The Mountains of Romania

Trekking and walking in the Carpathian Mountains

By Janneke Klop

ISBN

9781852849481

Availability

Published

13 Feb 2020

Edition

Second

Pages

416

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 2.20cm

Weight

450g

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Guidebook to walks and multi-day treks in the Carpathian mountains of Romania. Includes routes in the Maramures and Bucovina regions, Piatra Craiului ridge, and the Retezat and Fagaras mountains.

Seasons

The best time to visit the mountains of Romania is from May to September. Most of the snow will have disappeared by June.

Centres

Key bases include Braşov, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, Vatra Dornei and Râmnicu Vâlcea

Difficulty

Many of the routes require you to be entirely self-sufficient. You will need to be able to carry 15-20kg. Expect hikes of 15-25km per day with a total ascent/descent of up to 1500m. There are lighter day walks too in which case a daypack will suffice. Popular routes have a good network of mountain huts.

Must See

The Făgăraș Mountains, home to Romania's highest peaks; the saw-like Piatra Craiului limestone ridge; camping near Romania's biggest glacial lake in the Retezat; stunning karst scenery in the pastoral Apuseni; medieval Saxon cities, imposing castles and Roman and Dacian ruins

ISBN

9781852849481

Availability

Published

13 Feb 2020

Edition

Second

Pages

416

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 2.20cm

Weight

450g

Overview

This guide describes 27 short treks of 2-6 days and 10 day walks in the mountains of Romania. Although there is a slight focus on Transylvania, most of the main massifs are included, with chapters covering the Mountains of Maramures, the Eastern Carpathians, the mountains around Brasov, the Fagara?, the region between the Olt and the Jiu, the Retezat, the mountains of Banat and the Apuseni. Also included is an ascent of Moldoveanu, Romania's highest peak at 2544m.

There is a wealth of advice to help you plan your trip and organise the logistics of your walk or trek. Some routes avail of the network of mountain huts; others offer opportunities to camp in attractive wild locations. Overviews and a route summary table make it easy to choose an appropriate excursion. Each route includes clear description and mapping, as well as notes on accommodation and access (some can be accessed by public transport, although others require either pre-arranged pick-up or hitchhiking). There are fascinating insights into Romania's colourful culture and history and appendices containing hut listings, useful contacts and a helpful glossary.

The graded routes are as varied as Romania's diverse landscapes. They take in rolling hills, craggy karst peaks, glacial lakes and Europe's last virgin forests, with other highlights including Transylvanian castles, wooden churches, the Piatra Craiului ridge and the spectacular Sapte Scari (Seven Ladders) and Turda Gorges. Historic towns such as the medieval towns of Brasov and Sibiu and the spa resort of Vatra Dornei offer easy access to the mountains; other routes visit remote villages that have changed little over the centuries, where self-sufficiency is still very much the way of life. All in all, the guide is a perfect companion to discovering the unspoilt beauty of Romania's enchanting mountain regions.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Author preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Geography

Vegetation and wildlife

History

Language

Culture

Climate

When to go

What to take

Getting there

Local transport

Accommodation

Food and drink

Health and safety

Money

Staying in touch

National parks

Rules and regulations

Maps

Waymarking

Water, food and other supplies

Using this guide

The Mountains of Maramureş

The Rodna Mountains

Route 1 Şetref Pass to Rotunda Pass

The Gutâi and Ţibleş Mountains

Route 2 Breb–Creasta Cocoşului–Neteda Pass

Route 3 Groşii Ţibleşului to Arcer, Ţibleş and Bran Peaks

The Munţii Maramureşului

Route 4 Repedea to Prislop Pass

The Eastern Carpathians

The Land of Dorna

Route 5 The Suhard

Route 6 The Rarău-Giumalău

Route 7 The Călimani

The Ceahlău

Route 8 Izvorul Muntelui to Durău

The Hăşmaş Massif and Lacu Roşu

Route 9 Bălan to Lacu Roşu

The mountains around Braşov

The Postăvaru Massif

Route 10 Braşov to Râsnov

The Piatra Mare Massif

Route 11 Şapte Scări Gorge and Piatra Mare Peak from Dâmbu Morii

Route 12 Timişu de Sus to Dâmbu Morii via Tamina Gorge

The Baiului and Grohotiş

Route 13 A north–south traverse of the Baiului

Route 14 Across the Baiului and Grohotiş

The Ciucaş Massif

Route 15 Cheia to Bratocea Pass

The Bucegi Mountains

Route 16 Poiana Braşov to Bran

Route 17 Into the Bucegi from the Prahova Valley

The Piatra Craiului Mountains

Route 18 The northern ridge

Route 19 The southern ridge

The Făgăraş Mountains

The Iezer-Păpuşa Massif

Route 20 Iezer-Păpuşa circuit

Route 21 From the Iezer-Păpuşa to the Făgăraş

The Făgăraş Chain

Route 22 Traversing the Făgăraş from east to west

From the Olt to the Jiu

The Cindrel and the Parâng

Route 23 From Păltiniş to Petroşani

The Cozia

Route 24 Cozia circuit

The Buila-Vânturariţa

Route 25 Cheia Village–Buila-Vânturariţa ridge–Băile Olăneşti

The Retezat Mountains

The Retezat

Route 26 Cârnic to Cabana Gura Zlata via Bucura Lake

Route 27 Poiana Pelegii to Cârnic via Bucura Lake

The Vâlcan Massif

Route 28 From the Vâlcan to the Retezat

The Ţarcu, Godeanu and Retezatul Mic

Route 29 Jigora Saddle to Cabana Buta

The Mountains of Banat

The Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park

Route 30 Domogled Peak circuit from Băile Herculane

Route 31 Poiana cu Peri circuit from Băile Herculane

The Semenic

Route 32 The gorges of the Semenic

The Apuseni Mountains

The Trascău and Muntele Mare

Route 33 The gorges of the Trascău

Route 34 Poşaga de Jos–Scăriţa Belioara–Runc

Route 35 Runc–Scăriţa Belioara–Lunca Largă–Runc

The Padiş Region

Route 36 Statiunea Vârtop–Cetăţile Ponorului–Padiş–Pietroasa

Route 37 Gârda de Sus–Scărişoara ice cave–Padiş–Cabana Vărăşoaia–Stâna de Vale

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Accommodation

Appendix C Useful contacts

Appendix D Language notes and glossary

Appendix E Further reading

Maps

Maps

Since the publication of the precursor of this guide in 2005, much has changed in Romania. For one thing, the mapping situation has drastically improved. Virtually every mountainous area is now covered by at least one good map. Schubert & Franzke, publisher of the Munţii Noştri collection, rapidly releases map after map. The other main publishers are Dimap, Eco-Romania and Bel Alpin. Maps are easy to obtain; they can be ordered from webshops such as www.stanfords.co.uk and www.manymaps.com. If you need to buy maps locally, go to a bookshop or outdoor store; see Appendix C for a list of those. Online, maps can be downloaded from www.carpati.org; click ‘Hărţi’ under the ‘Ghid’ tab. (These are mostly older maps but in some cases it’s all there is.) There are also mapping apps available – see https://muntii-nostri.ro and www.eco-romania.ro.

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Janneke Klop

Janneke Klop has been exploring Romania since 2005, having previously been an English teacher. She writes about her Romanian adventures at www.roamaniac.com and also offers guided tours. She lives in Ghent, Belgium and is an active member of the Klimen Bergsportfederatie (Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium) and Grote Routepaden (Grandes Randonnées).

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