Thematic Route: The Hiking Route

Name of the Touristic Attraction: The Eco-touristic Trail “Racovaț-Boldovin”

Location: in Mehedinți County. The access to the route is made from Iloviţa Commune, from near the City-Hall building, about 1300 m on the road that follows the Racovei Brook upstream.

Description: This route is a circular one that begins and ends near Racovăţ Fossil Point, which is one of the three fossil points that make Bahna Paleontological Reservation. It is the first paleontological reserve in Romania, with a fossil fauna of about 16 million years old, where the collection of fossils and rocks is forbidden due to the fact that it is a protected area. Right on the border of Ilovița Village is preserved the bottom of the Sarmatia Sea, where snails, shells and corals lived 16 million years ago. On this route we find old houses in Ilovita and Bahna, from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, some of them declared architectural monuments. Here we also find the ruins of the chalk factory on the Racovăţului Valley, of over 100 years old. The highest point on this route is the Boldovin Hill (622 m), considered to be the border between the Iron Gates and Mehedinţi Plateau, but also the place where you can admire “Piatra Vodiţei” (Vodiței Stone), the Danube and Orşova City. From Boldovin Hill, the trail follows an old forest road. The last part of the route follows a car road, right on Racovăţului Valley, but it is a picturesque road through the waterfalls of Racovăţ. One of them is called „La Bobote”.

Conditions:

Hiking:

– route length: Approx. 11 km

– average travel time: about 5 hours

– degree of difficulty: medium

– physical effort: strength (requires a good physical condition)

– marked with red circle with white border

– Depending on the season it is recommended:

1. Equipping with boots and waterproof clothing
2. Endowment with at least one bottle of 1 liter of water per person and a support stick

– For this route, the tourists have to be accompanied by the rangers of the Iron Gates Natural Park as well as for all the routes, because here there are natural elements of inestimable value for the Romanian as well as for the European geology, flora and fauna.

Information and Contact:

The route is on the administrative territory of the Iron Gates Natural Park.:

 Phone/ Fax: +40252 360 511,

 Phone: +40372 702 529,

e-mail: parc@drobeta.rosilva.ro

website: www.pnportiledefier.ro

GPS Coordinates:

The beginning of the route – N44 45.740, E22 28.196

The end of the route – N44 45.807, E22 28.166