The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ro, Carpații Meridionali ; hu, Déli-Kárpátok) are a group of
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...
s located in southern
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. They cover the part of the
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretche ...
located between the
Prahova River
The Prahova is a river of Southern Romania, which rises from the Bucegi Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians. It is a left tributary of the Ialomița. It flows into the Ialomița in Dridu Snagov.Timiș and Cerna Rivers in the west. To the south they are bounded by the Balkan mountain range in eastern Serbia.
Heights
The Southern Carpathians are the second highest group of mountains in the Carpathian Mountain range (after Tatra), reaching heights of over 2,500 meters. Although considerably smaller than the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, they are classified as having an alpine landscape. Their high mountain character, combined with great accessibility, makes them popular with tourists and scientists.
The highest peaks are:
* Moldoveanu Peak, 2,544 metres – Făgăraș Mountains
* Negoiu, 2,535 metres – Făgăraș Mountains
* Parângu Mare, 2,519 metres – Parâng Mountains
* Omu Peak 2,514 metres –
Bucegi Mountains
The Bucegi Mountains ( Romanian: ''Munții Bucegi'' ) are located in central Romania, south of the city of Brașov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains. At , '' Omu'' is its highest point.
To the east, th ...
*
Peleaga
Peleaga (Vârful Peleaga) is a mountain in Romania. It is the highest point in the Retezat Mountains with a summit elevation of above sea level.Retezat Mountains
Despite the heights, some of the most accessible passages in the Carpathians in Romania are along the rivers, which cross the mountain range (the Olt River) or form wide valleys (along the
Prahova River
The Prahova is a river of Southern Romania, which rises from the Bucegi Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians. It is a left tributary of the Ialomița. It flows into the Ialomița in Dridu Snagov.Jiu River Valley).
Geology
The South Carpathians represent an intricate pile of tectonic nappes, overthrusted from west eastwards during the Austrian (Middle Cretaceous) and Laramian paroxysmal phases, corresponding to various plate fragments. The napes are (from west eastwards): the Supragetic, Getic, Severin and Danubian Units. The Getic Nappe was identified by Murgoci (1905), while the general understanding over the Alpine structure of the South Carpathians was later refined by Codarcea (1940), Codarcea et al. (1961), Năstăseanu et al. (1981), Săndulescu (1984), Săndulescu and Dimitrescu (2004), and Mutihac (1990). The first to apply the global tectonics concepts for the Romanian Carpathians were Rădulescu and Săndulescu (1973).Rădulescu, D. and Săndulescu, M., 1973. The plate-tectonics concept and the geological structure of the Carpathians. Tectonophysics, 16: 155–161.
The Supragetic, Getic Nappes as well as the Danubian Units represent units with both a metamorphic basement and a sedimentary cover, while the Severin Nappe includes only a sedimentary sequence. The Getic Nappe and the Danubian Units sediments include a
Palaeozoic
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and '' ...
sequence (Upper Carboniferous, Lower Permian) and a
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretace ...
sequence (Lowermost Jurassic – Middle Cretaceous). The Supragetic Nappe comprises mainly metamorphosed rocks (gneisses, micashists), while the Severin Nappe includes only Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous sediments.
Mountain ranges
From east to west, four mountain groups can be identified, separated by different river valleys.
* Bucegi Mountains group – between the Prahova and Dâmbovița Rivers.
**
Bucegi Mountains
The Bucegi Mountains ( Romanian: ''Munții Bucegi'' ) are located in central Romania, south of the city of Brașov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains. At , '' Omu'' is its highest point.
To the east, th ...
Iezer Mountains
The Iezer Mountains ( ro, Munții Iezer / Munții Iezer-Păpușa) are a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians in Romania. It is part of the Făgăraș Mountains group. Its total area is . Its highest elevation is , at Roșu Peak.
Location
...
(''Munții Iezer''; literally: "Mountains of the Deep Lake")
**
Cozia Mountains Cozia may refer to several places in Romania:
*Cozia Monastery, Vâlcea County
* Cozia Mountains, Vâlcea County
*Cozia National Park, Vâlcea County
* Cozia, a village in Cornereva Commune, Caraș-Severin County
* Cozia, a village in Cârjiți Co ...
Cindrel Mountains
Cindrel Mountains (also known as Cândrel Mountains, Cibin Mountains, or the Szeben Alps) are a group of mountains in central Romania in the centre of the Southern Carpathians, in the North-East of the Parâng Mountains group.
From the Transylva ...
(''Munții Cindrel''/''M. Cibinului'')
** Lotru Mountains (''Munții Lotrului''; literally: "Mountains of the Thief")
** Căpățână Mountains (''Munții Căpățânii''; literally: "Mountains of the Skull")
* Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group – between the Jiu River and the Timiș and Cerna Rivers.
** Retezat Mountains (''Munții Retezat''; literally: "Hewed Mountains")
** Godeanu Mountains (''Munții Godeanu'')
**
Vâlcan Mountains
The Vâlcan Mountains are a chain of mountains in the Southern Carpathians in Gorj County, Romania. They are part of the Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group. They run for approximately and the highest peak is the Vâlcan Peak at . The mountains run th ...
Cerna Mountains
Cerna may refer to:
Populated places
* Cerna, Croatia, Vukovar-Syrmia County, Croatia
* Černá (Žďár nad Sázavou District), Czech Republic
* Černá, Semily District, Czech Republic
* Cerna, Tulcea, Romania
* A village in Vaideeni Commune, ...
(''Munții Cernei'')
** Țarcu Mountains (''Munții Țarcu''; literally: "Pen Mountains").
* Poiana Ruscă Mountains
The first two groups are steepest on the North side, and the last two are steepest on the South side.
Gallery
File:Muntii Bucegi vazuti de pe Postavaru.jpg, Bucegi as seen from Postavaru massif
File:Caraiman Cross on Bucegi mountain top.jpg, Caraiman Cross on mountain top
File:Bucegi.jpg, Coștila 400 meters high wall
File:Caraiman summit.JPG, View from Bușteni
File:Vf-scara4.jpg, Scara summit in Bucegi Mountains
File:Bucegi Sphinx, Romania.jpg, The Sphinx of Bucegi
File:01 Magura, Romania - Piatra Craiului mountains.jpg, Piatra Craiului Mountains
File:Bucegi jepiimici.JPG, Jepii Mici Peak in Bucegi Mountains
File:BaleaLac4.jpg, Lake Bâlea in Făgăraș Mountains
File:Detaliu Custura Saratii.jpg, Challenging hiking trail
File:Lake Podragu.jpg, Podragu Lake
File:Transfagarasan twisty road.jpg, Transfăgărășan alpine road
File:Gory Fogaraskie (Fagaras Mountains) 67.jpg, Regular footpath in Făgăraș Mountains
File:Custura Saratii.jpg, Custura Sărătii (in the center of the photo)
File:La Zaplaz, Piatra Craiului.jpg, La Zaplaz landmark
File:Zarnesti.JPG, Piatra Craiului ridge in winter
File:Parang-21.jpg, Landscape in Parâng Mountains
File:Parang mountain image 1.jpg, Parâng alpine scenery
File:Parang-38.jpg, Shelter in Parâng mountains
File:Parang-32.jpg, One of many Parâng glacial lakes
File:Jezera v pohoří Retezat.jpg, Glacial lakes in the Retezat Mountains
File:Retezat-VfBucura.jpg, Bucura Peak in the distance
File:Retezat Mountain - Retezat Peak 04.JPG, Sunset on Retezat Peak
File:Chata u Bucury.jpg, Salvamont shelter in Retezat
File:Retezat Mountain - Spring Waterfall 02.JPG, Waterfall in Retezat National Park
File:Lacul Bucura.jpg, Bucura Lake
Iron Gates
The Iron Gates ( ro, Porțile de Fier; sr, / or / ; Hungarian: ''Vaskapu-szoros'') is a gorge on the river Danube. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia (to the south) and Romania (north). In the broad sense it encompasses a ...
, at the South-Western end
* Prahova Valley, at the Eastern end