PEŞTERA LUI HERCULES
Ajungând la Hotelul Roman, el însuşi o atracţie turistică prin inedita construcţie, suntem pe tărâmul celei de-a treia lupte a lui Iovan Iorgovan cu balaurul. Hidra de pe Cerna a încercat să se scalde în apele care izvorau din belşug. L-au întâmpinat cu bolovani oamenii locului şi balaurul nu a putut intra în „gropanul” de lângă hotel. În lupta ce a urmat, Iovan Iorgovan i-a tăiat încă un cap balaurului, iar acesta cu doar două capete din şapte, abia a scăpat fugind la vale spre Dunăre.
Oamenii locului îl rugară pe voinic să se îmbăieze în apele termale ca să prindă puteri şi i-au săpat în stâncă un basorelief prin care Hercules îi îndeamnă pe turişti să bea apă tămăduitoare de la izvor. El poate fi văzut în Băile Romane „înglobate” între stâlpii de beton de la parterul hotelului. Aici, călătorul obosit de lungul drum, dar întărit de balsamul aerului, va bea „Apa minerală Herculane” şi cu bucurie va exclama:
„Într-adevăr, Hygieia aici şi-a aşezat tronul!”
Împrejurimile din apropierea staţiunii Băile Herculane sunt de un pitoresc deosebit. Se pot face excursii frumoase atât pe partea dreaptă, în Munţii Cernei, cât şi pe partea stângă, în Munţii Domogled.
Cu puterile refăcute cu „apa vie” de la Izvorul Hercules şi Izvorul Hygieia, pe versantul din dreapta al Cernei puteţi vizita peştera „Grota Haiducilor”, la mai puţin de 250 m mai sus de Hotelul Roman. Se urcă în serpentină coasta muntelui pe scările de beton şi se ajunge la una din cele trei deschideri, datorită cărora peştera este luminată natural prin galerii, mai puţin Galeria cu Gururi. Deschiderile comunică între ele prin galerii înalte de 2-4 m şi au prevăzute câteva honuri. Peştera, la prima vedere, atrage atenţia doar prin inscripţiile de pe pereţi meşteşugite în diferite culori, însă are valoare speologică şi istorică prin descoperirile arheologice din interiorul ei: oase de urs de peşteră, urme omeneşti din paleolitic, cu 30 000 de ani în urmă, şi ceramică din cultura Coţofeni din neolitic.
Drumeţia poate fi prelungită până la „Grota cu Aburi”, care impresionează nu atât prin intrarea sub forma unei despicături înalte şi înguste în stâncă, ci mai ales că la mică distanţă de intrare, din crăpăturile de piatră ies aburi calzi (la 52-58 0C) cu miros de sulf, iar de dedesubt se aud zgomote surde, care îţi dau senzaţia că eşti pe un vulcan care stă să erupă. Aburii fierbinţi de sulf au creat aici condiţiile pentru creşterea pe pereţi a unui muşchi pe care nu-l veţi întâlni în altă parte şi veţi trăi sentimentul că sunteţi undeva în cosmos. Sunt adevărate picturi originale pe pereţi.
De la Grota cu aburi în sus, se poate ajunge la Vârful Elisabeta (629 m) şi la Izvorul Elisabeta după 2 ore şi jumătate de mers. După încă o jumătate de oră se ajunge pe Vârful Poiana cu Peri (768 m), loc de belvedere de unde se poate vedea atât Valea Cernei, cât şi Valea Mehadiei şi a Bolvaşniţei.
La Grota cu aburi se poate ajunge şi dinspre Platoul Coronini, pe lângă Izvorul Munk. E un drum mai lung, dar care merită, pentru că pe tot parcursul se deschide spre dreapta panorama Văii Cernei.
Tot în apropierea Grotei Haiducilor este şi Peştera lui Adam, situată sub Vârful Ciorici (413 m), care are stalactite şi stalagmite „flexibile”, unice în lume. Ea este un monument natural de mare atractivitate pentru turişti. Peştera este denumită aşa, după numele descoperitorului ei, Nicolae Adam. Peştera începe cu un aven de 11 m. Când nu ies aburi denşi şi calzi cu miros iute de guano, prin deschiderea circulară cu diametrul de 2 m se vede bine fundul avenului. Cei care sunt pregătiţi pentru a coborî în peşteră, vor avea ca răsplată frumuseţile unei „peşteri tropicale” în cele trei săli. Fiecare sală are elemente unice. Pereţii şi tavanul din Sala cu Piele de Leopard sunt concreţionaţi ca o „piele de leopard”. În Sala cu Guano podeau este acoperită cu un depozit de guano gros de 3 m. Unică este Sala cu Aburi unde stalagmitele sunt sub formă de crustă gelatinoasă gălbuie, şi stalactitele, de asemenea gelatinoase, lungi de 4-8 cm şi groase de până la 1 cm, pendulează la suflarea aburilor încinşi la 450C.
Excursii frumoase se pot face din staţiune şi pe stânga Cernei, pe Muntele Domogled, undă se urcă din două direcţii. Prima şi cea mai obişnuită este de la Hotelul Cerna. Poteca urcă în serpentine până la Crucea Albă, la 530 m înălţime. De pe cruce se deschide o panoramă splendidă asupra staţiunii şi a Văii Cernei. Distanţa până la Crucea Albă de 2,5 km poate fi parcursă în mod obişnuit în 2 ore. De acest loc este legată o poveste tristă despre un baron austriac care, dorind să-şi mărite fata şi având mulţi peţitori, i-a venit ideea de a-i pune la o probă de curaj şi îndemânare. Tinerii aspiranţi la mâna fetei trebuiau să urce pe Domogled până într-un loc unde erau uşor de văzut de jos din staţiune. Unii au renunţat din start, alţii au încercat, dar nu au avut curajul să urce pe poteca îngustă, întorcându-se din drum. Doar un ofiţer din Regimentul de grăniceri a reuşit să urce până sus. De bucurie, locotenentul a tras un foc cu pistolul pentru a fi auzit, calul s-a speriat şi a sărit în prăpastie cu tot cu călăreţ. Impresionaţi de fapta lui de curaj, localnicii au pus aici o cruce în memoria lui.
Pe parcursul urcuşului veţi vedea cum pădurea de fag lasă locul Pinului Negru de Banat şi-n locul potecii largi cu verdeaţă apare cărarea îngustă de pietre din calcar, trebuind să fiţi foarte atenţi pe unde puneţi piciorul.
La câteva zeci de metri de Crucea Albă se desprinde Poteca Pisicii ce duce la Peştera lui Şerban (un haiduc al locului), apoi pe Vârful Domogledul Mic (1101 m). După câteva sute de metri se ajunge la Vârful Domogledul Mare (1106 m). Distanţa totală de 4,5 km se poate parcurge în aproximativ 4 ore.
Drumul lui Hercules se continuă pe urmele luptelor lui Iovan Iorgovan cu balaurul şi după 7 km de mers din Piaţa Hercules se ajunge la Gara Băile Herculane, de unde se intră pe drumul european E70 în direcţia Orşova spre Dunăre. Fluviul era singura scăpare a hidrei de pe Valea Cernei. La numai 2 km de gară, se poate vedea Sfinxul bănăţean de unde a început lupta a patra dintre voinic şi balaurul fugărit. Ea s-a încheiat la Stânca lui Iorgovan din apropierea localităţii Topleţ, când viteazul Iovan Iorgovan i-a tăiat încă un cap, după care balaurul rămas cu un singur cap a fugit la Dunăre, ca o ultimă cale de scăpare de furia eroului mitologic bănăţean.
Opriţi la Stânca lui Iovan Iorgovan şi, pe dreapta drumului, care merge paralel cu calea ferată, veţi vedea Apeductul turcesc, cu o istorie dintre cele mai interesante:
„În urma tratatului de pace din anul 1739 de la Belgrad, prin care austriecii pierdeau Oltenia şi Serbia, Cerna urma să fie frontiera dintre Imperiul Habsburgic şi Imperiul Otoman. O clauză a tratatului prevedea însă că dacă turcii vor reuşi în termen de un an să abată apele Cernei pe la vest de la Orşova, acest oraş să le rămână lor. Angajând un inginer francez, numeroase braţe de muncă şi sume mari de bani, s-a reuşit construirea unui canal care traversa văile prin apeducte zidite, înălţimile prin canale săpate în piatră, şi pe care au fost abătute apele Cernei. În ziua când s-a primit la Istambul ştirea că apele Cernei au fost abătute pe canal, s-au tras salve de tun şi s-au făcut mari serbări. Dar bucuria a fost de scurtă durată, căci apele Cernei umflându-se au rupt barajul şi apeductele, iar Orşova a rămas austriecilor.” , descrie cu atâta farmec dr. Marius Bizerea. [Bizerea M., 1971].
Sub Iorgovan sunt singurele urme păstrate cu câteva tăieturi în stâncă şi Apeductul turcesc ce se păstrează până astăzi.
Ultima luptă dintre Iovan Iorgovan şi balaur are loc la Cazanele Dunării. Balaurul a intrat într-o peşteră, unde voinicul l-a uciş, tăindu-i ultimul cap. După cum spune legenda, la puţin timp după omorârea balaurului, capul acestuia „tot fugea” şi rostogol s-a dus pe apa Dunării în sus, până la peştera „Gaura cu muscă” de pe Clisura de sus, de lângă Coronini, în apropierea Cetăţii Golumbac, de pe malul sârbesc. De atunci, din această peşteră ies roiuri de „musca columbacă” şi ţânţari, dăunătoare îndeosebi vitelor.
During this time, Iovan Iorgovan returns sadly to the Cerna Valley, looking for the most beautiful girl, searching in the same time for his personal fulfilment. No one knew what to advice him, not even the lonely cuckoo. Seeking his shelter in the Outlaws’ Cave, the mighty young man was watching carefully the source of the „living water” from where he had received the power, to see „who came to drink water / shall not disturb it.” Until one day, when near the spring he saw a teary-eyed deer, as the ballad says:
Iovan Iorgovan
| „Oh, cuckoo! Oh, cuckoo!
| This agile deer |
To find out the truth, Iorgovan pretended to be hunting her. Then the deer shouted that „she is not a female deer” and turned into a „pure virgin„. Iovan Iorgovan kneeled, and with tears of joy in his eyes, he told her that she was the way he had dreamt about her and asked her to marry him. They celebrated a great wedding like in the fairy tales there, in the Cerna Valley, attended not only by the wedding guests, but also by the entire nature.
And so, like Cerna’s fairy tale, the Hercules‘ Road ends in the same place where it has begun: near the miraculous hot springs protected by the god of power, Hercules.
The rich imagination of humans created dozens of variants of the Legend of Iorgovan (aka Hercules), the hero who had roamed the whole scented realm of Cerna, after which he returned victorious and richer in spirit to the hearth of the springs. After a day of hiking in every corner of the world, you, wanderer, should watch a sunset and remember the call of the iorgovan flower (lilac): „Welcome back! … to Herculane Baths.
Theme Park no. 7. THE NATURE’S SPECTACLE
The Banat Black Pine Tree Festival
NATURAL SYMBOL AND CLIMATOTHERAPY
The Cerna Valley flora is just as famous for the scientist as it is for the tourist and is far more delightful than its fauna. „Because no matter how interesting can the salamanders, scorpions, black goats, mountain hoods, brown bears, land turtles, and especially horn vipers be, the garden of yellow irises on the top of Domogled are much more charming. And a lot of joys are offered as well by the primates, the orchids, the mountain gorges and all the other flowers that adorn the forest, dress the rocks and adorn the grass.” [Dragomir R. and Peia L., 1995].
Look at the Mount Domogled and you will see the natural “star” of the Cerna Valley – Domogled National Park: the Banat Black Pine. It is also the symbol of the festival that bears its name, which has been organised annually since 2005, at the Herculane Baths, at the end of August.
The Banat Black Pine Tree Festival, initiated within the Nature 2000 European project, is a „green” celebration of the Banat community for preserving and promoting this wonderful ornamental tree, a true relic of the „glacial era” and unique in Europe.
The Black Banat Pine is recognized by the „umbrella” crown, always green, with the branches pointing horizontally or upwards. Its shape is given by the air currents that „are blowing upwards” from the karst areas, where the pine grows solitary or in clumps. It climbs with much boldness on the steep cliff, edging the laced crest of the limestone. You will be delighted by the Pinus nigra Banatica girdles, crowning the rocks or hanging over the abyss and rooting in the cracks of the limestone wall, searching for a fertile soil. This very beautiful tree is found in four places, which constitute a bridge between the Mehedintean karst (Mount Domogled) and the Banat’s crystalline (Cerna Mountains, Almăj Mountains and Danube Shore, at “Tricule”). The spreading area of Black Banat Pine is on a very small area of only 780 ha, offering a special picturesque to the landscape, especially in the Cerna Valley.
The e Banat Black Pine Tree Festival is of particular interest to the young people up to 35 years of age and it is carried out under the form of a contest of photography and film, drawing and painting, poetry and songs, having its theme the „Nature 2000-Black Banat Pine”. It is the way in which the Mountainous Banat preserves and promotes the cultural and ecological value of the Banat Black Pine, as the locals of these surroundings have always done so. Thus, knowing that the pine wood does not rot due to the soaking resin, the Romans used it with great skill in the construction of the aqueducts for the thermal-mineral water. In the not too distant past, burning the well-dried pine wood in a particular furnace, a „catran” or „boaza” was obtained, a consistent substance having the colour of the heavy fuel oil. The peasants of Banat greased the carts’ axles with it; the fishermen isolated their boats, and mixed with pork fat or sulphur it was used to anoint the cattle, to heal the wounds. At the same time, the Banat Black Pine is the „binding agent” for the production of negative ions, well known and appreciated in the resort in combating stress. Traveller, come to the Banat Black Pine Tree Festival to write the legend of black pine yourself
Climbing the marked path that leads to the White Cross on the Domogled Mountain, you will see patches of black pine forests along with lilac, smoke tree and Turkish hazel bush. In summer, however, the eye is enchanted mostly by the „suspended gardens” of yellow irises.
But what is special in the Cerna Valley is the existence of the fireflies and the butterflies that make this area one of the most sought after. The flight of hundreds of fireflies burning up the sky after it went dark, gives the impression of a rain of falling stars, thus increasing the charm of the summer nights at Herculane.
The Cerna Valley is the „heaven” of butterflies in Europe. There are over 1500 different species according to their origins: Alpine, Pontic, Balkan, Central European and Mediterranean. There are daytime butterflies but mostly night butterflies.
In the darkness of the night, through the Domogled’s hazelnut forests, in the beech and fir woods of the Cerna Mountains or above the rocks, there is a real dance of richly collared wings. Look for Europe’s largest night butterfly called the „peacock eye” or Saturnia Pyri, whose open wings measure up to 15 cm. On its dark-red coloured wings you can see „sketches” of white, blue or yellowish-collared shades, in the shape of an eye, as a „mask of intimidation.”
During the day, the eye of the hiker arriving on Domogled’s trails can follow freely the richness of colours and nuances, sprinkled with such art in the wings of these gentle tiny insects. A harmony between the different shades of red and the black. A cheerful refreshing yellow. The pure blue sky is abundantly sprinkled with the wings of the butterflies.
Green is fairly rare in butterflies, but you can indulge yourself by watching double-sided butterflies. They usually have dark colours on the back and a purple colour with silver lines or multicoloured sparkles on the lower part.
Only in this paradise with rare species of plants, butterflies and birds you can benefit from climatotherapy. It means a cure of air, air and light, sunlight, rest and exercise for physical recovery and mental disconnection when stressed, as it was noted by the balneologists Iancu and Doina Gogâltan (1992):
- The air cure begins with staying in the room with open windows, lying on the bed. After a while you stay on the balcony, then on the terrace, in the park or in the forest. It is practised in any season, from half an hour to three hours, 2-3 times a day. It can be associated with short, effortless walks, and it has the effect of calming the nervous system: fatigue disappears and appetite appears.
2. The air and light cure is made by exposing the body to the air, totally or partially, on the balcony, on the terrace or in the woods, where you can walk in the shade.
3. The sun cure consists in exposure to the sun in the thermal springs (Central Park, Vicol Park, and Seven Springs) or in the open places like Coronini Plateau. The exposure time is 15 minutes on the first day and then gradually more and more (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes).
4. The rest cure consists in lying in the armchair for relaxing the muscles.
5. The exercise cure is done by strolling uniform pace on the slopes of the resort, with a relatively small inclination angle (up to 200) and for a distance of 2-3 km. Three routes for this cure are recommended, according to the resistance level of the organism:
• Hercules Square – Vicol Park (mild slope up to 5⁰ and with a walking speed of 15 min / km);
• Hercules Square – Coronini Plateau or the Steam Grotto (slope of up to 10⁰ and with a walking speed of 30 min / km);
• Hercules Square – The White Cross or the Steam Grotto (up to 20⁰ downhill and with a walking speed of 45 min / km)
Cerna is the most thrilling river in Romania for its touristic rafting. The two touristic routes upstream of Lake Prisaca can be crossed according to the water level in two-person boats or in boats for 6 + 1 persons:
Route 1 of rafting: 4 km in 1.2-2 hours;
Route 2 of rafting: 8 km in 2-3 hours.
Rafting on the two routes offers an unforgettable adventure. The river bank is very narrow and full of curves and cliffs, and the river has a very large fall and small waterfalls appearing one after the other. At the start of the shift, each crew member is equipped with a neoprene suit, a helmet and a life jacket. Listen to the organizers’ advice on how to raft on the water and how to navigate safely on the fast sections. The routes will be gradually traversed, taking obstacles one after the other, with stops for rest. Success is given by the skill of choosing the options of passing among the rocks, but on certain portions there is only one line and this must be found instantaneously. Waves, thresholds, jumps, everything is fun and a lot of adrenaline.
Everything ends with a tasty meal and great accommodation at the Mountain Dew Guesthouse, where Komaroni Istvan is a welcoming host and a perfect guide for the rafting aficionados.
Theme Park no. 8. MAN’S REDISCOVERY:
The Slivovitz Festival of Banat
BRANDY -TASTING WHEN THE SLIVOVITZ IS AT ITS BEST
The Slivovitz Festival of Banat is organized annually, in October, in Herculane Baths arriving at its 15th edition in 2012. It is the feast of producers of plum brandy, apple brandy, pear and apricot brandy and also slivovitz made of berries, coming from more than 25 villages from the Timis Valley, Almăj Valley, Bistra Valley, Caraş Valley, Cerna Valley, Bârzava Valley and Danube Shore. You will see bottles filled with pure Romanian potion, exposed to the sunlight, having each a unique story from: Armenis, Băuţar, Bolvaşnita, Bucova, Carasova, Cornereva, Consatantin Daicoviciu, Dezeşti, Domaşnea, Fârliug, Feneş, Gârlişte, Glimboca, Goruia, Mehadica , Prigor, Radimna, Ramna, Sichevita, Soceni, Teregova, Vălişoara, Verendin, Zăvoi and Zorlenţu Mare.
The Banat producers show the tourists the entire circuit „of the process of the plum taken from nature, to the flow of the brandy in the cauldrons.” There are also some secrets of the trade, which they keep for themselves: the duration of boiling of the plums, how does the brandy get a golden colour, how to produce the best slivovitz from the village.
The fabrication of slivovitz in the Mountainous Banat is a true art, passed from generation to generation. Traditionally, it is obtained from summer and autumn plums, left to soak, after which the „comina” is distilled in copper (brass) boilers.
When the furnace is ready, first a low fire is lit, but only of oak wood. Then the fire must burn smoulderingly, not too weak or too strong, otherwise the slivovitz will get „smoked”, bitter and murky. The obtained slivovitz has no more than 45 degrees, but by keeping it in acacia, oak or mulberry wood barrels, it gets a unique colour and taste. Look for some „old” slivovitz that can be even 40 years old. Search as souvenirs the original glass bottles with slivovitz with a pear grown inside the bottle and with a „halm” cork. Try pulling the slivovitz from „buce”(metallic cilindre) or „jug” with the „tragula” (wine pulling hose) and put it in the glasses without letting one drop fall down, a traditional custom in the Banat households. If you succeed, you will be rewarded with a mug of „rachie profripta / double boiled slivovitz”, just as only guests receive at the different festivals of the village. If you are cold, being autumn, look for the bucket with „boiled slivovitz” and drink a sip with the „caugul” (ladle!) from the stalk.
The locals and tourists, young or old, all sit in queues to taste a little of Banat’s slivovitz, to identify what it is made of, how old it is and how many degrees it has. And as for the taste of the potion not to be confused from one producer to another, they eat from the offered traditional products between drinking, before they try the potion of another farmer: corn, bread baked in the jar, smoked bacon, cow cheese, sheep or goat cheese, sausage and onion.
Each edition has as its motto two master lyrics, which only the Banat poet Octavian Doclin was able to write:
” Oh Lord, please bless the season when the slivovitz blooms over the village ”
The Association of The Slivovitz Producers of the Mountainous Banat, unique in Romania, wishes that the Banat slivovitz to be a true „ambassador” of the pure tradition, and this unaltered symbol, along with the cheese and the bacon, to be known all over the world.
At the end of the festival, you will always have the proof that the Banat peasants have brought what they had the best at home, and although the slivovitz was as much as it was needed, it turned out to be not enough for the potion lovers.
Caught by the „smell of a plum seed”, you are going to say, „There is no bad slivovitz, there is only too little slivovitz!” It is good to know that the plum slivovitz will cheer you in a first phase, and then it will weaken your feet and numb your reflexes.
Like every feast about the Banat tradition, The Slivovitz Festival from Banat ends with Banat folk music and brass band music held in the resort’s gazebo.
The show of colours and flavours of the festival is complemented by the image of the autumn fruits, arranged in „cotarite” (baskets) and the slivovitz bottles arranged along the nearly 20 km long road by the Gugulan peasants, from Teregova to Domaşnea, on Timis-Cerna corridor of the European road E70. It is almost impossible not to be tempted to pull over to the right and to offer yourself the joy of tasting these wonderful delights of Banat’s orchards. Red or yellow apples, plums, walnuts and grapes invite you taste their flavour. The traveller can choose by tasting the best mountain slivovitz from Banat. Beyond the scenic nature of this „outdoors” sights, the tourist will understand the meaning of the words of the elderly locals: „We are and will always be peasants, and the production of slivovitz is the most beautiful occupation, since the beginning of time, which turns our work into joy „.
The sadness of the Banat peasant’s soul in the „mirror” of Banat’s slivovitz could not be expressed better than by the poet Octavian Doclin, who gave the festival a poetry of his own:
When the slivovitz is in blossom Oh, Lord, bless the season
| Does the twilight stand in the light today? We will be in heaven, as we are on earth. |