What to do
Explore one of the 32 marked trails in the park
What to see
The Retezat mountain ridge resembles a gigantic stone fortress. More than sixty of its peaks are over 2,200 m, culminating in Mount Peleaga, with an altitude of 2,509m, from where hikers enjoy the view of the surrounding peaks, like Mount Papusa (2,508m) and Custura (2,457m).
There are more than 80 glacial lakes in the Retezat mountains. In Summer some of the lakes dry out but in winter they are covered with ice and snow. Retezat’s largest lake is Lacul Bucura at an altitude of 2,041 metres. It’s also the largest glacial lake in Romania.
Extraordinary passes, gorges, cavernous limestone caves and sinkholes can be found in the limestone area of the Retezat (the Small Retezat).
Botanists and flower lovers will see a wide variety of wildflowers in their natural ecosystems, well preserved in the Small Retezat, such as Hieracium or Gentiana.
There are sky-scraping peaks, deep ravines and ice-scoured parable synclines decorated with glacial lakes and always, the incredible blue sky. More than 1/4 of the mountain is above the 1,800 m timberline and glaciers have created terraced valleys that end in magnificent glacial bays, lakes and waterfalls.
The 10th century Densus Church, in the village of Densus is one of the oldest orthodox churches in Europe and is still used for religious services today. Most of its material was taken from the neighbouring Roman town of Sarmisegetuza. Some stones still show the Latin inscriptions. Fine frescoes can be seen in the Sântămăria Orlea Orthodox Church (13th century) near Hateg and in the Prislop Monastery (14th century) in Silvasu de Sus, which serves as a convent and school today.
Close to the national park are the ruins of Sarmisegetusa Ulpia Traiana, which used to be the most important town of the ancient Dacians and later turned into the capital of Roman Dacia. The 14th century Colt Fortress used to be the most powerful fortress of Transylvania in the middle ages and inspired Jules Verne’s novel “The Carpathian Castle”. It’s not easy to climb up the winding path to the ruins but you’ll be rewarded with a terrific view. The medieval ruins of the Malaisesti Forth (14th century) are also worth a visit.
What to do
There are 32 marked trails in the park, ranging from short day hikes to 20-hour treks. Maps are available at the visitor centres. The most visited section of the park is along the main axis between Cabana Pietrele and Cabana Buta, with Lake Bucura and Peleaga Mountain close at hand. Retezat also fits beautifully into longer trekking routes connecting the neighbouring massifs.
Have you ever heard a flycatcher whistle or the deep call of an eagle owl? More than 120 species of birds nest in Retezat national park, among them such rare birds as the golden eagle or the chiffchaff.
Adventure tips
PAN Parks offer a wide variety of wilderness experiences. We collected those adventures that help you best experience PAN Parks wilderness.
Have you ever heard a flycatcher whistle or the deep call of an eagle owl? More than 120 species of birds nest in Retezat National Park, among them such rare birds as the golden eagle or the chiffchaff. It is also relatively easy to spot goats or track bears or wolf.
The Retezat mountain ridge resembles a gigantic stone fortress with more than 60 peaks over 2,200 m. There are sky-scraping peaks, deep ravines and ice-scoured parable synclines decorated with more than 80 glacial lakes and the incredible blue sky.
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