Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park

This is Romania's largest national park, wrapped around the Cerna valley in the far southwest where the climate turns notably milder than the rest of the Carpathians. That warmth has left a flora with strong Mediterranean and Balkan elements: black pine grows on the limestone crags of Domogled, lilac and hop hornbeam fill the slopes, and the butterfly and reptile lists include species found nowhere else in the country. The Cerna itself runs in a long forested trench between the Mehedinți and Cerna ranges, with thermal springs breaking out along it, which is why the Romans built baths here and why Băile Herculane grew where it did. Above the town, paths climb steeply to Domogled peak and the Vânturătoarea waterfall, while deeper in the valley are gorges, caves and the Seven Hot Springs. It is walking country with an unusual, almost southern feel.

What you actually see

• Domogled peak - the black pine crag rising directly above Herculane.
• Vânturătoarea waterfall - a fall reached by a steep path from the valley.
• The Cerna valley - a long forested trench with thermal springs along it.
• Mediterranean flora - black pine, lilac and southern species on the limestone.

When to go

The season is longer here than elsewhere in the Carpathians: April to November works, and spring flowering is exceptional. Midsummer is hot in the valley. Snow can close the higher paths from December to March but the valley stays open.

Honest expectations

Paths from Herculane climb hard and fast out of the valley and are rougher than the spa setting suggests. The Cerna valley road is long, poorly surfaced in stretches, and largely without services. Vipers are genuinely common on the warm limestone slopes here, more so than elsewhere in Romania. Ticks are abundant in spring and early summer.

Nearby

Băile Herculane sits at the mouth of the valley; the Iron Gates gorge is south.