Be impressed by the Râpa Roșie Canyon

Romania is an all seasons country. The part I love most about it is definitely the incredible unspoiled nature. There are so many picturesque landscapes and so much to fall in love with. I recently discovered an amazing place I want to share with you, Râpa Roșie Canyon, a place I am sure you will be impressed by.

Location 

The protected area of Râpa Roșie is located in the Alba Iulia County, four kilometers north of Sebeș, in mid-western Romania. It is located in the Fagăraș Mountains, so the canyon is surrounded by an amazing landscape of mountain and nature. It seems unreal what one could see in this panorama dated back to 60 million years ago. 

What makes this place amazing

If one has the great opportunity to visit this canyon, they will ask themselves – how does such a place even exist? The erosion and irrigation processes but also the flora with endemic and rare elements led to the appearance of this amazing location, which spreads about 800 meters. To be more specific, a torrent produced an erosion in the lower Miocene sedimentary deposit and made this landscape possible. There is an alternation of clay and gray sandstone which made the cemented formation to come into being. The scientists were so amazed, that they compared it with an ancient architectural site due to the huge vertical wall form this canyon has. This natural reserve resembles columns and pyramids. This is why this place received the surname “hairy pyramids”. One can find the canyon at an altitude between 300 and 425 meters. But at the end of the day, what makes this place special is the spectacular scenery which is visible even from the satellites as millions of red wrinkles.

Discoveries in the area

If you are already amazed by this place, this information will make it even greater. There were a lot of discoveries in the area and the most amazing one is the discovery of dinosaur fossils, like the dwarf gypsum dinosaurs, dragon bull or medium-sized pterosaur. 

This place, as amazing as it is, was also mentioned in a legend. It is said that once upon a time Lică, a local shepherd lived in this area. He was well-known for his flexible body, the locals even described him as a cat-man. And one day, a local bank was robbed, and the thief escaped through a small window, in which only a small child would fit. The police suspected Lică to be the person responsible. They arrested him and started searching for the money in the canyon. They never found any evidence, so they could only let the suspect go. But as the money was never found, some people believe it is still hidden in the canyon itself.

What to visit near this beautiful place

Râpa Roșie Canyon is not far from Alba Carolina Citadel, and you can even encounter the Romanian Dacians at Sarmizegetuza Regia. No matter where your journey leads you next, I have no doubt that you will be impressed by Râpa Roșie Canyon.