Magical Hike in Nera-Beusnita National Park to Ochiul Beiului Lake

Gail K. on 29.04.2024

our guide was Sergiu and this trip was really nice. we were looking for a day out to do some light walking in nature and he took us to some great places in the national park. he was very friendly and made sure everyone was taken care of. the trails in the forest was beautiful, the air so fresh and clean, and the lake a wonderful serene sight. and we also learned so much about Romanian history!

Donald G. on 09.09.2023

I had decided on visiting Timisoara this year because it was the European Capital of Culture. While planning this visit I decided that I wanted to experience some of the natural scenery present in the Banat area of Romania in the vicinity of Timisoara. So I chose 2 Romanian Friend tours to do this, one of these being the tour Magical Hike in Nera-Beusnita National Park. I went on the this tour on a very nice weather Saturday with Liviu, my Romanian Friend guide. Liviu was a great person to take this tour with, as he was very friendly and helpful and loves the outdoors. So we had a very pleasant day together doing several hikes in the National Park. We had very good conversation during the day and Liviu answered the questions that I had, we discussed other places in Romania that I had previously visited and the present state of the environment in Romania. We began the day with a 2 hour drive from Timisoara to Nera-Beusnita National Park, including a short stop for breakfast just outside of Oravita. When we reached the National Park, we began our first hike to reach the beautiful small lake called the Eye of the Bey. This hike was quite easy, with mostly flat terrain and took about 45 minutes to arrive at the lake. The lake being quite scenic, we spent some time there enjoying the atmosphere. We then continued our hike for another half-hour to arrive at the waterfall location. This location was also quite scenic, but due to the time of the year (late summer), there was very little water going over the falls and I had to imagine what it might be like during the spring of the year, which Liviu explained was the best time of the year to see real waterfall views here. But it was still a nice hike to get to the falls. We then retraced our steps from the falls back to the Eye of the Bey lake and to the beginning of the trail, where we were able to view a local fish hatchery close to the trail. We then drove a short distance to the Sasca Romana (Roman tunnels), believed to have been present since Roman times in this area, to explore them for a bit. Our hikes were now completed, but Liviu took a slightly different route back to Timisoara and I got to see several small villages in the area, Socolari and Iliada. I particularly enjoyed seeing the local houses and architecture in these villages and was told that while these villages are not presently as active as they once were, new activity is occuring in them because Romanians and foreigners are purchasing houses and properties and renovating them as vacation homes or cultural landmarks. This was encouraging to see. All in all, it was a great day in the rural Banat region and Liviu was a great guide to share the journey with.

Erin L. on 18.03.2023

This was a fantastic tour. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and kind and new just where to take us. Thanks for a great trip. We highly recommend it.

Laura C. on 16.09.2021

We really enjoyed Liviu! He was very personable, energetic and enthusiastic. Nera NP is not to be missed. It was an easy “hike” (more like a pleasant walk in the woods) and the “eye” is something you should not miss seeing if you’re in Romania. It’s like something out of a fairytale!

David T. on 28.09.2019

My trip to Nera-Beusnita National Park was a great day. My guide Liviu was passionate and knowledgeable about Timisoara and the Banat region. The booking process was easy as. I will definitely use Romanian Friend again.

Olimpia D. on 17.04.2019

It was an amazing tour! The nature was so beautiful and it was so much fun hiking in the forest. Liviu could always tell us interesting facts and knew a lot about the area. I will definitely go back again to the waterfalls!

Kirstin W. on 21.03.2019

The tour was very straightforward to book and everything was confirmed very quickly. We immediately received contact from our guide to explain the schedule and arrange pick up points. We had a wonderful day with Benjamin and learnt so much as he was very knowledgeable about the area and sensitive to what we preferred to do on the day, which was much appreciated. Excellent tour!