The Iron Gates is the longest defile in Europe (134 km) offering one of the most spectaucular sceneries along the Danube. The area is included within Iron Gates Nature Park, whith the following highlights:
-Romania’s largest Hydropower Plant and Reservoir (Iron Gates I Hydropower and Navigation System);
-The highest ethnic diversity in a Romanian protected area;
-High geological diversity that might grant the statute of open-air geological museum statute;
-High biological diversity – over 1600 vegetal taxa (superior plants) and over 5200 fauna taxa;
-High vegetation associations diversity – in the Natural Park area 171 vegetation associations were identified, of which 26 are endemic for Romania and 21 of communitarian interest;
-The presence of wetlands that constitute important habitats for protected aquatic bird species;
-Marks of Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic human settlements - historical evidences of human habitation: fortresses, monasteries, churches;
-Buildings with high historical and architectural value, water mills with a unique grinding mechanism.
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