The Danube here is wide and slow, and across the water you look straight into Serbia. Pojejena is a village on the Romanian bank in the Danube gorge region known as the Clisura Dunării, and nearby Şitarniţa is the site of a Roman fort, one of the stations that guarded the river frontier. It is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire listing in Romania, inscribed in 2024. The Danube was the backbone of Rome's northern defences for centuries, and forts like this one lined its banks.
Just downstream the river enters the most spectacular stretch of its entire course. The Iron Gates gorges squeeze the Danube between steep cliffs, and the DN57 road on the Romanian side follows the river all the way to Orşova, with constant views of the water and the mountains. Along the way you pass the Babakai rock in the middle of the river, then the huge face of the Dacian king Decebalus carved into a cliff near Dubova in modern times, and, on the Serbian side, the Tabula Traiana, a Roman inscription commemorating Trajan's road along the gorge.
The riding on the DN57 is glorious, with curves, short tunnels and changing views, though the surface varies and traffic can be heavy in summer. Speed limits in villages are enforced, and there are often police checks. Away from the river, roads climb into the Banat mountains, where Czech villages founded by settlers in the nineteenth century, such as Sfânta Elena, keep their language and traditions.
North of Pojejena, the Nera gorge and the Beuşniţa national park offer forests, waterfalls and the turquoise lake known as Ochiul Beiului. The roads there are narrower and partly unpaved, and some sections require walking. The scenery is superb, especially in spring and autumn.
Moldova Nouă, nine kilometres away, is the place for fuel and a meal. The Danube region is famous for fish, and you can find fish soup and grilled fish in many places along the river. Summer is hot, and the river offers a chance to cool off, though currents can be strong. A late afternoon ride along the gorge, with the sun lighting up the cliffs, is unforgettable.