Trekking In Transylvania 8 days

Day 1 Bucharest - Sinaia

Arrival at Bucharest airport. Transfer on your own to the railway station in Bucharest (by public bus = 0.8 Euro/pax, by taxi ~9 Euro/taxi).

Train to the royal resort of Sinaia.

Dinner and accommodation in a 3* hotel/guesthouse.

Day 2 Sinaia - Bucegi Plateau - Pestera

200m/1500m climb, approx. 500 m descent, maximum elevation - 2000m - several options, the longest is 14km, approximately 6h walking time.

Day in Bucegi Natural Park. Bucegi is believed to be the Dacians’ (ancestors of Romanians) holy mountain Kogainon, on which their God - Zalmoxis resided in a cave. On the plateau, the wind and rain have turned the rocks into spectacular figures known as the “Sphinx” and “Babele” (the old ladies), whose existence supported the mystical role of the mountains. You can either walk the whole route or take a taxi or the cable car, getting you to various starting locations. You climb up to 2000m/2200m altitude on the mountain plateau. Here, depending on the weather and on your phisical condition, you can either just head towards your accommodation, or you can spend a few hours walking on the plateau and discover some strange rock formations that made the mountains famous: the Mushrooms, the Old Ladies, the Sphinx. Here you start descending through a mix of wooded landscape and vast open spaces shaped by glaciers till you reach Ialomita river valley and fid your accommodation at 1600 m altitude.

Day 3 Pestera - Padina - Moieciu de Sus

Approx. 400 m climb, approx. 1000 m descent - maximum elevation 1950 m, 13 km, approx. 5h walking.

After breakfast you climb the western ridge of Bucegi massif till you reach Strunga (The Saddle). This is an ancient passage for shepherds and their flocks, villagers from Valachia to Transylvania and also, during the time of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, smugglers of all kind. In front of you lies Bran Country, with a landscape, shaped by millenniums of pastoral life and traditional habitation, made of houses, summer lodges and haystacks dotting the green hills. You start descending along the big limestone and granite walls, then into the woods, heading to Moieciu de Sus village. Overnight stay in a confortable guesthouse in this mountain village.

Day 4 Moieciu de Sus - Bran

Approx. 500 m climb, approx. 700 m descent, maximum elevation - 1450m, 17km, approximately 5h walking.

Today you cross the forests and meadows at the feet of Bucegi Mountains in order to reach Bran, the place that hosts the famous Dracula Castle. You start with a steep but short climb, then follow a long walk, slowly descending through the forests, meadows and summer lodges and hay barns, down to Simon Valley opening into Barsa land. Along thewinding path you have excellent views of Piatra Craiului limestone ridge to the west and the steep conglomerate walls of Bucegi Mountains to the east then come the long Simon Valley with its nice households.

You pass by Bran Castle, perched on a rocky escarpment and continue for another 20 minutes down to the guesthouse. Accommodation in a 3* guesthouse.

Day 5 Bran - Magura

700 m climb, 350m descent - maximum elevation - 1350 m Magura Peak, 11 km, ~4h walking.

Today you quit your accommodation in Bran, and passing near Bran Castle again (which if desired, you can visit) you start climbing towards the altitude village of Magura. Your path bounces north and south of an ascending ridge, from sunlight to shade, from hay meadows to wild forest, up to Magura Peak. A quick descent brings you to the center of this dispersed typical mountain village, and after another 20 minutes crossing the village you find our accommodation for the night. Dinner and accommodation in 3* guesthouse.

Day 6 Magura - Piatra Craiului Mountains - Magura

600m climb, 5-7h walking, 15km.

Round trip in Piatra Craiului National Park - The King’s Rock - is one of the most beautiful mountains in Romania, very rocky, a thin high limestone strip, 22 km long, considered a geographical accident of the Southern Carpathians, due to their gentle peculiar profile in contrast with the massiveness of the surrounding relief forms. It is also home of The Carpathian Large Carnivore Project, as although the Romanian Carpathians cover less than 1.5% of the European surface west of Russia, they are home to almost one third of all European large carnivores: the estimated number of bears is over 6,000, there are about 3,000 wolves, and some 2,000 lynx.

Your walk starts with a short descent and then a section of Zarnesti Gorges, narrow limestone passage leading up to the wooded slopes of Piatra Craiului Mountains. You then cross a patch of virgin forest opening into the meadows at the feet of the craggy eastern side of the Northern Ridge. The last climb is through green meadows ascending smoothly to Curmatura Hut.

From here, depending on the shape of the group and the weather you can climb Piatra Mica Peak at 1750m altitude - 300m above Curmatura Chalet, your original destination - involving some limestone scrambling, 3 passages on fixed chains, some narrow ridge walking and a technical 400m descent on a tricky path through the forest.

The descent takes you to Zanoaga Meadow and its old sheepfold, then a steep descent through the woods brings you back at the start of the gorges. In the afternoon you get back to Magura for dinner and accommodation.

Day 7 Magura - Brasov - Bucharest

3.5-4.5h transfer, 600m climb, 4h walking, 14 km

After breakfast time for a last walk, taking you to discover the alpine meadows of Magura and Pestera villages. The landscape is typical for the Romanian altitude hamlets, with scattered households on the heights, meadows dotted by haystacks and the occasional summer lodges. You traverse on a path with wide open views of Bucegi and Leaota, through the scattered hamlets, back to Magura.

Private transfer early in the afternoon from Magura to Zarnesti station from where you take the train to Brasov. In Brasov change the train to go to Bucharest.

Accommodation in Bucharest in a 3* hotel in the city center.

Day 8 Bucharest

Depending on your flight, time to explore the capital city of Romania. An astounding metropolis standing at the crossroads between East and West, once known as Little Paris, nowadays making a beautiful comeback after the communist aftermath.

Transfer by public bus or taxi to the airport to catch the flight home.