Măcin Mountains

Măcin Mountains National Park protects a geologically ancient and ecologically unique massif in Tulcea County, Dobrogea, southeastern Romania. Covering 11,321 hectares, the park was established in 2003 and encompasses the northernmost extension of the Balkan Ranges — the Măcin (or Greci) Mountains. The park's geological heritage is extraordinary: the Măcin Mountains contain some of Europe's oldest exposed rocks, including Precambrian crystalline basement estimated at over 550 million years old. The region's continental, semi-arid climate and geological isolation have produced a flora and fauna with strong Pontic-steppe and Mediterranean affinities, fundamentally distinct from Romania's Carpathian parks.