Holidays Paradise

Sunset in Rausor

On our first day in Retezat National Park, we decided to take the path to the closest glacial lake - Stevia. This lake is considered to be the most beautiful one in Retezat - a real emerald masterpiece - and we got to see it from the beginning of our trip.

The path to Stevia Lake is neither very difficult but nor quite easy. It can be made with your family (kids and wife) only if you take into consideration that it would take you the whole day for the trip towards and back from Rausor complex.

Retezat Map

So, first thing in the morning we had breakfast at Dora pension and around 8:30 we started our little adventure in the mountains. Being fully packed with various digital maps, gps, printed maps we still did not find the first entrance to the path that is marked with a red vertical line - some old maps were having a red dot as a marking for Stevia so we got on the red dot path that lead us only to a small wooden hunting cabin.

Hunting Wooden Cabin

We managed to find the entrance to the path with some help from a local - the thing was that the right path coincided with another one marked with a blue cross (The Curiosity Path  - that we took on the next day).

Sun between the trees

For the first one and a half hour the road took us only deep inside the forest - the wildness feeling is very profound. Step by step we got more and more into the woods - at every turn we were expecting to see the “finish line” but our hopes were in vain. The trees don’t give up so easily and the climbing gets more difficult as we approach the “Condor Shelter”. We were expecting for some resting place but instead we got the remainings of the shelter that burned down some years ago. So we moved on…

From here the trees are getting smaller and smaller letting the junipers to play their parts into the nature. The path goes upwards besides the Stevia small river right through the one-man-tall junipers.

At some point it gets more difficult - the path is not marked as good as it was through the forest - the red vertical line can be seen on the rocks but sometimes you have to go by the instinct. A good help can be the sight of the small group of rocks gathered by people for signaling the right way. And on many parts the path goes right on the rocks - you literally have to climb them one by one, choosing the right rock to jump on and the right direction to go to.

All I have to say now is that all the effort we made was worth it - the final destination, Stevia Lake, was reached after a three hours journey. The view around the lake is quite breathtaking - it seems to be taken from a paradise world. The lake is surrounded by the high picks of Retezat Mountains leaving only one way to get out of there - and that’s the way the glacier took when it melt a long time ago forming a beautiful glacial valley. The remained water formed this 0.7ha glacial lake that has 10 meters deep at 2070 meters height. Its water has an amazing clarity and beautiful emerald colour - some trouts consider this lake as their home, not being disturbed by anyone at all.

After two hours of contemplating these beautiful sights we decided to get back already thinking at the dinner ahead of us. We took the same path back to Rausor complex and find it of the same difficulty as in climbing it. But we still got enough time to enjoy the nature at its best representation.

I’ll leave you now exploring the nature through the pictures I’ve taken, being confident that I convinced you to come and see the beauty in reality.

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