Dobrogea is a land so old that it seems that whenever you visit it, there is still something undiscovered. Monasteries in the region, such as the Monastery of Saint Andrew the Apostle and the Dervent Monastery, attract many tourists every year. Besides, there are many more to visit in the Dobrogea area, but today, we will discuss about some of them.
Iacobdeal Lake
Iacobdeal Lake is located at the foot of the Macin Mountains, near the Turcoaia village and it is said to be unique in Romania. People say that the Iacobdeal Lake is unique in the way it was formed. In the area, there is a quarry from which granite was extracted by dynamite, until an underground spring filled and covered all the galleries, creating the lake that is called Iacobdeal, with a depth exceeding 20 meters.
It’s weird that there is no running water around it to feed the lake. The shores of Iacobdeal Lake are made of granite or gravel, mixed with soil.
Dobrogea Gorges
Dobrogea Gorges represents a limestone canyon, who was born from Jurassic times, is impressive, but not very long. Access is via Cernavoda – Satu Nou – Cuza Voda – Mihail Kogalniceanu – Targusor – Cheia. The reserve, spread over more than 200 hectares, includes ancient coral reefs of the Great Thetis and fossil species perfectly preserved in the limestone rocks, unique in the country.
The gorges are spectacular in any season, although during the summer the white limestone offers dreamy, contrasting images, alongside the green vegetation. It is also the period when the Dobrogea Gorges is visited by a lot of tourists and locals, who come out to the picnic.
What could you see here? Besides the beautiful landscapes, there are many caves dug in the limestone rocks, which house different species of plants and real archaeological treasures. The Bats Cave and Adam’s Cave are two of the most visited sights of this type.
If you have visited the Bicaz Gorges or the Dambovicioara Gorges, for example, do not expect to find something similar in this region. The Dobrogea Gorges are not so high, being up to 40 meters in altitude, and not as sharp. But they have strange shapes, which train your imagination and make you name them according to what you see. This is how you will meet in Dobrogea Gorges the “Face,” which is a rock carved out of time in the form of a human face.
Dobrogea Sphinx
Dobrogea Sphinx is located in Macin Mountains, which are the oldest mountains in Romania, being localized in the north of Dobrogea. In order to reach the Sphinx in Dobrogea, you must follow the route from Pricopanului Peak.
The Sphinx in Dobrogea is not the only attraction in the Macin Mountains Nature Reserve. In this area, there are rocks that are hundreds of millions old.
Regardless of which route you take, your eyes will be enchanted by arid landscapes, flat rocks,
Mediterranean forests, steppe forests, where the dobrogean peony grows, beech forests, canyons dug by streams, meadows with various flowers.
The Macin Mountains really make up a unique landscape in Romania, which is enjoyed by both Romanian and foreign tourists. The Macin Mountains Nature Reserve has nine tourist routes.
The route from the Pricopanului Peak has a length of 6 kilometers and has the following course: Macin – Regia Tutunului – Sulucu Mare Peak – Piatra Raioasa – Saua Serparu – Caramalau Peak- Fantana de Leac – Macin.
The route from the Pricopanului Peak takes the visitor’s footsteps, among spectacular geological formations that have an age of over two hundred million years. The Pricopan massif is the most spectacular ridge in the area of the park, a place where substantial granite formations, seed rocks, and vast panoramas can be admired.
Also, in this area, we can overlook the Dobrogean bell, the dwarf carnation, and the merinana, which are rare plants, of international importance.
Among the animals, we can find reptiles, such as the Dobrogean lizard, the Dobrogean turtle, the evil snake, but also on mammals, such as the spotted or steppe ferret or the stone sparrow. The Pricopanului Peak is the central monitoring point for the migration of the captive birds that cross Romania.
Casian Cave
Another tourist attraction worth visiting in Dobrogea is the Casian Cave, located in the heart of the Dobrogea Gorge. To get to Peste Casian, you must follow the following route: from Targusor, just before entering the town, cross the railway line and follow the signs that lead you to St. John Casian Monastery.
The cave is shallow, it looks more like a grotto, but it is ancient and unique, as is the surrounding landscape. And here you will meet the mountains of corals that remember that once, in the place where you are, there is nothing but exceptional. The cave was inhabited in the fourth century by Father Ioan Casian, one of the founders of monasticism, who wanted to lead an ascetic life.
Enisala Fortress
The Enisala Fortress is also called Heracleea and is on the edge of Lake Razim. Enisala Fortress is the last Genoese fortress, whose walls bear in them a centuries-old history. It was built by Genoese merchants on the shore of Lake Razim near Babadag, for military purposes, to defend the center of Dobrogea. The old fortress Yeni Sale, built during the early Middle Ages, is astonishing today with its beauty.