The Meliug Glade

If Cheile Carașului is among the promoted and well-known attractions in Banat, it must be mentioned that the place where the Caraș River originates, forming these gorges, is also extremely spectacular but not as well-known, not as promoted, and certainly not visited as much by tourists. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that access requires covering a longer distance on foot, and on the other hand, because it is not among the most promoted tourist attractions in the Banat Mountains. The place where the Caraș River originates is called Izbucul Carașului, and this is due to the fact that in karst regions, most springs are called "izbuc" due to the different way in which underground water reaches the surface. Izbucul Carașului is located in the middle of the forest, and there are several hiking trail options to reach it. The first and perhaps the most commonly used marked tourist route is the one that starts from Lake Buhui. To reach this lake, there is a trail option starting from the town of Anina, either from the Sigismund district near the cemetery or from the Orașul Nou district. Follow the blue stripe marking (from the Sigismund district – Maial, the trail also intersects with the yellow stripe marking indicating the European trail E3 coming from Ochiul Bei, in Valea Beului), and once you reach Lake Buhui, you will notice signs with a yellow triangle marking towards Izbucul Carașului (Izvoarele Carașului). While some time ago, the trail to Izbucul Carașului had no tourist marking, only a path beaten through the forest, now access to this very beautiful and extremely interesting place in the middle of the forest is much easier with the help of the yellow triangle marking. This trail to Izbucul Carașului reaches the area of Cantonul Silvic Cârneală following the forest road, and from here, it descends to Izbucul Carașului through a path in the forest. The path crosses an extremely wild forest, where human intervention is almost imperceptible, especially if you follow this trail in the spring or summer months after the vegetation has grown considerably. Being a karstic area, most of the time, Izbucul (or the spring) Carașului does not have water right at the surface water outlet, so the underground water emerges a few meters downstream from the small opening of the spring. Therefore, to catch as much water as possible at Izbucul Carașului right in the area where it springs, it is recommended to come here in the early spring months and after heavy rains. It should be noted that even if you choose a hike to Izbucul Carașului in the summer months or after periods of low precipitation, you will find water a little downstream from the spring, where due to the high calcium and other mineral content, you will notice a series of micro-dams formed from travertine, giving a special appearance to this area, similar to the travertine thresholds formed on the waterfalls on the Beușnița Valley. The duration of the hike to Izbucul Carașului depends on the starting point and the walking pace. From Lake Buhui to the spring, the estimated time is about 2 hours, and if you choose to start from Șaua Cuptoare, the estimated time for the last hike I chose this trail was about 2.5-3 hours, depending on the walking pace. Text & foto source

The natural reserve with an area of 1,865.60 ha, located in the western part of the Anina Mountains, is included in the Cheile Nerei - Beușnița National Park. In this natural area you can find limestone cliffs, sinkholes, boulders, caves such as the Lenuța Cave, the Cave under Padina Popii, the Bijuteri Cave, but also avenes, grottoes, gorges, waterfalls, ponds, meadows and forests. The flora specific to the area is notable for the existence of different shrubs such as the walnut, the Turkish hazel, the Turkish cherry, the dogwood, the thorn and the Banătea peony. Fauna stands out for mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs that are specific to the mountain range of the Banat Mountains. Located near the village of Padina Matei, Gârnic commune, the waterfalls in the natural botanical area Valea Mare are at an altitude of 500-700 meters. The waterfalls on the Mudavița river are also known as "Cascada Bordânc" and "Cascada Modăvița". They are between 15 and 20 meters high. Access to the waterfalls is from the Moldova Nouă – Padina Matei county road. Source Text & Photo: https://www.facebook.com/banatulmontan, https://www.cniptmoldovanoua.ro, http://ocoflo.blogspot.com

Iezerul Bistrei - Sea Eye is the place where the Bistra river originates. This is a dry and sunny place, with grassy vegetation and bushes, where the horned viper can be spotted.  Source Text & Photo: https://alpinet.org, https://muntii-nostri.ro

People who come to buy drinking water at Baile Herculane have 2 sources at their disposal: Domogled 1 and Domogled 2. Locals and tourists come daily to the spring, because the water has extraordinary qualities, being microbiologically pure, trace mineral, alkaline, and due to the small amount of sodium, the still water from the Herculaneum Baths is recommended for those suffering from heart and kidney diseases. source

The Steam Cave in the Cerna Mountains is a narrow fossil cave with a single entrance and a length of 14 meters. The cave exhales hot steam from a thermal spring located at the end of the cave. These steam emissions, ranging from 52 to 56 degrees Celsius, surface through a crack in the rock, and inside the cave, a humidity of 100% is formed. Due to sulfur emanations, the philonotis schliephackei moss, found only here, grows on the cave walls. The warm air in the cave contributes to the formation of gelatinous stalactites, a few centimeters thick. From the resort of Băile Herculane to the Steam Cave, you have to walk for about an hour on mountain trails. On the route, there are several vantage points, providing a good opportunity for short breaks, to breathe in strongly ionized air, and to admire the beautiful mountain landscapes. Legend has it that the cave is over two millennia old, and among its visitors is even the great Dacian king Burebista. The Steam Cave poses a real danger to visitors and speleologists alike. Over time, several people have lost their lives due to gas emissions. Source

Cantonul Damian is a landmark and a stopover for any tourist in the Cheile Nerei (Nera Gorges). This is a wonderful camping spot for tents. From here, climbers set out for the limestone pyramid of Turnul Mare al Begului, where they climb the wall over 200 meters high. Turnul Mare al Begului is continued by Turnul Mic al Begului downstream from the forestry lodge. From Cantonul Damian, downstream, the trail follows the forest road passing under Cârşia Rolului, imposing with its stone towers at the summit, with a height of 270 meters. At the base of the cliff is Peștera Rolului (20 meters above the Nera waters), where the Caraseni haiducs took refuge from the Turkish and Austrian gates. The cave is famous as the refuge of Adam Duma, also known as Adam Neamțu, the last great Banat haiduc, and according to legend, the treasures of the haiducs are also hidden in this cave. The forest road then passes by the ruins of the former medieval fortification "Turnul Mare a lui Alibeg," which "is linked to the legend of a young Banat girl who was kidnapped by the Turkish bey and imprisoned in the tower. However, the girl escaped at night, descending the rock with the help of a rope she braided from her own dress. Out of sorrow, for he was in love with the beautiful girl, Ali Beg cried so much that the Bei River formed from his tears." [Bizerea M., 1971]. Indeed, after 4 km from Cantonul Damian, on the forest road, you reach the confluence of Beiul and Nera, at Podul Beiului. Source: text & photo

The Gârliște waterfall is located on the Garlistei Gorges, perhaps the wildest gorges in Romania, of rare beauty and with an easy route. The waterfall pleasantly impresses any hiker, being in a special natural setting. The gorges have very wild sections, with limestone walls that rise right out of the water of the Garliste river. source

The Calinovăț Island nature reserve is located in the territory of the Western Carpathians, the Banat Mountains sub-region, the Locvei Mountains geomorphological unit. which are part of the group of mountains and calcareous plateaus. However, the immediately adjacent mountainous area is characterized by very low altitudes and granitic rocks. From a geological point of view, the territory is part of the Danubian domain. Vegetation - The territory of the reserve is located in the European biogeographical region, at the confluence of the Nera and the Danube, being characterized by hydrophilic and hygrophilous vegetation, specific to wet areas. The flora is represented by hydrophilic and hygrophilous species, such as Salix spp. (willow species), Phragmites spp. (cane), Carex spp. (sedge), Salvinia natans (sedge), Marsilea quadrifolia (rock clover), Typha spp. Fauna - The island is a real oasis for many species of birds during seasonal migrations or for nesting. Invertebrate fauna is poorly known in the area, but numerous species of butterflies, dragonflies, dragonflies can be found, many species having protection status. The Calinovăț Island nature reserve is part of the Iron Gates National Park. Type of reservation: avifaunistics Area: 24.0 ha Types of habitats: Habitats specific to wetlands The Calinovat Island wetland special avifaunistic protection area includes the Calinovat island located on the Danube river and the water surface bordering the island up to a depth of 2 m. It is located on the administrative territory of Pojejena commune, Caras-Severin county. Calinovăț Island is located on the Danube, approx. 8 km downstream from the river's entry into Romania, being the first Romanian Danube island encountered along its course. Access roads: Orsova-Moldova Noua-Pojejena-Bazias - DN57 up to the town of Pojejena, after which go on DJ57A, in the direction of Pojejena-Bazias. Text source Photo source

The depression area concludes the relief with Mount Rudina (870 m) and the Gabrotu Talva (992 m), under which it descends steeply by 400-500 m into the Almaj Depression, characterized by terraces and hills that compose the local landscape. At a distance of 2.5 km from the entrance to the gorge, the valley widens, forming a clearing where the "Day of the Lilac" was celebrated annually. Among the rocks, lilac shrubs grow, adding a unique charm to this valley. The geological composition of the area consists of crystalline formations crossed by magmatic rocks, with the crystalline formations predominantly represented by amphibolic gneisses, affected by numerous tectonic fractures. Source