Another fabulous attraction of Caraș county lies in the south of the Anina Mountains, in Cheile Nerei and Beușnița National Park. It is Ochiul Bei, an incredible lake with clear water where you can even see the fish( trout) swimming.
The lake can be reached on foot, if you walk on Bei watercourse on a side and a forest of firs on the other side. The walk to the lake, dominated by the clear water and the lush vegetation is a pleasure,as well.
The lake has got 284 metres square and it is 3.6 metres deep and it is situated at an altitude of 310 metres . Its so unique colour is given by an intermittent , karst, limestone underground spring which assures a constant temperature of 4-8 degrees Celsius. Due to this , the lake does not freeze, being a perfect environment for the wild ducks and the grey heron, which would stay here without leaving for warmer places during the winters. The blue green colour is due to the light reflecting on the lake bed sediments and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the water.
The name of Ochiu Bei ( meaning bey ‘ s eye) has its origin in a legend. A bey is a Turkish leader. Legend says that the son of a wealthy bey fell in love with a poor girl, whose father was a shepard. The bey was against this love, so his son decided to take his life and he has turned into Ochiu Bei lake. It seems that Beușnița river ,which is nearby, is actually the girl who also took her life in painful sorrow, after seeing her lover, dead.
Beușnița waterfalls are also reachable from the lake. In the periods of the year when the waterfalls are out of water or have got just little amounts, people can climb on the waterfalls covered in moss. However, be careful because the moss can sometimes be slippery or even unstable!
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