Romania – Culture

CULTURAL PARKS

Romania is increasing in popularity as a trekking destination in Europe, and this is because tourists have plenty of things to see while climbing the Carpathian Mountains.

Retezat National Park

The park includes 20,000 hectares of nature reserve with over 1,000 plant species, of which about 100 are endemic, meaning they cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The park also includes more than 20 peaks higher than 2,000 meters and about 100 lakes. The glacial lakes and the deepest lake in the country are all here. Retezat National Park is exceptional, with unique landscapes. It has a very strong influence at European level competing with the most famous cultural parks in Europe. Animals such as bears, wolves and lynxes, deer, pigs, or rabbits are just some of the creatures that romp in an ideal habitat, in valleys studded with caves and potholes. The feeling of wilderness and unspoiled nature make this place seem unreal. (

Nera Keys National Park

It covers 36,000 hectares and it is home to six nature reserves. The landscape has heights between 600 and 1,000 meters and it is covered by dense forests. Here inhabit bears, the Carpathian deer, wild boars, otters, badgers, rock martens and other creatures, in an environment untouched by man. The extremely rich flora is represented through over 100 species with their subspecies. The protected area preserves many species of fauna and historical cultural resources. Near the park, there were discovered traces of the Cro-Magnon man, with an estimated age of 42,000 years. Nera National Park is characterized by karst lakes such as Ochiul Beiului and Iacul Dracului, Bigar and Susara waterfalls, and caves such as Plopa, Ponor, Dubova and Boilor Cave. The influence of this park at European level is a long-term one, being visited annually by thousands of tourists who also have the opportunity to practice ecotourism and hike on marked trails, rafting on the river Nera, climbing on especially designated routes, cycling on forest roads or practice spelunking in the caves in the area.