The historical Romanian region of Banat, on the western tip of the country and partly shared with Hungary and Serbia, is easily reachable by train or plane into Timisoara. It might not be as popular as the ever-touristic Transylvania but it can fill up your vacation week with great family activities and a world of culture.

Visit Banat: Domogled National Park in Cernei Valley

The biggest national park and protected area on Romania’s territory, it stretches over 60.000 hectares and three counties. With such a vast area of pristine woods and unaltered habitats you can imagine the great variety of animals and plants that live here undisturbed.

Baile Herculane

We start with the crown jewel – Baile Herculane. The oldest thermal resort in Romania and one of the biggest balneary year-round resorts in Easter Europe. Developed by the Roman emperor Traian and named after the Roman demigod Hercules, you can find historical mentions of this dating back to 153 AD. The small city itself if filled with historical buildings and you can easily watch the passing of time through the changes in architecture. New hotels and restaurants are being built each year so there is an interesting mix of old & new.

Cerna Gorge

The 40 km gorge of the river Cerna cuts through the park on its entire length and brings the much needed moisture to keep the habitat thriving. There is a road that goes alongside it if you are in a hurry and want just a couple of snaps from the banks.

If you have more time and are feeling a little adventurous, go down into the gorge and try your hand at kayaking on standup paddle boarding.

Visit Banat: Nerei Gorge and Semenic National Parks

We’ve already covered the spectacular Nerei Gorge as a self standing destination in an article a couple of months back.

Semenic National park is right next door and can also keep you busy for days, especially in summer.

• Take the Oravita-Anina railway ride up on the mountain– the oldest railway in Romania.
• Or visit the beautiful far away towns of Garana (home of the Garana Jazz Festival) and Brebu Nou (home of the yearly Enduromania competition).
• Bathe in the many cool lakes along the way

Visit Banat

So many things to see over such a vast area, we know the terrain inside out and will be glad to organize your trip according to your priorities. Just drop us a line and well start planning your ideal Banat holiday!