The Semenic Mountains are a part of the southern group of the Occidental
Carpathians, culminating with the Piatra Goznei Peak (1447 m) and the Semenic
Peak (1445 m) and representing an important hydrographical knot – ,,the water
castle of Banat” – from which Timis, Nera, Barzava and others spring. As to
their geological make-up, we can separate two crystalline areas: the Minis area
and the Sebes area. The relief descends from the north of the Semenic Peak until
the Nemanu Mare Peak (1122 m). In the area where the Timis springs are located
is the Garana depression, formed through differential erosion. In these
mountains we don’t find any glacial traces, only the effect of preglacial
moulding, nival depressions, soil wavings and pyramidal peaks. Besides the
Semenic Mountains, in the same group, we can also find the Anina Mountains and
the Dognecea Mountains, which form the core of the Banat Mountains. This whole
mountain ensemble is an important tourist area, where a complex tourism can be
practiced. The natural reservations Semenic – Cheile Carasului and Cheile
Nerei-Beusnita, which are of great value and beauty, can be found in this area.
The Semenic Tourist Complex is found at a height of over 1400 m altitude,
between the Piatra Gozna and Semenic peaks, situated in an attractive natural
cadre, benefiting from winter-sports facilities and easy access routes. Besides
a funicular, access roads from Resita to Valiug and from Slatina Timis to Trei
Ape - Garana exist. This second road links with the Timisoara - Bucuresti
railway through Slatina-Timis, which is 20 km away on the E 70 road from
Caransebes.
The Semenic area has the advantage of a long period of snow, like on Muntele
Mic. There are quite a few places in the country, where the snow persists, even
6 months in a year. The tourists find here a ski lift and a few ski tracks, and
the Semenic resort has over 400 hosting places mostly of them being in the Gozna,
Nedeea and Semenic chalets, and in the local villas.
Near the resort on the peak, on the Slatina Timis - Semenic road, we can find
another group of chalets, at Trei Ape and Garana, where water-sports can be
practiced on the lake.
The Garana (Wolfsberg) and Brebu Nou (Weidental) villages have succeeded, from
long ago, to affirm their tourist functionality, especially in the so-called
mountain tourism, because the locals of German origin in this area rented, from
long ago, rooms for the tourists who came there; they were the first who
practiced rural tourism in the mountains in Banat. Numerous lodging houses,
which offer quality tourist services, exist there. Annually, numerous
manifestations are organized, among them being an appreciated jazz festival.
Although they are linked more to
Resita, the Semenic centre and Garana - Brebu - Trei Ape, through the repairing
of the access from Slatina - Timis, it would be a tourist core with good access
roads, with beautiful areas and sport facilities, which together with the other
areas in the county, could rival with many resorts in the country or in the
world.