The Carpathian Reservoir
The Carpathians are the kingdom of the brown bear. Romania is Europe's largest bear country, with around 6,000 bears. This omnivore feeds mainly on berries, fruit, seeds, grasses and roots (80% of its diet). It also eats other animals, mainly insects and small mammals. Sometimes larger ones, such as deer, if the opportunity arises. In autumn, they gorge themselves to build up solid reserves. This is especially vital for females, who give birth in the middle of winter. At the end of autumn, the brown bear retires to its den and slows down its activity until spring: rather than hibernation, it's "winter sleep". The plantigrade, which is mainly active at night, leads a solitary life, avoiding other bears as much as possible outside the breeding season. The cubs, on the other hand, stay with their mother for around two years. Thanks to their enormous sickle-shaped claws, brown bears can climb trees and dig in the earth. But don't be fooled by its clumsy appearance: it can go very fast!
The number of wolves(lup) is estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000, i.e. around a quarter of the European population. They live in packs in the most remote parts of the forest, but hunt wherever they find food: in the hills, in the pastures... They feed mainly on roe deer and wild boar. In winter, when they run out of food, they may (but rarely) attack livestock. However, the chances of encountering one are slim: wolves are very afraid of humans and shun them.
The same is true of the lynx(râs), even more shy and discreet. This solitary animal hunts silently, taking deer, small mammals and birds by surprise. Europe's largest cat, they number between 1,200 and 1,500, representing 12% to 16% of the European population. High on its feet, the lynx can be recognized by its sideburns and the tuft of black hair at the tip of its ears.
The cohabitation between these predators and the population, which has never been interrupted, is less conflictual than in France. In recent years, however, tensions have risen around the bear. In the countryside, and even in towns (in Brașov in particular, where concentrations are very high), residents are regularly confronted by the plantigrades, who come to feed in garbage cans or, sometimes, attack livestock on farms themselves. Several dozen people have been injured in recent years. At the end of 2023, the Senate even passed a law allowing hunters who have paid a special fee to shoot bears, up to a limit of 500 in all (55 of them in towns in search of food, the rest in their natural habitat). The adoption of this law speaks volumes about the frustration of a section of the rural population. Ecologists, on the other hand, point to the reduction in the bears' habitat and their larder, poor waste management and the bad habits instilled by tourists who enjoy feeding them.
This bear is not a carnivore, but just as mythical: very present in Romanian legends and imagination, the bison(zimbru) had disappeared from the country for two centuries. In recent years, several dozen individuals have been reintroduced to the wild, mainly in the Țarcu mountains, south-west of the Carpathians. With its large head and broad chest, this herbivorous colossus can measure over 2 meters and weigh 1 tonne, making it the largest land mammal on the continent. It is one of those species that have a great influence on their environment: for example, it helps to maintain diversity in meadows by grazing on the most common grasses, freeing up space for the rarest.
The Carpathians are also home to numerous deer, roe deer and wild boar, as well as birds such as the capercaillie and the Ural owl, and amphibians such as the transylvanian newt and the salamander. The thousands of limestone caves in the Carpathians are home to a wide variety of bats(lilieci). Insects include the Alpine rosalia, a beautiful blue insect with long antennae, and the apollo, a large butterfly with white wings decorated with small black and red patterns. High above the forests, you'll find chamois, marmots (reintroduced), golden eagles, ravens and vipers.
On the plains, a variety of ecosystems
Further down, in the plains and forest steppes of Dobrogea, Moldavia and the south of the country, you'll find a wide variety of small mammals (martens, hares, polecats, weasels, wildcats...) and other rodents, such as the endemic Romanian hamster. In winter, the snow-covered plain is marked by numerous animal trails. All these species can be seen on forest edges, in copses and hedgerows surrounding fields and meadows in isolated rural areas. In villages, many storks nest on top of chimneys or electricity poles. The southern plains are also home to partridges, pheasants, mantled crows and passerines.
An open-air farm
Domestic animals are omnipresent in villages. Sheep, cows, horses, pigs, chickens and other fowl often roam freely, brightening up the countryside. Here and there you'll come across flocks of sheep crossing the road, groups of geese criss-crossing the villages, a cow trotting along the roadside, brought in from pasture..
The Danube Delta, a bird's paradise
At the crossroads of multiple migratory routes, the Danube Delta is a mecca for ornithologists, home to over 300 species of birds. Some come here to spend the winter, others to nest in summer. Others stop off to rest and feed. In the maze of canals and lakes that form the delta, among the reeds and trees, you'll marvel at the incessant ballet of herons, shelducks, swans, egrets, spoonbills and grebes as they splash and soar before your very eyes. Not forgetting, of course, the pelicans, symbols of the area. Here, they form Europe's largest colony, with over 2,500 pairs of common white pelicans, plus around a hundred curly pelicans. They arrive in early spring to nest and leave in late summer. You'll also spot kingfishers, pygmy cormorants (60% of the world population), pretty red-necked geese (50%), marsh harriers, white-tailed eagles..
Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1991, the delta boasts an extraordinary biodiversity of birds, otters, tree frogs, foxes, wild boar, roe deer, snakes, dragonflies... It is also one of the last refuges of the European mink. In recent years, the beaver has made a comeback and the invasive golden jackal is proliferating. Wild horses roam freely.
The sturgeon, dean of rivers
This same delta is home to one of the oldest animal species on the planet: the sturgeon(sturion) appeared some 200 million years ago, at the same time as the dinosaurs! Devoid of scales and recognizable by its pointed snout, this fascinating migratory fish can reach several meters in length. Coveted for its eggs, from which caviar is produced, it is a victim of overfishing, poaching and river degradation. Seriously threatened with extinction, its fishing has been banned since 2006, and its breeding is developing.
The delta is home to around a hundred other species of fish: catfish, carp, perch, pike, pike-perch, shad, etc. Many of these species can be found in the many lakes, rivers and streams that criss-cross the country. The trout, which once populated them in great numbers, has also suffered from poaching and the transformation of natural environments. As for the Black Sea, turbot, mackerel and horse mackerel are all caught here.
Our tips for observing them
The excellent Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum in Bucharest displays specimens of the country's main species, stuffed and inserted in dioramas recreating their natural environment. The aquarium at Tulcea 's ecotourism museum features fish from the delta. The sturgeon tank is absolutely captivating.
To explore the Danube delta and observe its birds, you'll need the services of a guide. We recommend you avoid speedboats and opt for tours accompanied by an ornithologist, otherwise the outing will be meaningless. Escape travel and Wild travel, based in Tulcea, are two good choices.
Observing large carnivores is obviously more complicated. But not impossible: several ecotourism agencies offer hikes following their tracks. We particularly recommend Absolute Carpathian and Carpathian Nature Tours. You may be lucky enough to catch a rare glimpse of a lynx or wolf.
Bears are a little less shy: it's easily possible to see them at one of the many observatories run by forest rangers, mainly around Brașov. In fact, for some years now, to prevent them from going down to town to scavenge, the rangers have been dropping cookies, corn or bread at the foot of these huts. For a fee of up to €60, you can contemplate this fascinating feast of plantigrades. You'll need to go through one of the agencies mentioned above.
You can also observe bears in semi-liberty at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zărnești: this 69-hectare sanctuary is home to around a hundred bears rescued from captivity. Indeed, until the mid-2000s, it was not uncommon to come across bears locked up or chained up, to bait tourists.
It's also more likely to come across a bear while hiking in the forest or even in nearby urban areas. Be aware that bears are not interested in your flesh and are generally not aggressive. However, they may attack if frightened, if challenged or if a mother bear is with her cubs. Avoid shouting and sudden gestures, back away slowly and give it room to run away. When hiking, stay on marked trails. Be especially wary at the end of the day: that's when they wake up. And of course, don't feed them!
Finally, for the bison, contact the association Măgura Zimbrilor d'Armeniș (AMZA), a village in the Țarcu mountains: this is where many of them have been reintroduced. AMZA invites you to follow in their footsteps.
Exceptional forests
2,000 years ago, forests(pădure) covered 70-80% of Romania. But in the plains and foothills, where major forest clearance was carried out, particularly in the 19th century, it gave way to crops. Virtually all that remains are mountain forests and, to a lesser extent, hill forests. Today, they cover around 27% of the country's surface area, or more than 6 million hectares. Since the Revolution, they have suffered from massive illegal logging.
At the crossroads of several climatic influences, Romania boasts a wide variety of trees. At higher altitudes, the main softwoods (pines, spruces, larches, firs, etc.) outnumber beeches. The woods of the hills and plains are made up of deciduous trees (oak, lime, hornbeam, elm, ash...). The country also boasts many of Europe's last virgin forests: they still occupy over 200,000 ha, 24,000 of which have been listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites since 2017. Having appeared 10,000 years ago and never been exploited by man, they constitute an invaluable refuge for biodiversity. Mainly populated by beech trees, you can come across gigantic trees several centuries old, dead trunks invested by fungi and moss, rare flowers... We particularly recommend the Cozia forest, in the Olt valley, and the Slătioara forest, in Bucovina, with its marked trails. Beware of wild animals, however, and it's best to go with an experienced guide.
Other remarkable forests are those of Letea and Caraorman, in the Danube delta, which have grown up on sandbanks. Bordered by dunes, they are reminiscent of jungles, with their trees colonized by creepers and Virginia creeper. Oak trees have taken on strange shapes over the centuries. Poplars, ashes, elms, silver willows, wild apple trees, rushes and horsetail complete this luxuriant vegetation.
A profusion of plants
Romania also abounds in wild plants and flowers. Their representation is commonplace in crafts: ceramics and costumes are often decorated with floral motifs.
In spring, take a walk and you'll discover a wealth of mountain flora: edelweiss, Jupiter's helmets, Venus's hooves, rhododendrons, bellflowers, gentians... These flowers grow in great numbers in vast wilderness areas, the likes of which are rare in western Europe.
Meadows make up almost 20% of the territory, and are found in the plains, foothills and steppes. Some are covered with daffodils in bloom in April and May. These "narcissus meadows"(poiana narciselor) can be found in various parts of the country: the largest is Dumbrava Vadului, near Făgăraș, but they can also be found around Brașov, near Bistrița, in Banat, the Apuseni... Also worth mentioning: the - unique - wild lilac forest of Ponoara, in the south-west.
Remarkable endemic species include the Piatra Craiului carnation, the pink water lily that thrives on the warm waters of the spas around Oradea, and the Romanian peony, which dots the clearings of Dobrogea and Oltenia with red touches in spring. It can also be seen in the Comana Nature Park, near Bucharest.
The Danube delta, a unique environment with over 1,000 plant species (water lilies, carnivorous plants, etc.), also boasts one of the highest concentrations of reeds in the world.
Medicinal plants, of which Romania was one of the world's leading producers during the Communist era, are still widely used in grandmother's remedies (camomile, arnica, etc.). In rural areas, plants are also used in cooking, particularly in springtime: wild garlic, nettles, etc.
Several botanical gardens feature interesting sections dedicated to local flora: this is particularly true of the Iași Botanical Garden, but also of the Bucharest Botanical Garden and the Cluj-Napoca Botanical Garden.
