Banat Tourist Guide
Banat is an ancient historical province, today divided between Romania, Serbia and Hungary.
The Romanian Banat is located in the western part of our country, occupying a total area of 18,966 square kilometres. It includes the county of Timiș, the part of Arad county south of Mureș, the western part of Mehedinți county, two localities in Hunedoara county and a large part of Caras Severin county. It is one of the most ethnically diverse regions, with Romanians, Serbs, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Carasovs — hence the urban diversity of Timișoara, Lugoj, Caransebeș, Reșița, Oravița, Sânnicolau Mare and Jimbolia.
Nature intertwines with history
In Banat, history can be found everywhere. Historical relics are a heritage worthy of being preserved and passed on to future generations.
The ruins of the Carasova fortress are located in the Carasova commune, which is considered the “Croatian capital of Romania”. Documented for the first time in 1323 when it belonged to the King of Hungary, the fortress came under Turkish occupation in 1530 and became known as “Turski Grad”. Legend has it that the walls were made of mortar mixed with wine and milk and resulted in walls “harder than cement”.
What are the most important historical attractions?
The Roman site of Tibiscum covers an area of 27 hectares. The settlement was built in 106 and was composed of military fortifications defending the main road to Ulpia Traiana Sarmisegetuza.
The fortress of Dezna was first mentioned in 1318 when it was donated to the Losonczi family and had a strong bastion together with several defensive walls. Conquered in 1474 by the Turks, it was recaptured 22 years later, and in 1658 it was reoccupied by the Turks who ruled it until 1693 when the fortress became a ruin.
Huniade Castle in Timișoara was built between 1443 and 1447 by Iancu de Hunedoara on the ruins of an old castle built by Carol Robert of Anjou and served as a residence for all the kings who visited the area until 1552. During the imperial conquest the castle was damaged and after renovation it became an artillery barracks and military warehouse. In 1849 the castle was completely destroyed by the Hungarian revolutionaries, and was rebuilt in 1856.
Therezia Bastion in Timișoara is part of the Vauban (star-shaped) fortification of Timișoara and was built between 1732 and 1761. It had three rings of fortifications and comprised 9 bastions. The inner ring was 20 metres high and in front of it was a water moat. The Therezia Bastion is the only one remaining from the old fortification and served as a food storehouse.
The natural setting of the Banat
The landscapes found in this area impress with their majesty and the tranquillity they offer.
The Danube Gorge is one of the most beautiful gorges in Europe, the wild river of yesteryear flowing quietly through the impressive cliffs. Here you can admire the Babacaia Rock (Turkish for ‘Father’s Rock’) which rises 7 metres above the water, and to which chains once linked — a barrier to the two fortresses: St Ladislaus (on the Romanian shore) and the Golubac Fortress (on the Serbian shore) so that no ship could escape unharmed.
The face of Decebal is a statue carved into the rock between 1994 and 2000 and is 55 metres high and 25 metres wide (6 centimetres less than the Statue of Liberty and 8 centimetres more than the Monument of Christ in Rio de Janeiro).
The Nerei Gorges are a Romanian paradise and the longest in the country.Huge forests, caves, waterfalls, inaccessible cliffs mesmerize you and make you want to conquer them.
Here is the largest watermill park in Romania, Rudăria, where 22 watermills (out of the 51 existing in 1874) are still in operation over a distance of 3 kilometres.
Also in this area you can visit the Bigăr waterfall, which has been ranked as one of the most unique waterfalls in the world by The World Geography.
The Semenic Mountains and the Caras Gorges contain spectacular karst phenomena. Here there is the largest concentration of caves in Romania — just over 300.
Lake Buhui is an oasis of peace and relaxation, and in the Anina Mountains we can admire the Buhui Cave, the largest cave in Banat.
The Banat is full of museums and cultural institutions
The old historical province is the place where we can admire many unique sights in Romania.
The journey can start on the Oravița — Anina railway, also known as the “Semeringul Bănățean”. Due to the difficulty of the route, the 34 kilometres can be covered in about two hours. The nickname of this railway comes from its resemblance to the ‘Semering’ railway in Austria. The only train running is specially adapted for this railway and consists of two undivided carriages with wooden benches built in 1930.
The journey can continue to the Steam Locomotive Museum in Reșita, opened in 1972, where 16 steam locomotives can be admired. The highlights are the “Resicza” and “Princess Elena” locomotives.
The Old Theatre “Mihai Eminescu” in Oravița is the first theatre built in our country and was built in 1817 in Viennese Baroque style.
The Museum of the Banat Village in Timișoara contains several traditional households of the area, installations used by the old inhabitants (oloinițe, water mills, waterwheels) as well as the oldest church in Timișoara, built in 1646.
Whale-climate resorts in Banat
Banat has some of the oldest balneological resorts. The ancient inhabitants of these lands placed great value on health care.
Thus, Băile Herculane is the oldest balneotherapy resort in the country and was built on the site of an old volcanic fault. The first documentary mention dates back to the year 153, when the resort was an attraction for the Roman nobility. In 1763 the reconstruction and modernization of the “baths” began and the main characteristic of the area are the springs with chloride, bicarbonate and slightly sulphurous thermal mineral waters which together with natural aeroionization contribute to the treatment of hypertension and endocrine disorders.
Buziaș was declared a spa resort in 1819, although the first documentary evidence dates back to 1072. Nowadays it is used to treat cardiovascular diseases, nervous system diseases, kidney diseases, nutrition and metabolism diseases and various respiratory diseases. The resort is also known for the first natural water bottling plant, which won no less than 8 international medals, including one at the Bratislava Competition in 1920.
The Semenic resort is visited especially in winter due to the possibility of winter sports. The resort is equipped with cable transport facilities and in summer you can hike on numerous tourist trails (the most popular one goes through Crivaia, reaches the Comarnic Cave and then the Caras Gorge).
The resort of Muntele Mic is visited because of its enchanting mountain scenery. Its history begins in 1930 and in 1962 the first cable car was installed and in 1976 the chairlift was inaugurated. The main sights to visit here are the Muntele Mic ski slope, the Muntele Mic hermitage and the Cross on Muntele Mic.
