Cetățile Ponorului

Cetățile Ponorului, the Citadels of Ponor, is the most impressive karst feature in Romania and one of the largest in Europe: three enormous collapsed depressions in the limestone, connected underground, with a river running through them. The first and largest doline is around three hundred metres across and a hundred and fifty deep, and at its base the river disappears into a portal roughly seventy metres high, a black arch in the cliff that swallows the whole stream. The usual visit is from above, at the belvedere viewpoint where the scale of the first citadel opens up beneath you, and then down a steep path with cables and ladders to the floor and the portal mouth. Going further, into the cave system itself, is a serious caving expedition rather than a walk. The forest around the depressions is old and damp, cold air pours out of the entrance, and the noise of the river carries a long way.

What you actually see

• The belvedere - the viewpoint over the first and largest collapsed doline.
• The great portal - the seventy-metre entrance where the river goes underground.
• The descent route - a steep cabled path from the rim to the floor.
• The second and third citadels - further depressions in the forest beyond.

When to go

June to September, in dry conditions. After rain the descent becomes slippery and dangerous and the water level in the portal rises. The forest holds mist in the mornings, which is atmospheric from the rim and unhelpful from below.

Honest expectations

The descent is steep, muddy and exposed in places, with fixed cables and ladders that demand care and reasonable fitness, and it is not suitable for young children or anyone unsure on their feet. The walk from Padiș is unshaded in parts and takes longer than the signs suggest. Photographs cannot convey the scale, and photographs taken from the floor rarely work at all. The cave system beyond the portal is off limits without equipment, permission and a guide.

Nearby

Padiș plateau is the usual base; the Galbenei gorge lies on the same walking network.