Portile de Fier - the Iron Gates of the river Danube
Portile de Fier - the Iron Gates of the river Danube
The Iron Gates - a landscape along the Danube in Romania and Serbia 5.01.2010 11:11
The Iron Gates of the river Danube, a fascinating landscape between Romania and Serbia. Nearly everybody knows the name but how the Iron Gates between Drobeta- Turnu Serverin and Beograd are in reality is quite unknown.
The canyon of the danube is cut deep in the southern carpathian mountains and was by far the most difficult place for the ships on the danube. The Cazanele Mici and Cazanele Mare have been feared by the sailors through all ages. The romans chiseled even a path in the vertical rock face of the cazanele to allow the ships to go upstream.
Everything changed when Romania and Jugoslavia decided to build a dam a bit downstream of the Cazanale Mici, it was also called Portile de Fier (Iron Gates). It was a showpiece for Romania and Jugoslavia regardless of the fact that thousends of people had to move and regardless of the dramatic ecological damage. Even today between 15-20% of all energy produced in Romania comes from the Iron Gates power station.
The power station was buildt and the lake, which was created by the dam, has now the length of more than 100 km. All the same the Portile de Fier are still a stunning place at least en par with the much better known Rhein valley in Germany.
Martin Zwick spent some time at the Iron Gates, the pictures are now available in the Naturbildportal.