Nera Canyon - Beusnita Waterfalls

This protected area, which includes The Lake "Ochiul Beiului" (Sultan Eye), is located in Banat, Caras Severin county.

Over a distance of 23 km, the Nera River carves its way through the limestone, forming the longest canyon in Romania. We visited the area at the end of October.

Along the valley of the Bei river runs a lush temperate forest with many endemic species and rich in fauna. The path following the course of the river is flanked by dense and in places impenetrable forest. Apart from our whispers, the silence of the forest is pierced by the sound of the water as it crosses thresholds.

Very soft in general, the clear turquoise-green water forms standing water meshes in its meanders.

The narrow road leads to the Beusnita 1 waterfall, the smallest of the three waterfalls, and then continues to "Ochiul Beiului" (Sultan Eye in English), a lake of a 3.6 m deep and a 15 m in diameter, with a clarity and color that leaves you astonished. The camera's lens captured the special color of the crystal-clear water: a turquoise blue with shades of green. The images speak for themselves, making words unnecessary.

The spring that feeds the lake never freezes because of the constant temperature, between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius.

We hardly leave this magical place and continued our journey along the course of the river, cutting through the dense forest and effectively avoiding salamanders that had emerged from their shelters due to the wet weather.

Then, we marveled in front of the second waterfall (15 m high) that forms the Beusnita 2 waterfall.

Animal and human figures, fairy-tale characters reveal their millennial presence, carved into the rock.

I managed to capture, in wonderful photos, the raw green of the moss that covers the rock and the drops of water that keep it alive.

I also captured (by searching the right angles) the expressive figures carved by water and nature in the limestone.

The late hour did not allow us to continue our journey and discover the last of the three Beusnita waterfalls. On the way back, we enjoyed the shades of green of the virgin forest, which forms the 36758 ha of The National Park.

It will certainly not be the last trip we will made in this beautiful virgin region.