📆 Day 11 | 7 August

📍Route: Baia de Aramă → Băile Herculane

🚴‍♀️ Distance cycled: 64 km

🏰 Places visited: Cerna Valley, Prisaka Lake

The day started without much sun — clouds covered the sky. We packed up and began biking. First, we rode through the villages, and then, following the DN67D, we climbed steadily uphill for quite some time. After leaving the villages behind, the road grew quieter, with only the occasional car passing by. There wasn’t much life around, just a few small tourist shops here and there. A couple of dogs from nearby sheepfolds seemed a bit threatening, but thankfully, there were no incidents.

At the top, we were rewarded with a view of the Godeanu Mountains. Then came the Cerna Valley — considered one of the most beautiful valleys in the Carpathian Mountains — and it truly deserves its reputation. The scenery, the colors, the sound of the river, and the looming cliffs of the gorge ready to shed rocks onto the road left us speechless.

Even though it was mostly downhill, we took our time, stopping often to enjoy the landscape and take photos. Along the way, we met a shepherd who kindly let us pet his donkey. He told us that, due to the drought, he had to move down from the mountain peaks into the valley.

At one point, we crossed paths with the Via Transilvanica — a long-distance trail that stretches over 1,400 km across Romania, from Putna in the north to Drobeta-Turnu Severin on the Danube. It’s a route for hikers, cyclists, and horse riders, designed to showcase Romania’s natural beauty, cultural diversity, and historical landmarks. Seeing its distinctive markers felt like brushing against another adventure in the making.

When we reached Prisaca Lake, the view was even more breathtaking — the blue of the sky reflected perfectly in the water, blending with the lush green surroundings. It was hard to leave, but we decided to continue toward Băile Herculane to explore more of the Domogled–Cerna National Park.

Before reaching the town, we stopped for a proper meal, as we had only been snacking throughout the day. A hearty lunch-dinner gave us the energy we needed, and soon after, we entered Băile Herculane. We planned to camp there, but finding a good wild camping spot wasn’t easy. Eventually, we found a decent place next to the Cerna River, set up camp, and called it a night early so we’d have plenty of energy to explore the town the following day.