On June 9, our 7th day of PASSAGE TO EASTERN EUROPE aboard the Viking Lif, we were seeing some of the most spectacular sights of Serbia and into Romania!
Golubac Fortress is seen here and the mighty Danube River being about 7 km wide there!
This was around 11:19 as we were pulling out already...
This is the spot where we were, away from the shore.
You also see the red line in the River Danube, marking the border of Serbia and Romania to the north.
You also see the red line in the River Danube, marking the border of Serbia and Romania to the north.
This photo I took just 20 minutes earlier...
To give you an idea, we were closer to the shore still on our way out from Golubac Fortress.
And again here you see the spot where we were and you also see that the Danube River there is about 7 km wide!
They left the Viking Lif around 8:30 AM for a shore excursion to Golubac Fortress.
Since I was not feeling well, I did not join him...
Pieter walked twice this 1 km distance to the Fortress as he did not climb the stairs leading up to its towers. Not with his weak heart condition.
Look at the gray area bottom for the surface level, not the surrounding, much taller rocks.
Unless the previous day spent in Serbia, where we could not enter the Saint Sava Church as it still was under construction, we were lucky here!
This is Golubac Fortress seen from above video taken in November 2015
The European Union invested in its reconstruction!
Click this link above...
Opening of the Golubac Fortress video, just click to see this marvelous video with lots of info from March 2019!
Yes, it also shows you the incredible width of the mighty River Danube on its way to the Black Sea!
Now tourists from all over the world can admire this 11 millennia old history...
On the upper deck around 11:30, I captured Pieter during our Wheelhouse Tour with lots of information by Cpt. Aleksandar about the Viking Lif and this majestic water way of Eastern Europe!
You can already see that some very SCENIC SAILING is about to start...
All done while enjoying terrific weather every day!
Photo taken at 16:30 from the upper deck as we sail along the Kazan stretch...
Indeed this would be sailing through one of Europe's most dramatic natural wonders, the picturesque stretch famously known as the Iron Gates.
Photo got taken at 16:38
These spectacular narrow gorges, a series of four, slice through the Carpathian Mountains to the north and the Balkan Mountains to the south, marvel at the towering white limestone cliffs draped with forest.
Photo got taken at 15:45 and is in Romania now with one hour time difference!
Monastery Mraconia in Romania from 1452...
Photo taken at 15:53
Now closer to this marvelous medieval Monastery Mraconia in Romania
Looking back here, where we came from, past Monastery Mraconia now and one minute later...
The Iron Gates show clearly the Danube at its wildest!
Spectacular views of Iron Gates...
The Iron Gates were once treacherous, filled with rocks and rapids. The Serbian name for it, Djerdap, means 'whirlpool'. Passage was eased in the 1st century when the Roman emperor Trajan built canals, then again when the first Iron Gates Dam opened in 1972.
Dam construction impacted the ecology, and both Serbia and Romania have added some protection by creating national parks on either side of the Danube. With a landscape boasting thick coniferous forest, 4 spectacular gorges, 2 canyons, 3 valleys and more than 1,000 caves, the area is one of staggering biodiversity.
Large perch and catfish can be found in abundance, along with sturgeon and salmon. On land, mammal species include lynx, bears, wolves and jackals.
Seeing the carved face of Dacian King Decebalus, who fought the Romans and is hailed as a Romanian hero. His 141-foot or 43 m high likeness is carved into a cliff overlooking the Danube near the city of Orşova.
Some interesting facts about Serbia!
My Relive.cc video Viking Lif from Belgrade to Golubac Serbia.
Once again, the signal got completely lost at times and the straight line connects between the two areas with signal. Sorry for that, but you DO see in the end the VAST WIDTH of the RIVER DANUBE!
Golubac Fortress along Kazan stretch via Relive.cc
Thank you for your visit and comment!
Related links:
Day 6, Panoramic Belgrade, Serbia | previous post
Day 5, from Vukovar to Osijek, Croatia | previous post
Day 4, Kalocsa Baroque Cathedral with Organ Music and Puszta | previous post
Day 3 Departure from Budapest on Viking Lif | previous post
Day 2 Passage to Eastern Europe - Panoramic Budapest | previous post
Hello Mariette, Every place on earth seems to have so much history and so many natural wonders to share. I am surprised that the Danube can become so wide--I wonder is that is considered a lake, or if the flow is evenly maintained over its bed. Good for Pieter for taking that hike, but I hope that he is not overdoing it.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteNatural wonders in this area were abundant indeed, so many natural marvels.
You have to keep in mind that the Danube has been regulated, and the entire Pannonian basin so water flows now different than in the 19th century. Just google about Pannonian basin geothermal and also see the long gone Pannonian Sea from 10 million years ago. That explains a lot.
Both of us were also quite surprised to see that the Danube is a fast-flowing, turbulent river! We nowhere have seen any water sports on the stretch we traveled on the Daube.
Pieter can walk limited on the flat surface but climbing is no longer in his ability and should be avoided.
That's the reason he not went into those towers, regardless the view.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest MAriette,
ReplyDeleteyou really have ssen so man interesting things on your Eastern Europe Tour! Thank you for all the great pictures!
Wishing you and Pieter a wonderful weekend!
Love and hugs, Claudia, xo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteEastern Europe should be visited by all people, such a rich culture and breathtaking nature!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteherzlichen Dank und sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteFroh das die wieder virtuell mit an Bord warst!
Liebe Grüße,
Mariette
What a lovely place! Have a lovely weekend ☺
ReplyDeleteDearest Natalia,
DeleteFor you not outside of reach, really a must visit area!
Hugs,
Mariette
Oohh wat mooi daar!!! daar zou ik ook wel eens willen varen, dat vind ik zo geweldig, met een boot op een rivier tussen van die bergen..heb ik in Albanie ook gedaan, Piet te voet over de Albanese Alpen heen, en ik met nog een paar anderen die dat ook te zwaar vonden, met een boot zo tussen de bergen er omheen...was zo ontzettend mooi.
ReplyDeleteBeste Marian,
DeleteJa, dit was wel het mooiste en ruigste natuur gebied wat we tijdens onze dagen op de Donau tegen kwamen.
Wàt een avontuur die Albanese Alpen beklimmen en jullie met een boot via de waterwegen er omheen.
Dat zal zeker adembenemend mooi geweest zijn!
Liefs,
Mariette
Fantastic scenery! Are the rocks of the mountains granite?
ReplyDeleteDearest RTC.,
DeleteNo, the rocks of the Carpathian mountains are white limestone.
But the scenery was fabulous indeed!
Hugs,
Mariette
Precioso viaje para disfrutar de unas hermosas vacaciones. Tan sólo von ver estas imágenes se ven lo maravillosos que son estos lugares.
ReplyDeleteFeliz fin de semana!
Querida Ventana de Foto,
DeleteSí, es el entorno natural más espectacular y una rica cultura creada por personas mayores de los siglos con una tradición religiosa muy rica también. Funcionó edificando para nuestras almas.
Abrazos,
Mariette
Hi Mariette! Really wide river. Interesting boat trip. Have a nice weekend
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYes, very wide at that point and we both were very much surprised by the Danube River, the longest one in Europa after the Volga.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a great post. That fortress is amazing from above!
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteYes from above it is quite amazing and I wish we could have seen it like that when being there...
Hugs,
Mariette
It's a very scenic sailing indeed! I enjoyed all your photos. Beautiful buildings and landscape! How interesting you travel different time zones in one sailing :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful new week, Mariette xo
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteOh, that was so spectacular with the best views and the weather was perfect all seven days that we were on the river! Funny indeed if suddenly they change one hour in more or less the same location!
Hugs,
Mariette
What a marvelous trip. That rock carving is very cool. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteYes dear, that sure was a most marvelous part of the trip!
DeleteWe enjoyed it then and even more so now, reliving all those fond memories...
Hugs,
Mariette
Glad to know that biodiversity has been preserved. The carved face in the mountain is amazing! I have a friend here from Romania so am really hoping to visit there one day.
ReplyDeleteDearest Tammy,
DeleteYes, this was all very positive to learn about and to read more in depth how they handled this beautiful stretch of the River Danube.
You will be able to visit there, especially from your location it is close.
Hugs,
Mariette