Best time to travel: July - September
Best gateway city: Bucharest,
Romania
Romania Slide Show
A new trip exploring the high Carpathians of central Romania also known
as the Transylvanian Alps or "Carpaţii Meridionali" in Romanian.
Extending across central Romania this 225 mile-long range consists of
several mountain groups each with its own distinctive landscapes and hiking
opportunities. Explore the Bucegi,
Piatra Craiului, Făgăraş and Retezat Mountains on hikes that will take
you through cool forests and glacially-carved lake basins and across
spectacular mountain ridges where the views never stop! Hikers in search of
a challenge will have the opportunity to complete an exciting multi-day traverse along the main ridge of the Făgăraş
Mountains--one of the longest continuous high mountain traverses in
Europe. The traverse will take you over Romania's three highest peaks (Moldoveanu, 8,350 feet; Negoiu, 8,317 feet; and
Viştea Mare, 8,291 feet). Your adventure in Romania also includes visits to the city of Sibiu
(named the European Capital of Culture for 2007 by the European Union), the splendid medieval town of Sighisoara,
and a sampling of Transylvania's treasury of
monasteries and fortified Saxon churches.
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 Peles
Castle, Sinaia |
Day 1
This morning, depart Bucharest to travel to the
mountain town of Sinaia, the "Pearl of the Carpathians," nestled in
the Prahova Valley with the Bucegi Mountains rising abruptly to the
west. A short walk along shady forest paths brings you to the Sinaia
Monastery and its 17th century church whose interior walls are covered
by frescoes. After lunch, visit the opulent, neo-Renaissance Peles
Castle commissioned by Romania's King Carol I in 1873 as well as the more intimate Pelisor
Castle built by Carol for his eventual successor Ferdinand and his wife
Marie. Enjoy a welcome dinner of
traditional foods this evening.
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Hikers descending from Omu Peak |
Day
2
Ascend into the Bucegi Mountains
by cable car. From the Babele Chalet strike out across the expansive high
plateau that forms the central portion of the range. You can follow trails
to the summit of Omu Peak, and if you desire, complete a traverse of the
Bucegi by hiking all the way to Bran village in the northwestern foothills of
the mountains. Overnight at a lovely small hotel in the village of Moieciu
de Jos, your base for two nights. |
BUCEGI
MOUNTAIN SCENES (L to R): the Babele rocks; Campanula sp; heather
blooms below the peaks
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The
Piatra Craiului. (Photo by Iulian Cozma) |
Day
3
Enjoy a choice of hikes in the Piatra Craiului
National Park. Hike through the cool depths of the Zarnesti Gorges before
making your way through strikingly beautiful rural landscapes (see the photo
above) back to your hotel in Moieciu de Jos. A more challenging hiking
option takes you to the Curmatura Chalet from where you can experience the craggy, saw-toothed limestone ridges of the Piatra Craiului
Mountains.
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Bran Castle |
Brancoveanu Monastery
Lac Bâlea Chalet (Photo by I. Cozma) |
Day 4
In the morning visit the Bran Castle perched on a rocky promontory. The
castle was originally built in the 14th century to defend the nearby city of Brasov.
This castle has become associated with the Dracula story even though the
Wallachian prince Vlad Tepeş (often recognized as the inspiration for Bram
Stoker's character) may have had only a fleeting association with the
castle. Later, travel to the Brancoveanu Monastery in the foothills of the Făgăraş
Mountains. Don't miss the beautiful painted chapel on the second floor!
After the visit to the monastery you'll enjoy lunch at a farm in a village
on the north slope of the mountains. Continue by vehicle into the Făgăraş Mountains and
overnight at the Lac Bâlea Chalet, your base for two nights. |
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On the Făgăraş main ridge en route to Vârful
Laitel |
Day 5
Begin your exploration of the
Făgăraş Mountains. Head west on a trail that climbs out of the Lac Bâlea basin to gain the main Făgăraş ridge. Continue on the ridge-top
trail and revel in the quintessential high Făgăraş landscape of
grass-cloaked ridges and lush mountain pastures punctuated by rocky
summits. Reach the summit of Vârful Laitel (Laitel Peak) and enjoy the
view over Lac Caltun to the summit dome of Negoiu Peak. The view from
Vârful Laitel is one of the most spectacular in the Făgăraş.
If you'd like a more strenuous hike, descend from Laitel Peak to Lac
Caltun before tackling the steep trail to the summit of Negoiu Peak,
second highest point in Romania. Retrace your steps to return to Lac Bâlea
for a second night. |
Descending to Lac Bâlea |
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Lac Caltun rests in an alpine basin between
Laitel and Negoiu Peaks |
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Făgăraş Mountain view from Vârful Mircii en
route to Podragu Chalet
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Podragu
Chalet |
Day 6
Depart Lac Bâlea on foot bound for the
Podragu Chalet. From Lac Bâlea the trail ascends quickly to reach the
Şaua Caprei and the calm waters of Lac Capra just on the other side. The
trail proceeds along the main ridge of the Făgăraş descending into cirques,
crossing ridges, and traversing narrow mountain passes. After about six
hours on the trail you'll reach the Şaua Podragului, the mountain pass that
provides access into the Podragu Lake basin. Descend into the basin and
arrive at the Podragu Chalet perched above its namesake lake, the
deepest in the Făgăraş. |
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A hiker
follows the trail along the Făgăraş main ridge near Mircii Peak en route
to Podragu Chalet.
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Day 7
After breakfast, hike back out of the Podragu
basin to regain the Făgăraş main ridge. Head east along the undulating
ridge crest toward the peak of Viştea
Mare. The ascent steepens to bring you to the summit of the peak. From
the summit of Viştea
Mare, you can walk to the summit of Moldoveanu (Romania's highest at
8,350 feet), only a few minutes away along a ridge-top trail. Retrace
your steps to Podragu Chalet where you'll spend a second night. Those
who desire a more strenuous hike can continue eastward from Moldoveanu
along the rugged main ridge to the Fereastra Mică a Sâmbătei, a mountain
pass above the Sâmbăta
Valley. The round trip hike to Fereastra Mică a
Sâmbătei is a challenging one that will involve about ten hours on
the trail. |
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FĂGĂRAŞ
SCENES (L to R): Hiking to Podragu; Lac Capra; sheep grazing in the high
country |
Day 8
This morning, hike from the Podragu Chalet via the
Podragel Lake basin to the Zmeilor Pass before descending to
the Trans-Făgăraşan Highway. From here, travel by
vehicle to Sighisoara, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. Spend the evening
at a comfortable hotel within the walls of the old citadel. |
The clock tower, Sighisoara |
SIGHISOARA SCENES (L to R): Figure in the clock tower; clock tower and
Tepeş house; general view
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A
panorama of Retezat peaks |
Day 9
Spend the morning wandering the streets of old
Sighisoara. Climb to the top of the clock tower for a panoramic view
over the city. Later, travel by vehicle to the village of Biertan where
you'll visit the Biertan Church, perhaps the best surviving and most
representative example of a medieval fortified Saxon church. After
lunch, continue by vehicle to the Retezat National Park at
the eastern end of the Transylvanian Alps. A one to two hour hike along
a rushing stream brings you to the Pietrele Chalet set on a stream-side
meadow and surrounded by coniferous forest. |
 The fortified Saxon church at Biertan
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Lac
Bucura from the Bucura Pass |
Day 10
Explore the high country of the Retezat National
Park, perhaps the best protected of Romania's natural preserves. The
greatest number of glacially carved lakes and tarns in the southeastern
Carpathians is found in the Retezat. Hike up the Pietrele stream past
the lovely Lac Pietrele before ascending to the Bucura Pass for
panoramic views across the range. A more challenging loop hike takes you
over the summit of Vârful Peleaga (Peleaga Peak) and down the
unfrequented Valea Rea. |
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A view
from the summit of Vârful Peleaga, second highest summit in the Retezat
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Day 11
Enjoy a morning walk to the crest of the Lolaia
ridge for views of the flat-topped summit of Retezat peak before hiking
out of the mountains. Travel by vehicle to the beautiful
Transylvanian town of Sibiu (named a European Capital of Culture for
2007 by the European Union). Settle into your hotel close by the town's
newly restored central square. Explore the streets of Sibiu on your own
before dining together this evening. |
Sibiu's central square |
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Windmill at the Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization (ASTRA) in Sibiu.
Photo by Deda Gillespie
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Day 12
Spend the morning walking through the grounds of
the Ethnographic Open Air Museum, part of Sibiu's excellent Museum of
Traditional Folk Civilization. The open air museum extends over
two-hundred acres and boasts ten kilometers of footpaths that lead you
to three hundred buildings brought here from different parts of Romania.
The museum offers you a perfect way to wrap up your Romanian adventure.
Later in the day, travel by vehicle back to Bucharest and enjoy a
farewell dinner of Romanian specialties. |
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Fresco
at Sinaia Monastery |
Special Notes
Please note that this itinerary involves 6 overnight stays in mountain refuges
where accommodations are very basic. Sleeping accommodations are
dormitory-style (3-14 bunks per room); private
rooms not available. Blankets, sheets, and pillows are provided by
the refuges.
Showers are not available at the Podragu and Pietrele chalets
but are available
at Lac Bâlea.
Toilet facilities are basic and shared and some are in separate
out-buildings. Lac Bâlea Chalet features modern western-style
bathrooms with sink, shower, and toilet.
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|
 This
itinerary can be revised so that overnight stays at mountain
refuges are minimized or eliminated. |
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High
country hiking in the Făgăraş Mountains |
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Information on the
