Located approximately 17 kilometers away from Sibiu, in Gura Raului commune, ‘Iezerele Cindrelului’ stretches on almost 500 hectares surface.
Cindrel Reservation, on the northern versant of Frumoasa Plateau, near Cindrel Crest, 2,244 meters, hosts Iezerul Mare (The Big Lake) and Iezerul Mic (The small Lake) both mountain lakes and the only two glacial lakes in the area.
Iezerul Mic represents a glacial lake shaped as a rectangular, 80 meters long and almost 2 meters deep located at 1,946 meters altitude.
Iezerul Mare, one of the deepest oval glacial lakes, with a total area of ??3 hectares, is located underneath the plateau between Cindrel Peak and Frumoasa Peak at 1,999 meters altitude. Iezerul Mare is 320 meters long, 189 meters wide and 13 meters deep.
Numerous plants and vegetation coat the sharp rocky walls of the two glacial lakes, being found here over 40 species of bryophytes, thallophyte and moss. The flora is dominated by juniper, mountain peony, herbaceous flora and gramineous plants. The fauna too is well represented by a number of 29 species of birds and animals such as the chamois, bear, wolf, fox, and marten.
The first scientific research conducted in the area beneath Cindrel – Frumoasa Peak dates back in the eighteenth century and the first publications referring to the flora in this area occurred between 1846 and 1877.
The Natural Reservation ‘Iezerele Cindrelului’ has been declared a protected area since 1961.
Once you arrive in Sibiu you can also visit another natural reservation, part of the 52 salt lakes located in the popular resort of Ocna Sibiului.
34 Kilometers from Sibiu you can spend some quality time in Paltinis, one of the oldest resorts in Romania. Also, Paltinis is one of the few resorts located at the highest altitude in Romania – 1,442 meters. The resort also brags about excellent skiing conditions, equipped with seven trails accessible to all winter sports lovers.