Beușnița Waterfall

Beușnița Waterfall is one of the most spectacular and celebrated waterfalls in Romania, located in the Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park, in the Munții Aninei, Caraș-Severin County. The name in fact refers to a succession of waterfalls formed along the course of Valea Beușniței, which flows into Pârâul Bei, a tributary of the river Nera; the largest and most impressive of these reaches a height of approximately 15 metres. The distinctive feature of these waterfalls lies in the way they were formed: they developed on a structure of calcareous tufa, a porous rock produced by the slow deposition of calcium carbonate dissolved in water. The calcium carbonate-rich water gradually encrusts any trace of vegetation it encounters, particularly moss, leading to the continuous growth of the rock ledges and producing the characteristic appearance of steps covered in greenery. The waterfalls lie within the strictly protected zone of the park, holding the status of a nature reserve and being classified as a natural monument. In the immediate vicinity there are other natural attractions of great beauty, among them Lacul Ochiul Beiului, remarkable for its intense blue-green colour, and Cascada La Văioaga, with the entire Cheile Nerei area being one of the most valuable protected natural areas in Banat. The natural setting encompasses characteristic forests and rich biodiversity, typical of the karst ecosystems of the south-western Carpathians.