Parc Naturel des Portes de Fer

L'essentiel du Parc Naturel des Portes de Fer

Iron Gates Natural Park Essentials

Stretching along the Danube where the river carves through the Carpathian Mountains, this region contains the deepest gorge in Europe. The selection spans millennia of human history, from the prehistoric archaeological site of Lepenski Vir and Roman ruins like Trajan's Plaque to the medieval Golubac Fortress. Key landmarks include the massive Decebalus rock carving, the Iron Gate I hydroelectric dam, and river-level monasteries, alongside limestone caves and panoramic viewpoints overlooking the Kazan gorges.

Iron Gates Natural Park Essentials — Carte

Pudelek / CC BY-SA 4.0

A

Rock sculpture of Decebalus

The rock sculpture of Decebalus is a colossal carving of the face of Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman…

NeroN_BG / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Golubac Fortress

The Golubac Fortress was a medieval fortified town on the south side of the Danube River, 4 km downstream from the modern-day town of…

Dekanski / CC BY-SA 4.0

C

Visitors center Lepenski Vir

Lepenski Vir, located in Serbia, is an important archaeological site of the Lepenski Vir culture.

D

Mănăstirea Mraconia

An Orthodox monastery situated directly on the Danube's bank. The current structure was rebuilt near the site of an original 15th-century monastery that was submerged during the construction of the Iron Gates dam.

Rlichtefeld / CC-BY-SA-3.0

E

Trajan's Plaque

Trajan's Bridge, also called Bridge of Apollodorus over the Danube, was a Roman segmental arch bridge, the first bridge to be built over…

CrniBombarder!!! / Public domain

F

Iron Gate I

The Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station is the largest dam on the Danube river and one of the largest hydro power plants in Europe.

G

Ploce

A series of observation decks offering panoramic views of the Great and Small Kazan gorges, where the Danube reaches its narrowest and deepest points.

Lucian Duma / CC BY-SA 3.0

H

Pestera Veterani

A historical cave accessible only by boat from the Danube. It served as a strategic military fortification for Austrian troops during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Radu Niculița / CC BY 3.0

I

Ponicova Cave

The largest cave in the Danube Gorge, featuring a gallery system over 1,600 meters long. It tunnels through the Ciucaru Mare mountain and is accessible both by land and from the river.

Daniel Tellman / CC BY 2.0

J

Tricule Fortress

Ruins of a 15th-century fortress consisting of three towers built to defend against Ottoman expansion. Following the construction of the dam, the towers are now partially submerged.

Unknown / Public domain

K

Ada Kaleh

Ada Kaleh was a small island on the Danube, located in Romania, that was submerged during the construction of the Iron Gates hydroelectric…

CrniBombarder!!! / CC BY-SA 3.0

L

Diana Fortress

The Diana Fortress is a Roman castrum built in 100-101 AD, located in Kladovo, in eastern Serbia.

Mark Voorendt / CC BY-SA 4.0

M

Museul Hidrocentralei Porțile de Fier

Located at the Iron Gate I dam, this museum features technical exhibits on the hydroelectric plant's construction and historical artifacts from the submerged island of Ada Kaleh.