DESCRIPTION
This trail is for all tourists or visitors, with an average level of difficulty. This trail’s point of departure is Greci village, continuing through the park on Racova Valley, climbing up the Dealul cu Drum towards Cartalu Peak. Then it passes this on the right side, climbing down on a cusp to Ditcova Valley, tracing a horseshoe with an exit towards the steppe pasture that lies in the foothills of the mountains, and continuing along the park’s boundary up until its entry.
The Carabalu trail highlights the differences between the great types of habitats in the park, between the areas where human activity is scarce and the inhabited areas, where granite exploitation took place in the past.
European significant flora and fauna species can be observed, like catchfly (Siliene compacta), iris (Iris sintenisii), dwarf dianthus (Dianthus nardiformis), Iberic turtle (Testudo graeca ibera), Dobrogea lizard (Lacerta trilineata), four-lined snake – Dobrogea dragon (Elaphe quatorlineata). Munții Măcinului National Park’s administration can provide guidance, using the “blue circle” trail, with a duration of about 3-4 hours with interpretation.
Point 1:
As the trail’s first point, we have prepared a few general guidelines for you: a short history of the Dobrogea area and a few pieces of information about Măcinului area, and its amazing landscapes. At this point, you can rest on a bench, in the refreshing shade of a tree, before moving on.
Point 2:
You can discover how a tree can adapt to Dobrogea’s rather harsh climate: scarce rains, scorching heat, thin soil. And still, some trees are able to “break new ground” for others to thrive.
Point 3:
A short history of the evolution of the landscape awaits you in a place providing delightful views. If the sky is clear, you can see the Danube and far, far away. Also, we have included, especially for you, a short local legend the etymology of Greci.
Point 4:
Continuing the trail to point 4, you will discover a few of the secrets of the plants growing in Munții Măcinului National Park. Some of these local plants are extremely rare, and others can only be found here. To survive the drought, each plant possesses small adaptation secrets. We look forward for you to discover them!
Point 5:
Here you will find a very special part of the park: the Moroianu Reserve. Here grows an extremely wide range of flora species, some very rare and some originally coming from the remote Caucasus, Iran or even Asia Minor!
Point 6:
Part of point 6, we have prepared for you an encounter… on paper, with a few animal species inhabiting Munții Măcinului National Park. We are not sure if you will see them all along your trail but, if you pay attention to tracks and to a few clues for finding them, the odds are you may hear them or, who knows, even see them!
Point 7:
If you have reached point 7, you will learn what only a few know: rocks that are hundreds of million years old, much older than the first dinosaurs on Earth, can be found here in Măcin.
DETAILS
Length: 20 km
Difficulty: average
Trail type: hiking
Location: Munții Măcinului National Park
Starting point: Greci village, blue dot trail
Shape: circuit
Tourist information available in: English, Romanian
Condition of tourist information boards: very good
