This natural border between Romania and Serbia is rich in scenic and historic sights.
September 6, 2024
A Danube River cruise is one of the best ways to experience the cities and natural wonders on the banks of Europe’s second-longest river. Tours are devised to help you take in the stunning scenery from the vessel while strategic stops immerse you in historic sights, cultural experiences, and local gastronomy.
Cruising the Iron Gates is one of the most unique experiences along the Danube River. This is the name given to a sequence of narrow gorges, basins, caves, and rock formations along an 80-mile stretch of river enclosed by the Carpathian and Balkan mountains.
The Iron Gates marks a natural boundary between Serbia and Romania, two of the countries you'll explore on the Danube River. Once a treacherous passage to navigate due to its narrowness, rapids, and currents, the construction of dams along the Iron Gates enabled first trade and now tourism to flourish in this underrated corner of Europe.
Watching over the entrance to the Iron Gates, the medieval Golubac Fortress stands to the west of its namesake modern town in Serbia. This fortified town is staggered across three compounds built into the cliffs atop Roman and Byzantine foundations. Over the centuries, it was in the hands of the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburgs, and rebel forces. Golubac Fortress is open to the public for tours.
The Cauldrons represent the most dramatic part of a Southern Danube river cruise along the Iron Gates. At their narrowest, the cliffs on either side of the river are less than 200 meters apart while the river is as deep as 80 meters.
Decebalus was the last king of the kingdom of Dacia, in modern-day Romania. He fought against the Roman Empire to maintain Dacian independence. This colossal sculpture was chiseled into the cliffs west of Orșova in the 1990s and is stunning to see from the water.
A reconstruction of an 11th-century monastery that was swallowed up by rising water levels, the Mraconia Monastery was erected above the older complex.
An easy one to miss, Trajan's Plaque (Tabula Traiana) is located on the Serbian banks of the river upstream from the rock sculpture and monastery. It was carved and installed to mark the end of Trajan’s military road and commemorates the deed and the materials used to lay the road. The memorial plaque was relocated to its current position in Djerdap Gorge, the deepest part of the Iron Gates, after the construction of a dam raised the water levels.
Trajan's Bridge was built in 105 AD and once spanned the entire width of the Danube between the provinces formerly known as Moesia and Dacia. Only the foundations remain on either bank and there’s a fantastic museum on the Romanian side. While in Belgrade, Serbia's charismatic capital, you can find the head of a bronze statue of Trajan excavated from the area.
Contact Darby at Darby’s Destinations to plan a bespoke river cruise on the Danube.
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