Transfagarasan Scenic Road

Tour Description

Also known as “the Road to the Clouds” the TransFagarasan scenic road cuts straight through the mountain peaks of Moldoveanu and Negoiu – the highest in Fagaras Mountains and in Romania. The touristic attractions scattered around the way make this trip a one-time experience.

Tour schedule & main touristic objectives:

• Pick-up from hotel in Bucharest
• Drive through Curtea De Arges
• Pass nearby the Poienari Citadel of Vlad the Impaller aka Dracula
• Climb to the Vidraru Dam & lake
• Drive down the Transfagarasan road
• Stop to Balea lake & cascade
• Back to Bucharest

Description of our Transfagarasan Scenic Road Tour

We pick you up from your hotel early in the morning.

We leave Bucharest and head towards Curtea De Arges, old capital of Wallachia where if you choose so, you could visit the local landmark, the Episcopal Cathedral of Curtea de Arges (~ 45 minutes)

We continue our drive along the Arges river valley until we reach the ruins of Poenari Fortress, the real Castle of Dracula. Should you choose to climb the 1,480 concrete stairs to the top to visit the Citadel, please count at least 1,5 more hours. The view from the Fortress over the valley and the Fagaras mountains might be worthing the 1480 stairs though!

From here we are heading towards the Vidraru Dam and artificial lake following a twisted mountain road.
The dam is 165 meters high, 305 meters long and holds 465 million cubic meters of water. When the dam was completed, it ranked 5th in Europe and 9th in the world.

From here, we are practically entering the Transfagarasan scenic road, the spectacular road cutting through the highest mountain peaks in Romania. Built for military purposes between 1970 and 1974 during the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu, this road it was a response to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and answered the urge to secure a quick military access across the mountains and between the two historical provinces of Romania, Transylvania and Wallachia.

A winding road, dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves, and sharp descents, the Transfăgărășan is both an attraction and a challenge for hikers, cyclists, drivers and motorcycle enthusiasts.

Enjoy the views and mountain landscapes while driving down the slopes, tunnels and twists of this spectacular road.

 

Image Credits: Transfagarasan twisty road by Cristian Bortes – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons