Danube Gorge – The heaven between the waves
The Danube is nowhere more turbulent and imposing than at Cazane. Here the river struggles, storming the mountain and making its way among the rocks. The enigmatic Danube seems to be boiling in this area; very strong currents from the depths create the impression of boiling water.
Cazanele (The Boilers) represent the most picturesque area of the Danube Gorge when passing through the Carpathian Mountains. On a length of 9 km, the river dug its way through the stone, being also the border between Romania and Serbia.
There are parts where the Danube narrows up to 230 m and areas where the water speed reaches 5 m / s, which has made navigation difficult over time. The Danube boilers are part of the “Iron Gates I” Natural Park, taking place along the largest and oldest gorge of a river in Europe.
For several years, the amazing landscape of Cazane has been accompanied by a gigantic sculpture depicting one of the most famous kings of the Dacians, in fact the last, Decebalus. Located, more precisely, between the localities of Dubova and Eșelnița, only 20 kilometers away from Orșova, the statue of Decebalus is framed by an amazing natural landscape, in which the Carpathians sink their feet into the Danube.
With a height of 55 meters and a width of 25 meters, this statue is the tallest stone sculpture on the Old Continent and competes in this respect with the most famous Statue of Liberty in New York, which exceeds it in height by only six meters.
The construction of the statue of Decebalus lasted about 10 years and took place between 1994 and 2000. It is remarkable the short time in which the works for a work of art of such magnitude took place, in which 12 skilled architects were involved. With this statue we can compare the granite sculptures on Mount Rushmore, which took 14 years to complete and which worked over 300 climbing sculptors.
The danger of erecting the statue of Decebalus was quite high due to the presence of vipers and, of course, the great height, but nevertheless, it was completed without any notable accidents. First of all, the rock to be carved, was cleared of trees, after which it was cleaned of rocks that tended to endanger the lives of the people involved in the work.
Obviously, making the statue was not an easy task, and what these wonderful people managed is admirable and deserves to be known all over the world!
Tourists arriving in the Cazanele Mici (Small Boilers) of the Danube, near Orșova, can admire a truly spectacular appearance. It is about the Mraconia Monastery, also nicknamed the “underwater monastery”, located next to the huge statue of Decebalus.
It was built in 1523. It was built on the site of a former observation and control point for vessels on the Danube. It was destroyed during the Russo-Austro-Turkish War (1787 – 1792), being rebuilt and later demolished by the communist regime in 1967. When the level of the Danube drops a lot, you can see the cross-shaped ruins of the old place.
Today, a community of monks lives in the Mraconia Monastery, and the place is really impressive.
Veterani Cave from Cazanele Mari
Between the Dubovei basin and Plavișevita is the area called Cazanele Mari (Large Boilers). Here the Danube is truly spectacular; it is said that at the entrance upstream of the Cazanele Mari, the sailors stopped and prayed to protect them from the wrath of the waters.
At the Veterani Cave, located in the depths of the Cazane, is reached by climbing the slope on a steep and 50 m long path. The Dacians considered it the sanctuary of the god Zamolxe; until the construction of the Iron Gates dam, it served as a shelter for wildlife.
In the time of Maria Theresa, cannons were fired from here in the vessels of the Turks who wanted to cross the Danube without paying customs. The 30 soldiers who were in the cave in 1891 wrote their names on the walls, in carbon black. Currently, the walls are decorated with small stalagmites. It is lit by a natural rock window and is populated by bats and butterflies.
The Danube offers stunning landscapes with flora and fauna with exotic air in places. Ancient land, bordered by the Danube and mountains, this territory proves to be a real outdoor spectacle. Add the Danube Gorge to the list as a next destination and enjoy the beauties of nature!
Until next time, enjoy your journey!
1 comment
What a great post! Thank You for this, Denisa!