E3 in Romania: Comments so far

This trip only covered a modest part of the E3 in Romania. The first part of it from the Iron Gates Dam to Carbunari was straightforward, although with some steep climbs and a few overgrown sections. The next few days were more challenging. I had to give up on the Nera Gorge where the path was both overgrown, indistinct and had technically challenging sections. The old railway line after Lake Buhui was difficult, both dealing with fallen rocks, tree trunks, vegetation and a scary bridge.

Much of the route was waymarked with coloured stripes or crosses, and occasional signs. I crossed three National Parks or similar, where the environment is protected. Away from the Danube the area was sparsely populated. Many of those who had settled in the villages were Czech or German, although now there were many empty houses as people had moved away.

Along the initial section beside the Danube, accommodation and other facilities were available but after that I spent much of this section camping as lodging was either unavailable or in the case of the Czech Banat, full. In the National Parks there were some basic campsites with chemical toilets, bins and little else. Shops were limited in number and so I made sure I had enough food for a few days. Inevitably language difficulties limited my interactions with the local population, although my phrase book and Google Translate helped to ensure I could obtain what I really needed.

Apart from a road section beside the River Danube, in one of its more dramatic sections, much of the walk was through trees, typically beech, on forest tracks and gravel roads. I returned via Timisoara, a city I thought well worth visiting.

The start of my walk on the E3 is at this webpage.

My crossing of Serbia starts at this webpage.

My walk through Romania begins at this post.

Romanian and EU flags