Nera Gorge

About Nera Gorge

The Nera Gorge (Cheile Nerei) was cut by the Nera river into the limestone of the southern Anina Mountains, along almost 20 km between Șopotu Nou and Sasca Română, in Caraș-Severin County. It is considered the longest gorge in the country and no road runs through it, so it can only be explored on foot. It belongs to the Cheile Nerei–Beușnița nature reserve, the strict protection zone of the Cheile Nerei–Beușnița National Park, managed by Romsilva; the park's beech forests have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2017.

The valley has a climate with sub-Mediterranean influences: wild lilac and manna ash grow on the slopes, among screes and vertical walls rising straight out of the water, known locally as "cârșe". Along the gorge there are dozens of caves, among them Peștera Dubova, the longest in the gorge (380 m), Peștera Voinii and the Vât Caves, where fossils of mammals that died out after the last ice age have been found.

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the western entrance is in Sasca Română, 2.3 km from the centre of Sasca Montană commune, on the county road. It is ~29 km from Oravița (~35 min), ~80 km from Reșița (~1h30) and ~136 km from Timișoara (~2h20), on the DN59 and DN57 to Oravița. Podul Beiului is reached by car on a different road, ~16 km via Potoc. The eastern end of the trail is at Șopotu Nou, and the Devil's Lake can also be reached from the DJ 571B, from Poiana Logor (between Cărbunari and Stăncilova), on the blue-stripe trail (8 km, ~3 hours, with a steep descent).

Public transport: no regular services to Sasca Română are known. The nearest you can get by train or bus is Oravița, ~29 km away, from where you need a car. For the full trail, between Șopotu Nou and Sasca Română, you need organised transport at one of the two ends.

Where to park

You park in Sasca Română, near the suspension footbridge, and at Podul Beiului, next to the park's information point. Parking charges are not published by the park authority. On the park's forest roads vehicles are allowed only on the designated routes, and cars may be left only in the designated places.

Fees & discounts

Entry to the Cheile Nerei–Beușnița National Park is paid (official website): adults €2 + VAT (~12 lei), pupils, students and pensioners €1 + VAT. Pay in cash at the information points at Podul Beiului and the Bigăr Waterfall or by text message to 7494, on the day of the visit (code NERA1 for one adult, NERA2 or NERA4 for 2 or 4 adults, RNERA1 for the reduced rate); keep the confirmation message for the whole visit. Camping at Cantonul Damian has a combined visiting and camping rate.

Rules

Keep to the marked trails and do not roll stones: you are in the park's strict protection zone. Wear hiking boots and long trousers, and take water and food for the whole day; the sections with cables call for care, and the ford is not crossed when the water is high. Watch out for vipers on the sunny paths. Swimming in the Devil's Lake and boats on the lake are banned; rafting and kayaking on the Nera are allowed only with the park authority's consent. Dogs only on a lead, fires only in the designated places, tents only at Cantonul Damian; children under 14 enter only with an adult.

Facilities

Park information and ticket point at Podul Beiului · tent camping at Cantonul Damian · no toilets, no shop and no safe drinking water in the gorge · guesthouses in Sasca Română and Sasca Montană · weak or no mobile signal in the gorge · the trail is not suitable for pushchairs