# Rock Sculpture of Decebalus

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> The face of the Dacian king Decebalus, carved between 1994 and 2004 into a 55 m rock at the mouth of the Mraconia, on the Romanian bank of the Danube: the tallest rock sculpture in Europe.

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**At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in Eșelnița, Mehedinți County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 30 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The sculpture can be seen at any time from the bank, with no opening hours. Boat trips follow each operator's own schedule and run mostly in the warm season; book directly with the operator.
- **Ticket:** Free — boat trips cost extra
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — with a short boat trip
- **With kids:** Yes — from the bank or a boat
- **Best season:** April – October — boats: April–October
- **Address:** DN57, Mraconia bay, by the Mraconia bridge, Eșelnița, Mehedinți County
- **Coordinates:** 44.6411, 22.2912
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_sculpture_of_Decebalus
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80374
- **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Rock Sculpture of Decebalus

Above the Mraconia bay, in the Small Cauldrons of the Danube, a limestone crag has been turned into the face of Decebalus, the last king of Dacia. The relief is 55 m high and 25 m wide, the tallest rock sculpture in Europe. The work was paid for by the businessman and amateur historian Iosif Constantin Drăgan and took ten years, from 1994 to 2004, led by the sculptor Florin Cotarcea from Orșova with a team of climber-sculptors.

The rock was first shaped with dynamite, then with pneumatic hammers and chisels from scaffolding hung on the cliff; the tools came in by boat, as no machinery could get up here. The nose, about 7 m long, cracked during the work and was rebuilt with steel and cement. Carved below the chin is the inscription "DECEBALUS REX – DRAGAN FECIT".

### What you can see

From the DN57, the best spots are the bridge over the Mraconia bay and the bank by Mraconia Monastery, where you see the face head-on across the water. You get closest by boat, though: trips through the Danube Gorge pass right below the rock, where the eyes, the moustache and the inscription are clearly visible. On the Serbian bank opposite is the Tabula Traiana, the Roman plaque recalling Trajan's road and the wars with the Dacians; it can only be seen from the water.

### Good to know

The sculpture is a modern work, not an ancient monument, and Drăgan's historical ideas, linked to protochronism, are disputed by historians. You are in Iron Gates Natural Park; you cannot climb up to the sculpture, only view it from the bank or from a boat.

## Don't miss

- The face seen head-on from the Mraconia bridge on the DN57, with the bay at the foot of the rock.
- Passing below the sculpture by boat, close enough to read the inscription "DECEBALUS REX – DRAGAN FECIT".
- The Tabula Traiana, the Roman plaque on the Serbian bank, directly opposite the face of Decebalus.
- Mraconia Monastery, on the shore of the bay, a few steps from where you view the sculpture.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the sculpture is on the DN57, the Danube-side road between Orșova and Moldova Nouă, ~18 km from Orșova (about 25 minutes), past Eșelnița and before Dubova. From Drobeta-Turnu Severin it is ~48 km (about an hour), from Timișoara ~220 km on the DN6 via Lugoj, Caransebeș and Orșova (about 3 h 30), and from Bucharest ~390 km via Craiova and Drobeta-Turnu Severin (5 h 30–6 h). Further along the DN57 come the Great Cauldrons and Dubova.

**Public transport:** the nearest railway station is Orșova, on the Timișoara – Craiova – Bucharest line. Boat trips through the Danube Gorge leave from Orșova and pass below the sculpture; by land, the only way to the Mraconia bay is by taxi or car.

### Where to park

On the DN57, by the Mraconia bridge and opposite the monastery, there are places to pull over at the roadside and around the boat pontoon. On July and August weekends they fill up quickly; do not stop on the bridge or on bends.

### Fees & discounts

Viewing the sculpture from the bank is free. Boat trips are run by private operators, for example: from Dubova, the standard ~1-hour tour costs 50 lei per person (children up to 7 free, ages 8–12 half price), and a private boat for 4 people 350 lei; from Orșova, the ~2-hour tour through the gorge costs 70 lei per person. Prices vary between operators and change from year to year.

### Rules

The rock may not be climbed and there is no path up to the sculpture. You are in Iron Gates Natural Park: leave no litter and do not light fires. On the boat, follow the skipper's instructions and wear a life jacket if given one. The Danube is the border with Serbia here: tourist boats do not land on the Serbian bank.

### Facilities

Café and boat pontoon in the Mraconia bay, by the bridge · Mraconia Monastery on the shore of the bay · accommodation and restaurants in Dubova and Eșelnița · petrol stations in Orșova

## Details

- **Historical period:** contemporary (1994–2004)

## Frequently asked questions about Rock Sculpture of Decebalus

**How much is a ticket to Rock Sculpture of Decebalus?**

Admission to Rock Sculpture of Decebalus is free (boat trips cost extra). Viewing the sculpture from the bank is free. Boat trips are run by private operators, for example: from Dubova, the standard ~1-hour tour costs 50 lei per person (children up to 7 free, ages 8–12 half price), and a private boat for 4 people 350 lei; from Orșova, the ~2-hour tour through the gorge costs 70 lei per person. Prices vary between operators and change from year to year.

**What are the opening hours of Rock Sculpture of Decebalus?**

Opening hours at Rock Sculpture of Decebalus: daily open 24 hours. The sculpture can be seen at any time from the bank, with no opening hours. Boat trips follow each operator's own schedule and run mostly in the warm season; book directly with the operator.

**How long does a visit to Rock Sculpture of Decebalus take?**

A visit to Rock Sculpture of Decebalus takes about ½ – 1 hours (with a short boat trip).

**Can you visit Rock Sculpture of Decebalus with kids?**

Yes, Rock Sculpture of Decebalus is suitable for children (from the bank or a boat).

**How do I get to Rock Sculpture of Decebalus?**

Rock Sculpture of Decebalus is located at DN57, Mraconia bay, by the Mraconia bridge, Eșelnița, Mehedinți County. By car: the sculpture is on the DN57, the Danube-side road between Orșova and Moldova Nouă, ~18 km from Orșova (about 25 minutes), past Eșelnița and before Dubova. From Drobeta-Turnu Severin it is ~48 km (about an hour), from Timișoara ~220 km on the DN6 via Lugoj, Caransebeș and Orșova (about 3 h 30), and from Bucharest ~390 km via Craiova and Drobeta-Turnu Severin (5 h 30–6 h). Further along the DN57 come the Great Cauldrons and Dubova. Public transport: the nearest railway station is Orșova, on the Timișoara – Craiova – Bucharest line. Boat trips through the Danube Gorge leave from Orșova and pass below the sculpture; by land, the only way to the Mraconia bay is by taxi or car.

**When is the best time to visit Rock Sculpture of Decebalus?**

The best season for Rock Sculpture of Decebalus: April – October (boats: April–October).

## Nearby attractions

- [Danube Gorge Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/drumul-clisurii-dunarii) — Scenic roads · Mehedinți County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 1 km
  The DN57 runs about 100 km along the Danube from Orșova to Moldova Nouă, through the Great and Small Cauldrons, past the rock face of Decebalus, with Serbia on the far bank.
- [Danube Gorges (Cazanele Dunării)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cazanele-dunarii) — Gorges and canyons · Dubova, MH · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 6 km
  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.
- [Băile Herculane](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-herculane) — Resorts and thermal baths · Băile Herculane, CS · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 39 km
  Romania's oldest spa resort, recorded as early as AD 153, in the Cerna valley: hot sulphur springs, a Habsburg old town around the Hercules statue and free thermal tubs on the riverbank.
- [Cerna Valley Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/drumul-vaii-cernei) — Scenic roads · Caraș-Severin County · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 48 km
  The DN67D links Baia de Aramă to Băile Herculane in about 65 km: it climbs to the Arșasca saddle at ~900 m and drops down the Cerna Valley, between limestone walls, through Domogled–Valea Cernei National Park.
- [Vânturătoarea Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-vanturatoarea) — Waterfalls · Băile Herculane, CS · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 51 km
  A two-tier waterfall of about 50 m in the Cerna Mountains, with Romania's longest free drop (~40 m), above Lake Prisaca; reached by a steep 1.5 km path from the Cerna valley road, 13 km from Băile Herculane.
- [Bigăr Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-bigar) — Waterfalls · Bozovici, CS · ~12 lei · 45 min · Top 100 · 62 km
  The moss-covered tufa waterfall in the Miniș gorge, exactly on the 45th parallel and once famous worldwide; it partly collapsed in 2021 and is regenerating naturally, a few steps from the DN57B road.

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Last updated: 30 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania