The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ; ) 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 aris ...
s located in southern
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
. They cover the part of the
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinav ...
located between the Prahova River in the east and the
Timiș
The Timiș or Tamiš (, , , ) is a river that flows through the Banat region of Romania and Serbia and joins the Danube near Pančevo, in northern Serbia. Due to its position in the region, it has been labeled as the "spine of the Banat".
N ...
and Cerna Rivers in the west. To the south they are bounded by the
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is located in the eastern part of the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. It then runs f ...
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 () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
, 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:
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Moldoveanu Peak
Moldoveanu Peak (, ; "Moldavian Peak"), at , is the highest mountain peak in Romania.Făgăraș Mountains
The Făgăraș Mountains ( ; ) are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania.
Geography
The mountain range is situated in the heart of Romania, at .
The range is bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through wh ...
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Negoiu
Negoiu Peak ( ; ) is a mountain peak in the Făgăraș Mountains of the Southern Carpathians, located in Sibiu County, Romania, with an elevation of .Parângu Mare, 2,519 metres –
Parâng Mountains
The Parâng Mountains (; ) are one of the highest mountain ridges in Romania and Southern Carpathians, with the highest peak, Parângu Mare, reaching 2,519 m.
Description
The Parâng Mountains are located in the south-western part of the Centr ...
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Omu Peak
Omu Peak () is a mountain peak of the Bucegi Mountains in Romania. It is located in Brașov, Dâmbovița and Prahova counties.
The top of Omu Peak is flat and sprawling. It houses a weather station and a tourist shelter (Romanian cabana) Omu ( ...
2,514 metres –
Bucegi Mountains
The Bucegi Mountains ( ) 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 Peak, Omu'' is its highest point.
To the east, the Bucegi Mountains ha ...
Retezat Mountains
The Retezat Mountains (, ) are one of the highest massifs in Romania, being part of the Southern Carpathians. The highest peak is Peleaga (Vârful Peleaga), at an altitude of . Other important peaks are Păpușa (Vârful Păpușa, "the Doll Pea ...
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
The Olt ( Romanian and Hungarian; ; or ', , ''Alytos'') is a river in Romania. It is long, and its basin area is . It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its average discharge at the mouth is . It originates in the Hă ...
) or form wide valleys (along the Prahova River Valley or along the
Jiu River
The Jiu (; ; ; ) is a river in southern Romania. It is formed near Petroșani by the confluence of headwaters Jiul de Vest and Jiul de Est.
It flows southward through the Romanian counties Hunedoara, Gorj, Mehedinți and Dolj before flowing ...
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 first of three geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma at the start of ...
sequence (Upper Carboniferous, Lower Permian) and a
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...
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.
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Bucegi Mountains group
The Bucegi Mountains ( ) 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, the Bucegi Mountains have a very ...
– between the Prahova and
Dâmbovița River Dâmbovița can refer to these places in Romania:
* Dâmbovița County
Dâmbovița County (; also spelt Dîmbovița) is a county () of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Târgoviște, the most important economic, political, administ ...
s.
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Bucegi Mountains
The Bucegi Mountains ( ) 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 Peak, Omu'' is its highest point.
To the east, the Bucegi Mountains ha ...
(''Munții Bucegi'')
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Piatra Craiului
The Piatra Craiului Mountains (, ) are a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians in Romania. Its name is translated as ''Kings' Rock'' or ''The Rock of the Prince''. The mountain range is located in Brașov County, Brașov and Argeș Coun ...
(literally: "Rock of the King")
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Leaotă Mountains
The Leaota Mountains are located in central Romania, north of the city of Târgoviște. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains, and have as neighbours the Bucegi Mountains to the east and Piatra Craiului to the ...
(''Munții Leaotă'')
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Făgăraș Mountains group
The Făgăraș mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It is named after the highest of the mountains in the group, the Făgăraș Mountains.
Boundaries
The Făgăraș group is bounded:
*in the west, by the Olt Rive ...
– between the Dâmbovița River and the Olt River.
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Făgăraș Mountains
The Făgăraș Mountains ( ; ) are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania.
Geography
The mountain range is situated in the heart of Romania, at .
The range is bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through wh ...
(''Munții Făgărașului'')
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Iezer Mountains
The Iezer Mountains () 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
The Iezer Mountains are located between th ...
(''Munții Iezer''; literally: "Mountains of the Deep Lake")
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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 C ...
(''Munții Cozia'')
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Parâng Mountains group
The Parâng () mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It is named after the highest of the mountains in the group, the Parâng Mountains.
Boundaries
The Parâng group is bounded:
*in the east, by the Olt River
*i ...
– between the Olt River and the Jiu River.
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Parâng Mountains
The Parâng Mountains (; ) are one of the highest mountain ridges in Romania and Southern Carpathians, with the highest peak, Parângu Mare, reaching 2,519 m.
Description
The Parâng Mountains are located in the south-western part of the Centr ...
(''Munții Parâng'')
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Șureanu Mountains
The Șureanu Mountains ( German: ''Mühlbacher Gebirge'', Hungarian: ''Kudzsiri-havasok''), belong to Romania's Parâng range in the Southern Carpathians, with peaks frequently exceeding .
The mountains are located north of Romania's Jiu Vall ...
(''Munții Șureanu''/''M. Sebeșului'')
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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 Transyl ...
(''Munții Cindrel''/''M. Cibinului'')
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Lotru Mountains
Lotru Mountains () are a group of mountains that are part of the Southern Carpathians mountain range, in southern Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europ ...
(''Munții Lotrului''; literally: "Mountains of the Thief")
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Căpățână Mountains Căpățână or Căpățînă is a Romanian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Chesarie Căpățână (1784–1846), Wallachian bishop
* Eugen Căpățână (born 1986), Romanian rugby union footballer
* Ion Ionescu-Căpățână ...
(''Munții Căpățânii''; literally: "Mountains of the Skull")
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Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group
The Retezat–Godeanu mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians, Romania. It is named after the highest mountains in the group, the Retezat Mountains.
Boundaries
The Retezat–Godeanu group of mountains is bounded:
*i ...
– between the Jiu River and the Timiș and Cerna Rivers.
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Retezat Mountains
The Retezat Mountains (, ) are one of the highest massifs in Romania, being part of the Southern Carpathians. The highest peak is Peleaga (Vârful Peleaga), at an altitude of . Other important peaks are Păpușa (Vârful Păpușa, "the Doll Pea ...
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, and run for approximately . The highest point is Oslea Peak at , and the second highest is ...
(''Munții Vâlcan'')
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Mehedinți Mountains
The Mehedinți Mountains () are a mountain range in southwestern Romania, part of the Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group.
The range represents the highest relief form in Mehedinți County
Mehedinți County () is a county () of Romania on the bor ...
Țarcu Mountains
The Țarcu Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Romania, at the western edge of the Southern Carpathians. They are located between the Bistra Valley (to the south), Timiș River (to the east), Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group, Godeanu Mou ...
(''Munții Țarcu''; literally: "Pen Mountains").
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Poiana Ruscă Mountains
The Poiana Ruscă Mountains (part of the Western Carpathians) are a Carpathian mountain range in western Romania. The mountains are situated roughly south of the Mureș River, northeast of the Timiș River, and west of the Strei River. The Beg ...
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
See also
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Romanian Carpathians
The Romanian Carpathians () are a section of the Carpathian Mountains, within the borders of modern Romania. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of the Alps-Himalaya System and are further divided into "provinces" and "subprovinces".
This is an ...
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Divisions of the Carpathians
Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian mountains system.
Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of a bigger Alps-Himalaya S ...
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Iron Gates
The Iron Gates (; ; ; 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 route of ; in the narrow sense it only ...
, at the South-Western end
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Prahova Valley
Prahova Valley (Romanian: ''Valea Prahovei'') is the valley where the Prahova river makes its way between the Bucegi and the Baiu Mountains, in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. It is a tourist region, situated about north of the capital c ...