The Mountains of Romania - A Walker's Guidebook

Definitive guide to walking and trekking in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, one of the wildest parts of Europe. Covers all the main ranges in the southern Carpathians, and the Eastern Carpathians and Bucovina’s monasteries. Complete information on getting to grips with Romania.

The maps of the Carpathians (variety of scales)

(Staple-bound booklet of maps and walking instructions): Drumetie in Carpati - available in English translation as Invitation to the Romanian Carpathians

Notes on maps

A century later, little has changed from the situation described above. However, finding your way is relatively easy for the mountain walker who is an experienced map-reader. The best way would be to obtain maps before you go. However do not let lack of a good map put you off exploring Romania’s mountains on foot. The paths are well signed and waymarked and you may be lucky and buy a map locally.

A consequence of the communist system was that military survey (Ordnance Survey type) remained a closely-guarded military secret. The powers-that-be then had the problem of finding a way to encourage the population to take to the mountains, but to do it without proper maps. The idea of the mountain walker having to study a map to see where his or her path lay is quite alien to many Romanian walkers, who simply follow waymarked trails from cabana to cabana (or, like shepherds, learn mountain topography over long periods of time). I have never seen a Romanian hiker carrying a map in the hand or round the neck in a case or met a walker who knows how to use a compass. In conjunction with the cabanas, what has been developed is a system of well waymarked paths, following the usual continental system of coloured symbols, with elaborate signposts indicating which symbol to follow and the number of hours’ walk to the next cabana, pass or village. Thus the need for accurate mapping was to an extent done away with.

Walking maps of the principal areas are occasionally available from bookshops (librarie) in towns or roadside kiosks in mountain towns such as Sinaia, Predeal, Busteni, Zarnesti. Stanfords in London and The Map Shop at Upton upon Severn also have a stock of the more popular mountain areas. In Bucharest the best outlet is the excellent Himalaya gear shop at the south end of Calea Mosilor, just behind the Cocor shop. You could also try the bookstalls outside the university at the entrance to the Metro station. The tourist information office in Predeal station and in the centre of Sinaia are both usually well supplied.

The maps of the Carpathians, in a bizarre variety of scales, show the footpaths marked with the symbol used as a waymark on the ground. The maps are very informative: on the reverse of the sheet are detailed itineraries, and symbols, with walking times, and details about the cabanas. However, judged as maps they are poor, with no grid and a contour interval of 100m – they are but one stage better than the sketch maps you might find in any guidebook.

Whilst looking for maps you may find a useful staple-bound booklet of maps and walking instructions entitled Drumetie in Carpati; formerly this was issued free by Romanian Tourist Offices abroad in French, German, English and Italian, and was titled Invitation to the Romanian Carpathians.