mountain pass, southwestern Romania, located in the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians). The pass links the Tisza River plain and the city of Timişoara (northwest) with the Danubian Plain (southeast). The Banat Mountains, including the Almaj and Semenic ranges, lie west of the Timiş-Cerna Gap. The mountain ranges of Vâlcan, Retezat, Tarcul, Cernei, and Mehedinţi are situated east of the gap. The Timiş River flows northwestward, and the Cerna River drains southward through the pass. A highway and railway connection between Timişoara and Bucharest also runs through the pass. Towns situated in the Timiş-Cerna Gap include Caransebes, Slatina, and Teregova.