· 5 minute read
Things to do near Gărâna: lakes, old villages and the Semenic Mountains
Gărâna is a small village in the Semenic Mountains, in Caraș-Severin county, but around it there are mountain lakes, villages founded by German settlers and a whole national park. Almost everything is less than 20 minutes by car from Cabana Craiu, and some places you can reach on foot.
Gărâna village
Gărâna was founded around 1828 by German settlers from the Bavarian Forest and southern Bohemia, who called it Wolfsberg. It sits at almost 1,000 metres, and the 2021 census counted 111 inhabitants. It was here, in the courtyard of the La Răscruce inn, that Gărâna Jazz Festival began in 1997, before it moved to Poiana Lupului.
The old village centre is a 20-30 minute walk away, a good stroll for your first morning.
Lake Trei Ape
The nearest lake is Lake Trei Ape, a reservoir at the foot of Semenic, about 6 kilometres from the house. Around it there are holiday homes and camping spots. The jazz festival organisers mention in their advice the two lakes in the area where you can swim in summer.
Brebu Nou
Brebu Nou, Weidenthal in German, is another settlers' village, at 887 metres and about 8 kilometres from the house. Its Roman Catholic church is also the jazz festival's experimental stage.
Lake Văliug and Semenic
Lake Văliug, in the Bârzava valley, is 13 kilometres away. The Semenic resort is about 11 kilometres away, with ski slopes in winter and hiking in summer. We wrote about skiing separately, in the ski guide.
Semenic–Cheile Carașului National Park
The national park starts 11 kilometres from the house and stretches to the Caraș Gorge, towards Carașova. It includes the gorge, caves such as Comarnic and wide beech forests. For trails and cave visiting conditions, check the park's website, pnscc.ro.
“The other sights in the area (Trei Ape, Brebu Nou, Semenic, Valiug etc) can be reached by car in 20 minutes at most.”
The hosts know the area well and will tell you what's worth seeing on the days you come.
Questions about the area
Details about Gărâna and Brebu Nou come from Wikipedia, festival details from garana-jazz.ro. The distances to Lake Văliug and the national park are from the house's Booking listing, the 20-30 minute walk from Lucian's review, and the other distances are by road, measured on OpenStreetMap on 13 November 2026.