Romania is a place for tourists. There are so many architectural marvels in this European country with a land area of 238,397 square kilometers (58.9 million acres). The Romanians—and there are more than 19.4 million of them—are very particular with their architecture. The Palace of the Parliament, for example, is the second-largest administrative building in the world—second only to America’s Pentagon. It is the heaviest building in the world that weighs over four billion kilograms. The Palace of the Parliament is in Bucharest, the country’s capital and the home of the triumphal arch, which could rival the Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. The churches all over Romania are just spectacular, and some of them were even labeled as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The country is also known for Transylvania, a historical region in central Romania. The region is blanketed with green mountains and many natural gems, but Transylvania is most famous for Dracula. Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” tells the story of Count Dracula, who hails from Transylvania. One of its most famous buildings is the Bran Castle, which is located in Bran but has a fortress that is on the Transylvania side. But people outside of Romania connect it to Transylvania more because this is considered the Dracula’s castle.
While tourists are drawn to Romanian architecture, the nation’s natural forms are also worth visiting. Romania has 12 protected areas, here are the five parks tourists should visit to experience pure nature:
1. Buila-Vanturarita National Park
This park is located in the Capatanii Mountains of Valcea County. Capatanii is part of the Parang group of mountains, which is a sub-group of the famous Southern Carpathians. The mountain range is named after its highest peak, Parang. Buila-Vanturarita was established to protect the vibrant flora and fauna within the area.
The most famous animal in the park is the brown bear because of its large population, especially within the Carpathian Mountain Range, the second largest mountain range in the world. According to records, there are 200,000 brown bears in the world—6,000 of them are found in the Carpathians. Other animals in the area are a badger, barbastelle, bat, chamois, deer, Eurasian wolf, lynx, pine marten, squirrel, and wild boar. There are also several species of birds like European nightjar, red-footed falcon, red kit, western capercaillie, and white-crowned wheatear. There are also common European adder, fire salamander, green lizard, and yellow-bellied toad, among others.
In terms of flora, there are several trees and flowering plants in the park. Among the common trees are English oak, European beech, Norway spruce, and pine. As for the flowers, there are belladonna, edelweiss, lady’s slipper, mountain bellflower, and yellow anemone.
2. Cozia National Park
Parachuting and paragliding are popular in the massifs of the park. This park is located in Valcea County. The park comprises of mountains and part of Olt River, the longest river exclusively flowing in Romania. Part of the Southern Carpathians and Capatanii Mountains are covered by the protected area. It also includes the Lotru Mountains. For parachuting and paragliding adventures, visitors have to scale the Cozia Massif.
The flora and fauna in this park reflect those that are found in the Carpathians. This means that it houses a large population of bears. There are also chamois, lynxes, and wolves. Virgin forests are also found in the park. There is also an abundance of lichens in the park.
3. Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park
This park stretches over various mountain ranges: Cerna, Godeanu, Medinti, and Vulcan. The park is within the Cerna River basin. Other important attractions in the park aside from the mountains are caves, cirques, limestone pavements, sinkholes, valleys, and waterfalls. There is just something for everybody in this park—the adventurers will explore the caves, the fitness buffs will hike the mountains, those who love to swim will take a hike to the waterfall and dip into its stream, while the casual tourist can just walk around the valleys and limestone pavements.
The park also has a rich flora and fauna with several plant species considered to be endemic to the park.
4. Retezat National Park
The park is named after the mountain range it covers. The Retezat Mountains are among the highest massifs in the country, with the highest peak reaching 2,509 meters. The highest peak is Pelagia. The park is located in Hunedoara County and became the first national park established in Romania in 1935.
The park has more than 60 peaks within its vicinity. A lot of the peaks are over 2,300 meters. It is said that Retezat has among the most beautiful mountains in the Carpathians, which are already famous in Europe and even among mountain climbers around the world. The park also has the largest single area of old-growth mixed forests in Europe.
There are also 80 mesmerizing glacier lakes in the park. The mixture of thick forest populations, which provides habitats to various species of animals, and the presence of several water bodies, makes the region worthy to be called a biosphere reserve. Among the famous animal species in the park are brown bears, chamois, Eurasian lynxes, European wildcats, wild boar, wild deer, and wolves.
5. Semenic-Caras Gorge National Park
This is a mountainous area in Caras-Severin County. It is within the Anina and Semenic mountain rangers. The mountains are home to many different forms of attractions like canyons, caves, forests, ridges, and sinkholes. The park’s most prominent natural structure is the gorge. Among the more specific natural attractions are the following: Barzavita, Buhui Cave, Buhui-Margaritas, Caras Gorge, Caras Springs, Comarnic Cave, Garliste Gorge, Groposu, Nera Springs, Popovat Cave, and Rasuflatoarei Cave. One of the most significant areas in the park is the Izvoarele Nerei Reserve because it houses vast virgin beech forest. It is said to be the largest pristine forests in Europe.
There are so many things to do in the park. The gorges and mountains are great for hiking and mountain climbing. The river that passes through the gorge is perfect for white water rafting or kayaking. The caves provide exciting exploration opportunities. The springs are refreshing and should be experienced.