Physical Geography   The Banat Mountains Located in the south-west of Romania, this region, known better as the Banat mountainous area, stands out by its characteristic landscapes and climate. The landscape is dominated by the relief of Danube's Gorge crossed between the Banat Mountains and the extension of the Carpathians on Yugoslavian territory. The gorge is home to the famous "Iron Gates" hydroelectric power station built in co-operation with Yugoslavia. To the north of the Danube's Gorge are the Banat Mountains, with maximum heights between 700 to 1500 m. They offer spectacular landscapes especially in summer) and features such as Nera Gorge. To the east of these mountains is the Cerna Valley which flows into the Danube near the town of Orsova and makes its way between two calcareous massifs (Cernei Mountains to the north and Mehedinti Mountains to the south). This geology explains the presence of numerous gorges, waterfalls, caves and other typical phenomena for calcareous (karst) regions. On the Cerna is located the town of Baile Herculane, a beautiful Dacian-Roman settlement dating back almost 2000 years. It is a very well-known international spa resort (mostly because of the mineral water springs used for medical treatment). The Banat Mountains are located in the north of Danube's Gorge (between Bazias and Cerna). Their favourable geographical position at the south-east extremity of the country determines an important tourist location particularly as they are on main routes coming from the border areas. The high degree of tourist activity is due to the complexity of the landscape particularly the geological and structural diversity. From this point of view Banat Mountains are a real "mosaic", a petrographic synthesis of all the Carpathic chain. The Banat comprise several mountain groups. The area of Banat Mountains is 5500 km². They are a low lying mountainous block unit and contain a few mountain massifs, the highest being the Semenic Mountains (highest point 1446m) situated in the north-eastern part of the group. The variable slopes, aspects and climate of the region all combine to give conditions favourable to skiing. The Semenic Mountains are limited in the south by the Almajului Depression, which separates them from the Almajului Mountains (southern slopes bordering the Danube). They have flat peaks, with many levels, equivalent to very distinct levels of erosion, with the highest peak being 1226. To the west of these mountains there are the Locvei Mountains (highest point 730m), which extend along the northern side of the Danube. In the north, there are the Aninei Mountains, which have a very interesting relief, although they are smaller (1160m) with a surface area of 770 km². The majority of area of these mountains (660 km²) are occupied by limestone. This is the region with most developed limestone surface within the Banat Mountains. They provide a real "natural museum", in which the entire series of karst landforms can be found in all its variety and grandeur. The rivers have created an irregular relief with wild rapids, plateau's with dolines, wonderful waterfalls, caves and lakes. The most impressive are Nera Quays which are about 30 km long. There are 1024 caves in these mountains and many more undiscovered caves are supposed to be in the area. The great variety of karst landforms, relief, limestone exposure, entire series of exokarstic and endokarstic phenomena, specific vegetation, together with other characteristic features, make the karst landscape a real geographical entity in the Banats.