Moldova Nouă is the western gateway to the Romanian side of the Iron Gates, a former mining town on the Danube where the river is still wide and calm before it enters the gorges further east. The town grew around copper mining in the hills behind, and the mines and their waste have left their mark: a large tailings pond near the river has been a long-running environmental problem, sending dust over the area on windy days. It is not the most beautiful town on the Danube, but it has a working, unpolished honesty and it is a useful stop on the long riverside road.
What makes the area special lies just outside town. Toward Coronini, a few kilometres east, the Danube enters the Iron Gates, and the medieval Golubac fortress sits on the Serbian bank opposite, with its towers climbing the cliff above the water, one of the most impressive castles on the river. A rock called Babakai rises out of the water near the Romanian shore, and legend has it that a Turkish commander left his unfaithful wife there to die. In the hills above, there are villages settled by Czech families in the nineteenth century, such as Sfânta Elena, where people still speak Czech and the houses and church look like they belong in Bohemia.
The ride east from Moldova Nouă along the Danube is a wonderful start to the gorge road. After Coronini the road follows the river closely, with cliffs on one side and water on the other, and a series of curves that are never too tight but require attention. Resurfacing has reached most of it, but there are still narrow, crumbly sections where two cars pass with care. Views across to the Serbian bank and the fortress are constant. The road is quiet for long stretches, and in the evening the light on the water is golden.
Top up the tank here before turning east, because services along the Danube shore are few and far between until Orșova; the town also has shops and a couple of simple restaurants. The Danube is a migration route for birds, and you may see herons, cormorants and other water birds along the shore. Summers are hot, and the area can be humid. If you have time, the side road up to the Czech villages is narrow and steep but rewarding, with views back over the river.