Gorges and canyons

The gorges and canyons of Romania formed where rivers cut through the limestone bars of the Carpathians or crossed straight through the mountains: the Olt and the Jiu break through the Southern Carpathians from north to south, the Bicaz carves its way through the Hășmaș, and the Danube, at the Kazan gorges, passes through the narrowest stretch of its course. The vertical walls, the road squeezed between rock and water, and the warmer microclimate of the limestone make them good places both for climbing and for a simple stop at a bend. The roads through the gorges are narrow and busy; take it slowly.

Bicaz Gorge, on the road between Moldavia and Transylvania, is the best known. The Danube Gorges are best seen from the water or from the Rock Sculpture of Decebalus. The Olt Defile and Jiu Gorge are the gateways from Oltenia into Transylvania and are worth driving for their own sake.