# Gorges and canyons — tourist attractions in Romania [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Categories](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/categories) > 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 10 attractions - [Bicaz Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bicaz-gorge) — 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. - [Turda Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turda-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Mihai Viteazu, CJ · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 100 A limestone gorge 6 km from Turda, with walls over 100 m high, a lower trail with footbridges over the Hășdate river, caves and hundreds of climbing routes. - [Jiu Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/jiu-gorge) — 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. - [Danube Gorges (Cazanele Dunării)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/danube-gorges) — 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. - [Olt Defile](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/olt-defile) — 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. - [Semenic – Caraș Gorge National Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/semenic-caras-gorge-national-park) — National parks and reserves · Carașova, CS · 2 euro + TVA · 4½ – 5 hours · UNESCO World Heritage A 36,000 ha national park in the Banat, with the 19 km Caraș Gorge, the Semenic plateau, over 800 caves and the virgin beech forest of Izvoarele Nerei, a UNESCO site. - [Nera Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/nera-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Sasca Montană, CS · ~12 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · UNESCO World Heritage Romania's longest gorge, almost 20 km between Șopotu Nou and Sasca Română, with the Devil's Lake, tunnels cut into the rock and a trail crossed by no road at all. - [Zărnești Gorge (Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/zarnesti-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Zărnești, BV · 10 lei · 2 – 2½ hours A dry limestone gorge in Piatra Craiului National Park, with vertical walls and layers of Jurassic limestone, walked on an easy forest road that also suits children. - [Dâmbovicioara Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/dambovicioara-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Dâmbovicioara, AG · 45 min A 2.4 km limestone gorge carved by the Dâmbovicioara stream on the southern edge of Piatra Craiului National Park, with the road from Podu Dâmboviței to Dâmbovicioara running through it. - [Vârghiș Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/varghis-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Merești, HR · 3½ – 4 hours A limestone gorge about 3 km long, with 70–80 m walls and over a hundred caves, between Merești (Harghita) and Vârghiș (Covasna); visited on foot, on marked trails. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gorges-and-canyons Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/chei-si-defilee.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/schluchten-und-durchbruchstaeler.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/gole-e-canyon.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/gorges-et-defiles.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/gargantas-y-desfiladeros.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/szorosok-es-szurdokok.md Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania