Cazanele Dunarii represent the place where the Danube narrows the most when passing

through the Carpathian Mountains. They are about 9 km long.

The “Danube boilers” bear this name because of the eddies that were forming in the past on
the surface of the water due to the high flow that the Danube had in these rocky and narrow
sections. Here the water seemed swirling and sometimes gave the impression of boiling.
Tabula Traiana is a memorial plaque erected by Emperor Trajan in honour of the Roman
Empire's victory over the Dacian kingdom following the Second Daco-Roman War (105 –
106 AD).
The Ponicova Cave is also known as the “Gura Apei” Cave or the Bat Cave, being the
largest formation of its kind in the Danube gorge. It has 2 entrances, one on land, which can
be reached after a 1 hour and a half walk, and another located at the level of the Danube,
which can only be reached by boat.
The Veterani Cave derives its name from the name of Veterani, who was the adjutant of
Ianovici, the commander of the Austrian army stationed in Caransebes and who refortified
the cave at the end of the 17th century. The cave is relatively small, only 87 m long, and
access to it is only by boat.
The Mraconia Monastery is the replica of an old monastery swallowed by the waters of the
Danube during the construction of the Portile de Fier- “Iron Gates” dam. Mraconia means
dark water or hidden place, and the small monastery was rebuild between 1993-2000.
Chipul lui Decebal- Decebalus’s face- is the most famous objective in the area, it is located
near the Mraconia bay, between Eselnita and Dubova, where the Danube reaches a depth of
120 meters. The statue is dug into the rock, it is 55 meters high and 25 meters wide. It is the
tallest stone sculpture in Europe and the second in the world. This work was carried out
during 10 years (1994-2004).