nin the park:
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There
\nare trekking trails of very different degrees. We have long trails,
\n12 hours long, which are recommended for the people with experience
\nin mountain backpacking. However, we have trails for beginners, who
\nwant to discover what a nature outing really means. Depending on the
\ntype of tourist, we can recommend what is best for them. None of the
\ntrails we recommend are dangerous. Most are low altitude, 1,500 m at
\nthe most. As a result, there is no danger of falling or exposure.
\nPeople come and go guided by us in complete safety.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ionut
\nPapa told us people leave the area very satisfied, and made extended
\nan invitation at the end:
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We
\nhosted many tourists from Germany, and not only. We had tourists from
\nthe US too, some who were going around the world. Once they got to
\nRomania, our area got recommended to them as a must-go place. I
\naccompanied them on the trails, we showed them the good places, we
\ntold them about the local traditions and history. They left very
\nsatisfied, and convinced that they would come back on vacation. We
\ninvite tourists to come to a region of Romania that is really worth
\nvisiting. They can practice many activities both in the resort and in
\nthe national park. They can go on lots of treks, they can go horse
\nriding, or mountain biking. The offer for entertainment in the area
\nis very rich, and tourists can rely on us, mountain guides, to help
\nthem with anything they need to have an unforgettable vacation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This
\nis an open invitation to visit Baile Herculane spa, and its wonderful
\nsurrounding park.
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Domogled- Cerna Valley Nature Park is a protected nature area with plenty of of caves, gorges, waterfalls, pastures and old forests<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":149919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-149918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n