# Gorges and canyons — tourist attractions in Romania

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> Gorges and canyons carved by rivers.

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](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cheile-bicazului), on the road between Moldavia and Transylvania, is the best known. The [Danube Gorges](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cazanele-dunarii) are best seen from the water or from the Rock Sculpture of Decebalus. The [Olt Defile](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/defileul-oltului) and [Jiu Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/defileul-jiului) are the gateways from [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) into Transylvania and are worth driving for their own sake.

## Tourist attractions

4 attractions

- [Bicaz Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cheile-bicazului) — Gorges and canyons · Bicaz-Chei, NT · Free · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100
  The best-known gorge in the Carpathians: the DN12C road runs between limestone walls over 300 m high, along the Bicaz river, between Lacu Roșu and Bicaz-Chei.
- [Danube Gorges (Cazanele Dunării)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cazanele-dunarii) — Gorges and canyons · Dubova, MH · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100
  The narrowest stretch of the Danube Gorge, between Dubova and Ogradena: the river squeezes between limestone walls, with Serbia on the far bank, seen by boat or from Ciucaru Mare.
- [Jiu Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/defileul-jiului) — Scenic roads · Gorj County · Free · Top 100
  The 33 km gorge by which the Jiu crosses the Carpathians between Bumbești-Jiu and Livezeni: the DN66 follows the river through Defileul Jiului National Park, past Lainici Monastery.
- [Olt Defile](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/defileul-oltului) — Scenic roads · Vâlcea County · Free · 1½ – 2 hours
  The 47 km gorge by which the Olt crosses the Carpathians: on the DN7, between Boița and Călimănești, the road follows the river past Cozia Monastery. A busy through route, not a leisure drive.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/chei-si-defilee
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/chei-si-defilee.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/chei-si-defilee.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/chei-si-defilee.md
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania