7 days
behind the wheel, Banat loop
≈ 600 km
Timișoara–Recaș–Buziaș–Caraș–Danube
3 wine cellars
Recaș, Buziaș, and one in the mountains
2 Danube gorges
Cazane and the Iron Gates
Day one
Timișoara, the flat start
You land in a city built on a swamp, drained in the 18th century, and you can still feel it: the air is heavy in July, the Bega canal moves slowly, and the squares are wide because the Habsburgs liked to see who was coming. Today is for the centre, not the motorway. Leave the car where you sleep; everything here is a tram ride or a twenty-minute walk.
09:00
Piața Victoriei and the Opera
Start at the bottom of the square, by the Orthodox cathedral with its green and gold roofs. Walk up past the Opera house — the building is 1875, rebuilt after a fire, and the acoustics are better than the façade suggests. The square is treeless and bakes by midday, so do it now.
Free
10:30
Piața Unirii and the Roman Catholic Dome
The old core, baroque, with the Serbian Orthodox church on one side and the Catholic Dome on the other. In 1989 the protests started here; there is a small memorial on the south side. Look up at the plague column in the middle — 1740, and the inscription is in Latin.
Free
12:30
Lunch in Piața Traian
Cross the Bega to Fabric, the old industrial quarter. Piața Traian is quieter, the buildings are seamier, and the food is cheaper. A bowl of ciorbă and a plate of mici will cost you less than a main course in Victoriei.
about 35 lei
15:00
Bega embankment and the Maria Theresia bridge
Walk the canal path east. The water is not clean enough for swimming but it is lined with willows and people fishing. The bridge at Podul Mitropoliei has a good view back at the city.
Free
19:00
Dinner in Iosefin
The old Josefstadt quarter, once German and Hungarian, now mixed. There are a few courtyards turned into gardens in summer. Order paprikás csirke or a plate of pasta; the local wine list is short but the Recaș whites are there.
about 60 lei
Day two
Recaș wine, a short drive east
Recaș is 25 km east of Timișoara, a straight road through maize and sunflower fields. The wine here has been made since the 15th century, but the modern cellars are 20th-century and the tasting rooms are businesslike rather than romantic. You need to book ahead for most of them. Today is short on kilometres and long on glasses.
09:30
Drive to Recaș
Take DN6 towards Lugoj. The road is busy with lorries but the distance is short. Park in the village centre; the cellars are signposted.
Free
10:00
Recaș wine cellar, first tasting
The main cellar does tours of the old tunnels and a tasting of six wines. The Fetească Regală and the Sauvignon Blanc are the reliable ones; the reds are heavier. Book in advance by phone or email.
about 60 lei
12:30
Lunch at a village restaurant
There is not much in Recaș itself — a couple of simple places near the church. Expect grilled meats, pickles, and bread. Do not expect a menu in English.
about 40 lei
14:00
Second cellar, a smaller producer
Several family wineries around Recaș open by appointment. Ask at the first cellar for a recommendation; they know who is pouring that week. The smaller places often have better white wines and worse toilets.
about 40 lei
17:00
Return to Timișoara
Drive back before the evening lorry traffic. If you have time, stop at the Recaș monastery ruins, a few hundred metres off the main road — 14th-century foundations, mostly grass now.
Free
Day three
Buziaș, the old spa
Buziaș is 35 km east of Timișoara, a small town that was once a Habsburg spa. The mineral springs are still there, the park is still there, but the grand hotels are shabby and half-empty. Come for the walk and the water, not for glamour. The drive is easy on DN6, then a turn north.
09:00
Drive to Buziaș
About 40 minutes from Timișoara. The road passes through Recaș again; you can combine the two if you prefer a longer day. Park near the park entrance.
Free
10:00
The spa park and the mineral springs
The park is English-style, laid out in the 19th century, with old plane trees and a small lake. The mineral water is free from taps in the pavilion — it tastes of iron and sulphur. Drink a cup; it is supposed to be good for you, but it is an acquired taste.
Free
12:00
Lunch in the town centre
There are a few restaurants around the park, serving Romanian and Hungarian standards. The food is plain but cheap. Try the local plum brandy if you are not driving afterwards.
about 30 lei
14:00
Walk to the old Jewish cemetery
Up the hill behind the park, a small and overgrown cemetery from the 19th century. It is not maintained, but the stones are legible and the view back over the town is good. Be respectful; it is not a tourist site.
Free
16:00
Drive on to Lugoj
If you are heading to the mountains tomorrow, push on to Lugoj (30 km east) and sleep there. Lugoj is a small city on the Timiș river, with a decent square and a couple of hotels. If you prefer, return to Timișoara for the night.
Free
Day four
Into the Caraș-Severin mountains
From Lugoj or Timișoara, head south-east on DN6 to Caransebeș, then turn south on DN58 towards the Semenic mountains. The land rises quickly: beech forests, small farms, and villages that are half-empty. This is the poorest part of Romania, and it shows. The roads are narrow and sometimes broken; drive carefully.
08:30
Drive to Caransebeș
About 90 minutes from Timișoara, an hour from Lugoj. Caransebeș is a market town with a good bakery near the bus station. Stock up on bread, cheese, and fruit; mountain shops are limited.
Free
11:00
Turn south to Văliug
DN58 climbs through the valley of the Bistra. The road is winding but sealed. Văliug is a small resort by a reservoir, popular with fishermen and weekenders from Timișoara. The water is cold and clean.
Free
13:00
Lunch by the reservoir
There are a few trout restaurants along the lake. The fish is fresh and grilled simply, with polenta. Expect to pay more than in the plains because it is a resort.
about 50 lei
15:00
Walk in the Semenic National Park
From Văliug you can drive up to the Semenic ski resort (another 10 km). In summer the lifts are closed but the trails are marked. A two-hour loop through the beech forest is enough. Take water; the springs are not reliable.
Free
18:00
Sleep in Văliug or Semenic
There are small guesthouses in Văliug and a larger, uglier hotel at Semenic. Both are cheap. The guesthouses are better value but book ahead in August.
about 120 lei
Day five
Down to the Danube
From the mountains, drop south to the Danube at Orșova. The road (DN6 then DN57) is one of the most scenic in Romania, following the Cerna valley and then the river. It is also slow: lorries, curves, and occasional landslides. Allow four hours for 150 km. The reward is the Danube, wide and grey-green, with Serbia on the far bank.
08:00
Leave Văliug
Retrace to Caransebeș, then take DN6 south to Orșova. The first hour is through the mountains; the second is along the Cerna valley, with tunnels and viaducts.
Free
11:00
Stop at Băile Herculane
A faded Habsburg spa on the Cerna river. The old hotels are grand and crumbling; the springs still flow. Walk the promenade and look at the abandoned casino. It is sad and beautiful, but do not expect a coffee to be easy to find.
Free
13:00
Lunch in Orșova
Orșova is a port town, rebuilt in the 1960s when the Iron Gates dam raised the river. The old town is under water. Eat grilled fish by the harbour; it is fresh and cheap.
about 45 lei
15:00
Drive the Danube gorge
The road from Orșova to Drobeta-Turnu Severin runs along the river through the Cazane gorge. There are viewpoints and small monasteries cut into the rock. Stop at Mraconia for the rock sculpture of Decebalus, the Dacian king — it is 40 metres high and faces Serbia.
Free
18:00
Sleep in Drobeta-Turnu Severin
A city with a Roman past and a communist present. Hotels are functional and cheap. The riverfront is pleasant in the evening. This is the best base for the Iron Gates.
about 150 lei
Day six
Iron Gates and back north
The Iron Gates are the narrowest point of the Danube, where the Carpathians meet the Balkans. The dam is at Kladovo, and the locks are busy with barges. You can drive up the Serbian side (if you have the papers) or stay on the Romanian side. Today is a half-day of river, then a long drive north to Timișoara.
09:00
Iron Gates dam and locks
The dam is 15 km downstream from Drobeta. There is a viewpoint on the Romanian side, and a small museum. The scale is impressive: two power stations, one on each bank. You cannot cross without a passport and a visa for Serbia.
Free
11:00
Boat trip on the Danube
Small boats run from Drobeta or from Orșova, depending on the day. An hour on the water gives you the gorge from below. It is not cheap and the boats are basic, but it is the only way to see the cliffs properly.
about 80 lei
13:00
Lunch in Drobeta
Back in the city, eat at one of the riverside places. The menu is fish and grilled meat. Service is slow, so do not be in a hurry.
about 40 lei
15:00
Drive north to Timișoara
Take DN6 north via Lugoj. It is 220 km and takes about four hours with a stop. The road is straight and boring after the mountains; watch for horse carts at dusk.
Free
19:30
Arrive in Timișoara
You are back in the flat city. Park the car and walk to Piața Victoriei for a drink. The fountains are lit at night in summer.
Free
Day seven
Timișoara again, slower
You have seen the loop. Today is for the parts of the city you missed: the museums, the markets, the tram to the outskirts. Do not drive; the trams are cheap and the centre is walkable. If it is hot, stay near the canal. If it is winter, the fog sits on the city and the museums are a good place to be.
09:00
Piața Libertății and the military buildings
The square behind Victoriei, with the old garrison and the military casino. The buildings are Habsburg, heavy and yellow. The square is quiet in the morning.
Free
10:30
Timișoara Art Museum
In the old Huniade castle, rebuilt in the 18th century. The collection is small and uneven, but the building is interesting and the entry is cheap. It is shabby in places; do not expect the Prado.
12 lei
12:30
Lunch at the Piața Badea Cârțan market
The main market hall, near the centre. Buy cheese, salami, and vegetables for a picnic, or eat at one of the small stalls. The paprika and the honey are good souvenirs.
about 25 lei
14:30
Tram ride to Fabric and back
Take tram 1 or 2 along the Bega. The route goes through the old industrial quarters, past factories and workers' housing. It is not pretty, but it is the real city. A ticket is valid for one hour.
4 lei
17:00
Botanical Garden
On the north side of the city, near the university. It is small but well kept, with a rose garden and a greenhouse. In summer it is a good place to sit in the shade.
5 lei
19:30
Farewell dinner
Book a table in Piața Unirii or on the Bega. Try the local șnițel or a plate of stuffed peppers. Drink a glass of Recaș wine and call it a week.
about 70 lei
What three days cost, per person
Car hire, 7 days, compact about EUR 200 Fuel, 600 km about 250 lei Accommodation, 6 nights, mid-range about 700 lei Food and drink, 7 days about 700 lei Wine tastings and entries about 150 lei Total, per person (two sharing) about EUR 600 Two people sharing a €55 double, eating where locals eat, one theatre ticket each. September 2026.Next
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