Decebalus is considered a national hero in Romania and has been portrayed in numerous literary works, movies, public sculptures, and other memorials.

The rock sculpture of Decebalus (Romanian: Chipul regelui dac Decebal) is a 42.9 m (141 ft) in height and 31.6 m (104 ft) in width carving in rock of the face of Decebalus (r. AD 87–106), the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania.
The sculpture was made between 1994 and 2004, on a rocky outcrop on the river Danube, at the Iron Gates, which form the border between Romania and Serbia. It is located near the city of Orșova in Romania.
It is the tallest rock relief in Europe.

The project of sculpting the colossal head of Decebalus was the brainchild of a wealthy Romanian businessman, Iosif Constantin Drăgan. In 1985, Drăgan chose the rock to be sculpted, an outcrop 128m in height located in the area of Iron Gorge, Danube. Perhaps one of the reasons Drăgan chose this site was due to the fact that the Tabula Traiana, a memorial to the Roman conquest of Dacia, was located on the opposite side of the river.
After the sculpture was completed Latin inscription was put beneath it and is: DECEBALUS REX DRAGAN FECIT, which meant “King Decebalus, made by Dragan”.
The best photographs are made while cruising if you are visiting from serbian side or from a bridge if you are already in Romania.
#InStone
#History
#Romania
#Serbia
#Danube

Sud-Vest Vacation Rentals

Change your mind
Book hotels with free cancellation
Treat yourself
Sign in to save 10% or more on thousands of hotels
Sign in
Be picky
Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check prices for these dates

In two weeks

In two months

Feb 20 - Feb 22

In three months

Mar 20 - Mar 22

In four months

Apr 17 - Apr 19

Our top choices for Sud-Vest vacation rentals

Daily buffet breakfast (RON 75 per person)

Aparthotel in Craiova

P6,909 total

includes taxes & fees

Jan 9 - Jan 10, 2026

1 bedroom, free WiFi

Aparthotel in Dubova

P5,723 total

includes taxes & fees

Dec 28 - Dec 29

Reception

Villa in Dragasani

P5,435 total

includes taxes & fees

Dec 28 - Dec 29

Private kitchen

Aparthotel in Lazaret

United States

denisa

P3,901 total

includes taxes & fees

Jan 8 - Jan 9, 2026

View all properties

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Sign up, it's free

Top Sud-Vest Hotel Reviews

Hotel Golden House

Hotel Golden House

10/10 Excellent

"Nice, old-style hotel with big rooms, a restaurant and no elevator (in the "house" - I think there is one in the tower). Friendly, helpful staff and the walk to the Christmas Market is about 15 minutes."

Find out more about Sud-Vest

Search for holiday rentals in Sud-Vest on Expedia! You can easily find your home rentals, villas, holiday apartments in Sud-Vest using one of the methods below:

View our selection of featured holiday rentals in Sud-Vest
Use the map to find apartments and other holiday homes in the Sud-Vest neighbourhood you prefer
Enter your travel dates to view the best deals on holiday rentals in Sud-Vest while they last

Look no further and take a look at our great range of rental properties in Sud-Vest!

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

All accommodation types in Sud-Vest

Go further with the Expedia app

Save on select hotels and earn double points when you book on the app. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go.

Scan the QR code with your device camera and download our app

QR code to download the app

b91e3f04-cabe-4bf3-975a-80e850a3479e32944507-af10-4583-ab61-c839e6b83ee9