The river Cerna runs through one of the deepest and wildest valleys of the Romanian Carpathians, a narrow gorge between limestone cliffs, before emerging at Băile Herculane, one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. The Romans bathed in its hot springs nearly two thousand years ago and named the place after Hercules. In the nineteenth century, the Habsburgs built grand bathhouses, hotels and casinos in an ornate imperial style, and Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi came to take the waters. Many of these buildings now stand empty and decaying, a haunting sight, though restoration efforts are under way. The surrounding mountains form the Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park, and parts of its old beech forests are included in the UNESCO site of Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests.
The park is a place of rare nature. The limestone slopes are covered with forests of black pine, a local variety found here, and the warm, sheltered valleys host plants more typical of the Mediterranean. The area has a large population of horned vipers, so watch where you put your hands and feet when hiking. Bears, wolves and lynx roam the forests, and eagles soar above the cliffs.
The road up the Cerna valley from Băile Herculane is a superb ride, following the river through the gorge, past waterfalls, caves and hot springs, with cliffs towering above. It continues past a reservoir towards the mountains, and in places the surface becomes rough, so check conditions before committing. South of Herculane, the Danube cuts through the Iron Gates, a series of gorges on the border with Serbia, and the road along the river is spectacular, with the giant rock carving of the Dacian king Decebalus overlooking the water. At Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the remains of Trajan's bridge, which once spanned the Danube, can be seen on the bank.
The riding is excellent, but roads can be narrow, winding and poorly surfaced, with rockfalls after storms. Summers are hot in the valleys, and winters cold, with snow at altitude. Spring and autumn are ideal.
Băile Herculane, about seven kilometres away, has fuel, shops and restaurants, and Orșova on the Danube is another option. Try fresh trout from the mountain streams, or a bowl of fish soup by the Danube, and perhaps a soothing dip in one of the hot springs.