2. THE BLACK SEA
The Black Sea is located between Europe and Asia, which borders Russia, Ukraine,
Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. It covers an area of 423,488 km ². The Black Sea
is one of four seas named in English after common color terms: the others being the Red
Sea, the White Sea and the Yellow Sea.
Strabo's Geography reports that in antiquity, the Black Sea was often just called "the Sea"
(ho pontos). The Black Sea got its name from the Ottoman Turks. 'Kara (Black)' denotes
'North' in Medieval Turkish, as in Kara Denizi - Kara Sea north of Siberian Yakut Turks,
similar to Black Sea.
The Black Sea supports an active and dynamic marine ecosystem, dominated by species
suited to the brackish, nutrient-rich conditions.
3. SAINT ANA LAKE
St. Ana Lake is a volcanic lake, the only such lake throughout Romania. It is located on the bottom of
the crater of an extinct volcano. Tourists who come to St. Anna Lake do not need to learn how the
weather will be as they have at hand an empirical but accurate method given by the volcanic mountain:
two cracks formed in the mountain predict weather. Local people know that “if the emanations of
cracks is irritating to the nose, then it is a sign of storm, and if not, the day will be sunny, just right for
hiking.” The phenomenon has a scientific explanation. The mountain still carrying out post-volcanic
activity, is sensitive to any change in atmospheric pressure. When the pressure decreases, gases such as
carbon dioxide and sulfur, rise to the surface and cracks with a pungent odor, a sign that rain comes.
4. BÂLEA LAKE
Bâlea Lake is a glacier lake
situated at 2,034 m of altitude
in the Făgăraş Mountains, in
central Romania. There are
two chalets opened all the year
round, a meteorological station
and a mountain rescue
(Salvamont) station. It is
accessible by car on the
Transfăgărăşan road during
the summer, and the rest of the
year by a cable car from the
"Bâlea Waterfall" chalet.
In 2006, the first ice hotel in
Eastern Europe was built in
the vicinity of the lake
5. THE IRON GATES
The Iron Gates is a gorge on the Danube.
It forms part of the boundary between Romania and
Serbia.
In the broad sense it encompasses a route of 134 km;
in the narrow sense it only encompasses the last
barrier on this route, just beyond the Romanian city of
Orşova, that contains two hydroelectric dams, with two
power stations.
Decebalus carved into the rock cliff of the Iron Gates
6. THE DANUBE DELTA
The mighty Danube River flows 1,788 miles from its
springs in Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea.
Just before reaching the sea it forms the second largest
and best preserved of Europe’s deltas: 2,200 square
miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and
reed islands. The Danube Delta is a wildlife
enthusiasts’ (especially bird watchers’) paradise. Some
300 species of birds make the Danube’s delta their
home, including cormorants, white tailed eagles and
glossy ibises. There is also a rich community of fish
and animals, from wildcats, foxes and wolves, to even
an occasional boar or deer. Altogether, 3,450 animal
species can be seen here, as well as 1,700 plant
species.
7. DÂMBOVICIOAREI QUAY
Dâmbovicioarei Quay looks
impressive and it is part of a
series of at least 20 quays in the
area.
This quay is dug in sedimentary
rock formations, limestone, and
sandstone conglomerate shaping
an 8 km long canyon, which in
some parts of the valley has walls
that exceed 200 m in height.
By the action of erosion the river
has created bizarre shapes of
towers, or sharp increases. This
area includes more than 50 caves.
8. THE SECULAR FOREST FROM SLĂTIOARA
Slătioara Forest is a protected area of national interest. It
was declared a nature reservation in 1941.
It shelters on a surface of 1,064 ha a fragment of a secular,
virgin forest. The trees which make up this reservation are
some of the oldest trees in Romania and also Europe, a few
being 350-400 years old.
The natural monuments encountered here are: the yew tree,
the rock mouse ear, the spurge olive and the sweet water red
algae. Five new species of butterfly have been discovered,
but also the endemic species, unique in the world, Carabus
rarauense.
9. TRANSFĂGĂRĂŞANUL PASS
Built as a strategic military route, it is the highest and most dramatic paved road in
Romania. The road climbs to 2,034 meters of altitude. It is a winding road, dotted
with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves, and sharp descents. The Transfăgărăşan is
both an attraction and a challenge for hikers, cyclists, drivers and motorcycle
enthusiasts alike.
10. Situated at 2,216 m altitude and seen
from one side and from the front, the
THE SPHINX
megalith (8 m in height and 12 m in
width) has a striking resemblance with
a human head. But no chisel and
hammer have touched this block of
stone. The amazing shape is all the
work of wind, water and the constant
frost and defrosts. The first picture of
this megalith dates back to 1900, but
only in 1935 it was called a sphinx.
The man-shaped stone is looking to the
sky.
11. THE OLD WOMEN – “BABELE”
The Old Women is situated on
the Bucegi Mountains plateau.
The name comes from some
mushroom shaped rock formations
resembling human silhouettes, the
result of erosion and varying
hardness of the rock layers.