Râmeț Gorges

The Râmeț gorge is small but has a reputation out of proportion to its length, because the route through it involves wading. The path crosses the stream repeatedly and in places runs along the bed between walls that close to a few metres apart, with fixed chains and staples bolted into the rock where the ledges run out. In summer the water is shallow and cold and the crossing is a pleasure; after rain the same route is impassable and people have been caught out by sudden rises. The gorge sits in the Trascău Mountains, a quiet limestone area of scattered villages, and at its lower end stands Râmeț monastery, one of the oldest monastic sites in Transylvania, with a stone church carrying medieval frescoes and an inscription from the fourteenth century. The combination of the two, a demanding little water route and an ancient monastery ten minutes apart, is what makes the valley worth the awkward drive.

What you actually see

• The wading route - chains and staples through the narrows, in and out of the stream.
• Râmeț monastery - a medieval church with old frescoes and a working community.
• The Trascău limestone - white cliffs and karst above the scattered hamlets.
• Village lanes - hay meadows and wooden barns on the approach.

When to go

June to September, in settled weather and low water. Avoid the gorge entirely after rain or during thaw. Early summer has more water than late; August is usually the easiest.

Honest expectations

You will get wet to the knees or higher, so bring shoes you can soak and something dry for afterwards. The chains are old in places and the rock is slick. The access roads are narrow, steep and poorly surfaced. There are no facilities at the gorge itself, and the monastery expects modest dress from visitors.

Nearby

Rimetea village lies north in the same mountains; Alba Iulia is west across the valley.