Măcin Mountains National Park

Info

The park is located in the administrative territory of several villages from Tulcea County: Greci, Cerna, Hamcearca, Turcoaia, Jijila and Luncaviţa.

One of the park’s main gates is the Greci village where you will find a tourist information centre which is open from Monday to Sunday (Sunday until 13:00). Another tourist information centre is located in Luncaviţa.

There are not a lot of options when it comes to accommodation. You can book one of the few guesthouses available in Măcin, Greci or Luncaviţa villages. There are camping areas and panels which show the tourist trails. Before going on a hike, make sure you have enough water with you, especially in the summer.

About 4 km away from Cerna is the park’s paddock where you can ride horses. The person in charge is Berca Marian: 0040 746 760196.

Entrance fee: Yes

Oficial site here.

Discover

The Măcin Mountains National Park awes with its unique landscape (entirely different from the one in the Carpathian Mountains) and the ethnographic, cultural and historical mosaic.

The main feature of the park is the old Măcin Mountains. Impressive granite blocks with heights of under 500 m prevail over the Danube Valley which gives it an archaic look.

The indisputable value of the park is given by its special flora and fauna. Many of the species found here are endemics (the Romanian peony or the tortoise) and attract both nature lovers and scientists alike.

In the park there are several special nature reserves such as the Beech Valley Forest from Luncaviţa, the Peony Hill or the Counsel Mountain.

The park has nine hiking tourist trails and a paddock from where you can start exploring the surroundings on the back of a horse. There are numerous possibilities to do extreme sports such as mountain biking and paragliding.

In the first Friday after Easter, for the Bright Friday (or the Life-giving Spring celebration) the people from the nearby villages gather at the Cure Fountain and enjoy the festivities.

Near the park you can visit some monasteries such as Cocoş, Saon or Celic-Dere, but also Geto-Dacian and Roman fortresses such as Dinogetia, Noviodonum or Troesmis.

The rocky landscape of the Măcin Mountains was also used as the background for many films.

Did you know?

The Măcin Mountains are the oldest mountains in Romania with the highest peak being Ţuţuiatu (467m).

Conservation facts

The parks administration is heavily involved in promoting the ecological educational activities. Unfortunately, activities such as granite exploitation, overgrazing, illegal capturing of protected species such as the tortoise, the use of the ATVs have a negative impact on the Măcin Mountains National Park.