We make a fairly big detour in order to see the Bigar Waterfall. To get to it, we walk along the road for a few minutes after parking our car on a deserted parking lot—deserted of cars and people, but there are two dogs that greet us, friendly and hopeful that we might have some food for them. We do not; alas, one of them adopts us and follows us all the way to the waterfall. He has a very mild and patient manner while being quite affectionate.
The waterfall itself isn’t very high, but it is beautiful nonetheless with water cascading across moss-covered rock and spreading out. A wooden stair with platform at the bottom is in need of some repairs and maintenance, but I dare going down anyway and enjoy the water show for a while. I find waterfalls hypnotic.
The Bigar Cascade park is right behind the waterfall. We pay a ranger 10 lei for admission and cross the bridge to walk along the stream in beautiful nature. While we get to climb up some rocky hills to get to a little lake with a wooden bridge leading to a cave, our trusted canine friend follows along happily but stays on the bridge, patiently waiting for my return. Once I’ve walked up the stairs, I’m committed to go further, though as I climb up the rock face to the cave, aided by a rebar bolted into the rock, I seriously wonder how I will get back down again.
The picture of the cave shows clusters of bats hanging inside the cave, and although a chain is provided to climb up further, I refrain. I take in the view from the platform before I slowly approach the climb back down, the rebar gripped tightly with my hands. I am grateful when I’ve made it back down, and I can already feel my thigh muscles as I walk down the stairs. I really must exercise more.
My friend didn’t come up there with me, and so we slowly make our way back to the car. We’re sad to say goodbye to the dog, and he seems sad to let us go, too. But we enjoyed the excursion, and are now on our way on windy roads along the river toward Băile Herculane, a Roman bath town. There are several hot springs with different minerals and healing properties in this region, so Băile Herculane became a known spa town for people searching for health and cures of their ailments.
After driving around and inquiring about options, my friend and I go into one pool fed by a hot spring at a hotel. The room is a square built from red bricks with a square pool in the middle, steps on two sides to get inside. The water is cloudy white, and steam is rising. Looking up, the room is high and has a resemblance with a brick oven, the walls arching to a smaller square, covered opening in the ceiling like a chimney.
There are a couple of middle-aged Romanians in the water already, one man and one woman, although they seem to be unrelated to each other. The man starts a conversation with us, half in English half in Romanian, and he tells us that he believes in the powers of the waters, that he credits his spa visits here several times a year with his health and in fact, life. He had a couple of heart attacks and recovered well despite his unhealthy lifestyle. My friend asks him about other pools, and he tells us that the best one is under a bridge outside. We drove by a few outside pools on our way, saw lines of cars parked along the road and people in their swim trunks or wrapped in a towel, drying off and changing clothes in the street. It looked intriguing but also slightly impractical, especially in the cool spring weather these days. Nevertheless, after we are done here, we find the pools again on our way back to our accommodation and get out of the car to investigate. My friend will come back here the next day to enjoy the benefits of the healing waters while I decide that it’s not for me.
We also make a day-trip to Orșova, where we see the Cerna River flow into the Danube. Other than a rather severe church and admittedly a beautiful river scenery, there was nothing interesting to see or experience in this town, so we soon go back to Băile Herculane.
Bats! Bats! You brave! Not me!
Poor puppy. To be a stray alone out there! She/he must have enjoyed the company!
Too bad the healing waters were not for you! Actually maybe it was! Maybe it was detoxing you and unfortunately that is never fun at the start.
Boy when the have a grey day, they have a grey day!
C
I simply adore bats And have had some as pets! I am impressed that you got so close to them and a lizard on the trail! Waterfalls look beautiful. I am intrigued with the health Properties attributed to the water sources.