Cozia

Cozia National Park is situated in Vâlcea County along the Olt River Valley in the Southern Carpathians, covering 17,100 hectares. Established in 1990, the park is named after the prominent Cozia Massif, which rises steeply from the Olt gorge to summits exceeding 1,600 meters. The Olt Valley cuts a spectacular gorge through the Southern Carpathians at this location, and the park encompasses both the limestone and crystalline massifs flanking the river. Cozia is among Romania's most ecologically significant parks due to its position at the convergence of multiple biogeographic regions and its exceptional plant diversity, including several endemic species. Cozia Monastery, a magnificent 14th-century Orthodox foundation built by Mircea the Elder, stands just outside the park boundaries.