Retezat National Park

Retezat National Park lies in the Retezat Mountains in Hunedoara County, Romania. Founded in 1935, it is the oldest national park in the country and a national park of IUCN category II. It is notable for its biodiverse flora and for some of the last remaining pristine old-growth forests in Europe. The region has attracted scientific interest, especially for its plants, since at least the early 19th century, and in the 1930s scientists such as Alexandru Borza and Emil Racoviță campaigned for its protection. Recent decades have brought more logging and sheep grazing in the park. The Retezat lakes, among them Zănoaga Mare, lie inside it.

Visiting Retezat

The park has more than 80 glacial lakes, including Romania's largest, Bucura, and its deepest, Zănoaga. The best season is late June to early October, when the snow has gone from the higher ground. The usual start is Cabana Pietrele, the hub of tourism in the massif (a moderate-to-strenuous walk to Lake Bucura), and a hard loop of about 13.6 km with roughly 1,030 m of climbing passes both Lake Bucura and Lake Pietrele. Huts at Bucura (a Salvamont shelter) and near Zănoaga serve multi-day treks, and camping is allowed at designated points. Gemenele is a scientific reserve where hiking is not permitted. Entry fees or permits may apply, so check retezat.ro first. The terrain is exposed and rocky, so check conditions before you set out.