Retezat Park Wildlife Venture

Retezat National Park, known as the ‘wilderness trail’, promises beautiful views to the Retezat peaks that only a few places in the mountains can match. The massif offers a landscape of sharp peaks, narrow, boulder-covered crests and tarns filled with natural glacial lakes. The trek through Retezat is a nature lover’s paradise with rich endemic flora and fauna on display.
The 5-day trip to Retezat is well within the reach of anyone who wishes to go for a trek and is one the most popular in Southern Romania. The rewards range from the grandeur of the rocky cliffs, beautiful mountain flora and fauna, waterfalls and clear lakes.

Wildlife observation

The Valea Rea is a valley known for its variety of flowers and beautiful lush green grassy meadows. Some areas are covered with rhododendron; the green alder can also be
found. Some of the species of plants are quite rare e.g. Pink (dianthus glacialis), endemic whitlow-grass (draba dornerii), louse wort (pedicularis exaltata), bird’s eye primrose
(primula minima), alpine fleabane (erigeron acer), wormwood (artemisia campestris), black vanille orchid (nigritella rubra).

Bird watching

Chaffinch, song thrush, ring ouzel, red-breasted flycatcher, chiffchaff, nutcracker and the rare golden eagle, leaser spotted eagle, eagle owl, pigmy owl, crag martin, scarlet rosefinch,
three toed woodpecker, horned lark are among the 120 nesting bird species of Retezat.

Wildlife venture

The Retezat Mountains are home to a large number of wild animals, especially large mammals. Here you find almost half of the brown bear population in Europe. More than 3.000 wolves roam freely through the forest and the lynx can occasionally be seen. This is also an important abitat for the fauna of the Carpathians, including the brown bear, the wolves, the boar, the stone marten, the chamois, the lynx and more. So do not be surprised if our tracks meet those of a running chamois.

While exploring the Retezat Mountain, you can enjoy:

Unique and protected flower habitats such as the rhododendron;
- Wildlife watching and Photography;
- Visits to the sheepfolds around the area;
- Camping and survival training;

Trip Duration: 7 days
Destination: Retezat National Park
Region: Central Romania
Group range: 12 persons at most
Experience: Friends, First-Timers, Mature, Trekkers, Nature Lovers

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Transport from Airport – Gentiana Chalet. Our colleagues will pick you up from the airport and drive you to the Carnic Canton. From there, a 4 hours hike trough the forest takes us to the Gentiana Chalet, our first overnight stay.
Day 2: On this day we trek for almost 4 hours through beautiful alpine meadows. A gradual ascent brings us to the picturesque Pietricele Saddle. We head to the Valea Rea valley,
a breathtaking paradise of wildlife where we will stay for the rest o f the day.
Day 3: This is a day of enjoyment and relaxation. We take our time to observe birds, rare flowers and maybe even a stone marmot or a chamois. We visit the Galesu Lake and explore the area. This day is also about surviving training and skills, learning basic techniques to be self sufficient in a mountain area.
Day 4: We start early in the morning as on this day we have a more demanding trail. We will hike to the highest peak in Retezat Mountains (Peleaga, 2509m), crossing the narrow Pelegii and Bucura ridges. After a 7 hours journey we reach the Bucura lake, the largest glacier lake in Romania where we camp for the night.
Day 5: This day is dedicated to a 3 hours hike, crossing the Judele ridge and admiring the small, glacier lakes spread along the valleys. We camp near Zanoaga Lake.
Day 6: Although this trek lasts 7-8 hours, it is nevertheless a very relaxing one. You will walk next to Zanoaga Sheepfold, admiring the Lapusnicu Mare waterfall and pass through the Pelegii Glade befire arriving at the Buta Chalet.
Day 7: Buta Chalet – Buta Tourist Complex – back to airport.