Photos taken by: (c) Cristian NISTOR / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

This is a place where any tourist overwhelmed by daily stress can regain the necessary balance to start anew.

Located in the Retezat Massif of Southern Carpathians, the Retezat National Park covers more than 38,000 hectares. The Retezat Massif rises to the skies between the Hateg and Petrosani depressions, made up of the Retezatul Mare Mountain, rich in crystalline rocks and the Retezatul Mic, to the south, with a limey composition. Both parts of the massif meet in the area of Lake Bucura, the largest glacial lake in Romania.

The Retezat National Park was established in 1935 and in 1979 it was declared a biosphere reserve. It houses more than 20 peaks with elevations in excess of 2,000 m, with Peleaga (2,509 m), Papusa (2,508 m), Retezat (2,482 m), Varful Mare (2,463 m) and Judele (2,334 m) being the best known.

In almost 80 years of its existence, the Retezat National Park has been the natural venue least affected by humans. The over 1,190 plant species living here make up one third of the plant species in existence in Romania. The park is also home to 90 endemic plant species that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The natural balance of the park has been maintained, and chamois, deer, does, rabbits, boars, bears, wolves and lynxes can be met here.

To the tourists climbing the Retezat, the place is special for the area’s glacial lakes that can be met meet on the mountain’s treks. The lakes are 80 in all, among them Bucura Lake, the largest glacial lake in Romania. Located in a homonymous circular depression, below the Peleaga Peak, elevation 2,040, Lake Bucura covers 8.9 hectares. In order to circumvent it, you have to walk 1.39 km. The maximum depth of the lake is 15.5 m. It is being fed by five main springs.

But the deepest lake in the Retezat Park is Lake Zanoaga. Located at an elevation of 2,010 m, in the circular glacial deprepression of Judele, Lake Zanoaga is 29 m deep. The lake is three hours by foot away from Lake Bucura, providing a special sight, being visited by many tourists that set up tent on its shores or are hiking through the Retezat.

There are thousands of tourists having heard or read about the Retezat National Park and decided to vacation here. Access is from the Hateg Depression, starting off in Deva and driving on DN 66, or in Caransebes, driving on DN 68. From the Jiu Valley, the road leads to DN 66, while coming from Hateg or Petrosani there are several possibilities of entering the park. Car drivers can drive up to the Nucsoara visitor centre, where they can get all the necessary information and trailing guidance. Tourists coming by train have to get off at Ohaba de Sub Piatra, where locals provide transportation to Carnic.

Admission to the Retezat National Park costs RON 10 for a seven-day pass allowing unlimited access. Tickets can be bought at the Nucsoara visitor centre, at Gura Apei, Carnic, the Pietrele Chalet, as well as in other signalled out places inside the park. Among the most important recommendations to tourists upon purchasing the tickets is do not litter and take the garbage out of the park.

‘By our own reckoning, there are between 15,000 and 18,000 tourists visiting the Retezat National Park annually,’ says Director of the Retezat National Park Administration Zoran Acimov. ‘We have not included in the reckoning the tourists coming to ski at the resort of Rausor, which is exclusively for winter sports. Almost a quartet of the park visitors are foreigners. They come from all over the world. There are large groups from Hungary and the Czech Republic. We have had visitors from Spain, Israel and even the UK. They have all learned about the natural values of the park and the park’s exceptional landscapes. Some visitors ask us about the animals living in the Retezat National Park because they would like to meet them.’

For the tourists that are more used to working in offices and less used to exercising, themed trails have been designed of varying difficulty that can be travelled in a reasonable amount of time.

One of them is the ‘Enigmas trail’ that introduces visitors the local flora, fauna and legends of some historical sights, in a trip that takes almost four hours to complete. Opened six years ago, the trail was designed by the Retezat National Park Administration in partnership with the Retezat Travel Association and the mayor’s office of Salasu de Sus commune.

The trail starts at the Nucsoara visitor centre, it is of small difficulty, as tourists have to follow a blue band marking and guiding arrows to avoid getting lost. On their way, visitors meet six billboards designed to be understood by the public at large that comprise pictures, designs and novel information about animals and plants living in the Retezat Mountains and at their foot. The information is rounded up by data about local history and traditions.

‘In order to avoid little children complaining about hurting feet, we keep them engaged with all sorts of enigmas, guessing pictures, stories and legends. In order to find the answer to one enigma you must reach the next billboard,’ Florina Crisan, one of the people who worked on this project, said when the trail opened.

In 2013, four new trails opened for tourists to travel through picturesque areas that include the lakes in the Bucura glacial depression, elevation past 2,000m. The difficulty of the trails is low and they can be travelled in some hours’ time, as they are prepared and marked off by the mountain rescuers of Hunedoara County.

Thus, hikers who want to see as many lakes in the Bucura glacial depression as possible can follow the Lake Trail, which takes two hours to complete. The trail starts at Lake Bucura, in the rescuers’ refuge, and it has been designed as a circuit signalled out by a red dot against a white background.

Another trail starts at Rau de Mori and continues to the resort of Rausor, through the Valareasca Valley and up to the Retezat Peak, where it ends, via the Prelucele ridge. The ridge area is wonderful and the sight of the Stevia circular depression in the distance is outstanding. The trail is marked off by a red triangle against a white background.

The third trail starts in the Brazi area, climbs up to the Gura Apei reservoir, than gets down through the Lapusnicu Mare Valley to the Peleaga Glade and the Peleaga Saddle. The marking is a blue point against a white background. Tourist access in wintertime is forbidden.

The last trail starts at Pui, climbs up to Hobita, Stana de Rau to Taul Tapului and Portile Inchise.

‘The trails are relatively easy to follow, but portions of a higher difficulty can be met. Except for that, they are accessible and do not require climbing equipment. All trails are certified,’ explains head of the Hunedoara Salvamont Mountain Rescue Service Ovidiu Bodean. AGERPRES