▁ ▁The ▁Southern ▁Car path ians ▁offer ▁the ▁highest ▁pe aks ▁at ▁Mold ove anu ▁Pe ak ▁( 2 , 5 4 4 ▁metres ) ▁and ▁N ego iu ▁( 2 , 5 3 5 ▁meters ) ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 5 0 ▁gla cial ▁la kes . ▁They ▁have ▁large ▁grass land ▁areas ▁and ▁some ▁wood lands ▁but ▁few ▁large ▁de press ions ▁and ▁sub so il ▁resources . ▁The ▁region ▁was ▁cr iss cross ed ▁by ▁an ▁ancient ▁network ▁of ▁trans - Car path ian ▁roads , ▁and ▁v estig es ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Roman ▁Way ▁are ▁still ▁visible . ▁N umer ous ▁passes ▁and ▁the ▁valle ys ▁of ▁the ▁O lt , ▁J iu , ▁and ▁Dan ube ▁rivers ▁provide ▁routes ▁for ▁roads ▁and ▁rail ways ▁through ▁the ▁mountains . ▁ ▁The ▁Western ▁Car path ians ▁are ▁the ▁lowest ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁ranges ▁and ▁are ▁fragment ed ▁by ▁many ▁deep ▁struct ural ▁de press ions . ▁They ▁have ▁histor ically ▁function ed ▁as ▁" g ates ," ▁which ▁allow ▁easy ▁passage ▁but ▁can ▁be ▁readily ▁def ended . ▁The ▁most ▁famous ▁of ▁these ▁is ▁the ▁Iron ▁Gate ▁on ▁the ▁Dan ube . ▁The ▁Western ▁Car path ians ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁dens ely ▁settled , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁northern most ▁area ▁of ▁this ▁range , ▁the ▁Ap us eni ▁Mountains , ▁that ▁permanent ▁settlement s ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁at ▁the ▁highest ▁alt itudes . ▁ ▁Hills , ▁plate aus ▁and ▁pla ins ▁ ▁En closed ▁within ▁the ▁great