Cheile Zărneștilor

Cheile Zărneștilor is a limestone gorge with vertical rock walls stretching about 2 kilometers through the mountains in Piatra Craiului National Park. In places, the walls rise more than 200 meters high, creating a narrow passage carved through the stone.

The Mare River carved these limestone formations over millions of years, creating the deep passages visible in the Carpathian landscape today. This geological process formed the distinctive rock walls that give the gorge its character.

Shepherds from nearby villages graze their flocks in the meadows surrounding the gorge, continuing a tradition that shapes how the landscape looks today. This way of working with the land is visible in the open grasslands that frame the dramatic rock walls.

Access is via a marked trail that starts at Botorog Fountain and leads through the gorge. The round trip hike takes about two hours and follows a moderately challenging path.

At certain points in the gorge, the Mare River disappears into the limestone before reappearing at the exit. This natural phenomenon shows how water moves through the rock layers in this karst landscape.