Holidays in Romania have an undeniable charm. Beyond the tourist shortcomings that we know very well, Romania is a beautiful country, almost mandatory for every traveler who should enjoy its natural beauties. These, obviously, include waterfalls.
Not many natural attractions inspire both strength and beauty like waterfalls. Waterfalls are fascinating – we can sit for minutes admiring them in a state of ad-hoc bliss that we often cannot explain. Romania doesn’t have Niagaras, but those who love hiking in nature know that the country has plenty of beautiful waterfalls. And to whet your appetite for discovering and exploring these natural wonders, I have compiled a list of 10 of the most beautiful waterfalls in Romania. Visit them, and you won’t regret it!
10 Pruncea Waterfall (Buzău county)
Pruncea Waterfall (or Cascada Cașoca, after the name of the mother-river) is located 5 km away from the Siriului Dam. And is easy to reach: about 2 km before the dam, turn right on the road leading to Cabana 14 Scaune and drive another 2 km along the Cașoca River until you reach the waterfall.
Pruncea is not a big waterfall – only 5 meters high – but it has a special charm, enhanced by the wildness of the place. And a legend to match, whose protagonist is the wily outlaw Negoiță Gheorghelaș, a Robin Hood of these Buzau places, who was part of the famous Tudor Vladimirescu’s army.
Gheorghelaș used to rob the local landlords, hiding the loot in the cave at Pruncea waterfall until the goods reached the needy or were shared with his outlaws’ brothers. Deceived by Squire Macovei, Gheorghelaș was thrown off a cliff near the waterfall.
9 Buciaș waterfall (Bacău county)
In the Buciaș Nature Reserve, in Bacău County, a place less frequented by tourists in search of local “treasures”, about 25 km from Onești, above the Cașin Monastery (founded in the 17th century) is the Buciaș Waterfall, a cascade with a height of 15 meters, in fact, the highest in this Moldavian county.
Formed on the river’s course of the same name, a tributary of the Cașin River (which forms the beautiful Cașin Gorge), the waterfall, also known as Zimnicioara, is “sister” to a smaller one upstream – Fata Moartă (The Dead Girl) Waterfall.
8 Capra waterfall (Arges County)
The Capra Waterfall (or Iezerului Waterfall) is located at an altitude of 1690 meters on the road between Lake Bâlea and Cabana Capra, on the southern slopes of the Făgăraș Mountains. It springs from Lake Capra (2241 m altitude), is 35 meters high, and is among the “stars” of the Transfăgărășan Road, appearing in tourists’ pictures who stop by the roadside, fascinated by the beautiful waterfall. Capra is a waterfall with a very high water flow, which is why it rarely freezes in winter.
7 Bâlea waterfall (Sibiu county)
The Bâlea waterfall is also called the “Urlătoarea Bâlei” and holds the title of Romania’s largest stepped waterfall, with a cascade of 60 meters. Located in the Făgăraș Mountains, between the peaks of Negoiu and Moldoveanu, at an altitude of 1200 m, the Bâlea Waterfall can be reached by following the famous Transfăgărășan road to Lake Bâlea, then taking a walk of up to an hour. The waterfall can also be admired from the cable car up to Bâlea.
6 Șușara waterfall (Caras Severin county)
Another natural wonder of Caras county, the Șușara waterfall is located on the easiest trail to follow (blue cross), from Sasca Montană, on the course of the river Șusara. About 40 minutes of normal walking, with a slightly more difficult section, where you have to balance on a wall (to avoid falling into the river water, 20 cm deep). Beware, however, of vipers – you may come across one resting in the sun on a rock.
The two-step waterfall is about 15m high, and the water falls in a thin trickle down the green moss-clad rock into a crystal-clear pool. You can include Șușara in a longer route of about 4 hours, including Dracului Lake as an endpoint, passing through Cracu Porcului and La Scaune.
5 Urlătoarea Waterfall (Brașov county)
Formed on the same name stream near Bușteni, at an altitude of 1100 m, the Urlătoarea waterfall (The Howl) is one of Romania’s most accessible and most visited waterfalls. The Urlătoarea can be reached in an easy walk from the town of Bușteni (to the left of the cable car, on the forest road – red point). The waterfall can also be reached from Poiana Țapului (marked with a blue dot – a road laid out on King Carol’s initiative).
The Howl has a considerable height of 15 meters and, of course, got its name from the loud noise produced by the water rushing down in a consistent flow, especially in spring and autumn.
It was the waterfall that Queen Mary often reached on her horseback rides, choosing to rest on a nearby rock.
Above the main waterfall are two smaller waterfalls, the Great Howl and the Little Howl. Not to be confused with the Urlătoarea waterfall in Vama Buzăului.
4 Beușnița waterfall (Caras Severin county)
The Cheile Nerei – Beușnița National Park is home to some superb waterfalls. I’d say even more beautiful than the much praised Bigăr, but which haven’t had the good fortune to receive similar publicity, although this should be deserved.
If you hike to the famous Ochiul Beiului lake, after reaching it, you continue your way following the blue triangle, to the Beusnița waterfall, to which you’ll make about half an hour’s gentle trek. The limestone dissolved by the water of the Beu (Bei) river has shaped, over time, a lot of formations that gave birth to waterfalls. The most spectacular is about 15 meters high and is covered in green moss. To admire its divine spectacle, it’s best to arrive in springtime, when the river has volume. In hot summers, the Beusnița is likely to be dry, and you may barely notice a few trickles of water running down its rocks. But that won’t make you regret having made the trek to it: the caverns carved by the water into the limestone also make perfect subjects for good photos.
3 Vălul Miresei Waterfall (Cluj county)
Situated on the edge of the Apuseni Mountains Natural Park, on the Stanciului Valley, the Vălul Miresei Waterfall (or Răchițele, as it is also known, after the area of the village of the same name, part of the commune of Margău) is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Romania. It has the shape of a fan, which gives the impression of a bridal veil (actually, this is the meaning of its name). The waterfall has a maximum height of 34 meters.
In the cold season, when the water freezes, climbing is practiced in the area. Legend has it that the waterfall’s name comes from the fact that a bride once fell from the cliffs, her veil getting caught in-between them. From the tears of the grieving bride, the waterfall was formed.
2 Cailor waterfall (Maramures county)
To get to the Cailor waterfall (Horses’ waterfall), you must first reach Borșa, a tourist resort in the eastern part of Maramureș County, near the Rodnei Mountains National Park. Borșa is a town particularly appreciated by winter sports enthusiasts, as there are several quality slopes nearby (the most important – Runc-Stiol, which is 2 km long) and a natural trampoline (90 m long) for those who dare to “fly” on skis. Otherwise, there are plenty of guesthouses, hotels and generally (too) quiet in summer.
From Borșa, more precisely from the Tourist Complex, you have two options to reach the Cailor Waterfall, at an altitude of 1300 m. If your legs are strong, you can either walk along the route marked with a red triangle (about 2 hours) or take the chairlift, which operates both in summer and winter (its schedule starts at 9 am, the last ride being at 5 pm). If you choose this option, you still have to walk through the forest for about 20 minutes to reach the waterfall with the highest falls in Romania: 90 meters, distributed in several steps.
1 Bigăr waterfall (Caras Severin county)
Later edit (June 2021): unfortunately, the Bigăr Waterfall collapsed in June due to cracks in its travertine body.
Some time ago, The World Geography website wrote about Bigăr Waterfall, including it in the world’s top ten most beautiful waterfalls. Situated on the 45th parallel, on the DN57b, 12 kilometers from the town of Bozovici, the waterfall is indeed of a special beauty, being fed by a spring flowing into the Miniș river. Its peculiarity is that the water flows evenly over a huge, mushroom-shaped rock (a calcareous bush), “dressed” in green moss.
The waterfall is very easy to spot, located right on the road between Anina and Bozovici. On busy days, the cars park is very crowded. Entrance to the so-called nature park costs 5 lei. The waterfall can be photographed both from the top and down to the base of the ‘mushroom’.
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