Explore the magnificent Carpathian mountains range - 2 mountains in 4 days

Description Explore the magnificent Carpathian mountains range - 2 mountains in 4 days

Piatra Mare (Big Stone) Mountain, Piatra Craiului National Park (King's Stone)

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Rates:

• 2 persons: 299 euro/person
• 4 persons: 270 euro/person

The package includes:

• accommodation at a 3 star pension, on BB (breakfast included); 2 dinners at the local guesthouse in Magura village
• maps and route notes
• luggage transfer, all transfers per itinerary with a car

Not included:

• lunch (can be provided at the places of accommodation) and 1 dinner
• entrance fees, transfers from/to airport
• flight tickets, drinks, personal expenses, tips
• entrance fees for "7 Ladders Canyon" (4 euro/pax) and Piatra Craiului National Park (2 euro/pax)

Solowalks program

Explore 2 mountains in 4 days in the magnificent Carpathian mountains range!

Piatra Mare (Big Stone) Mountain, Piatra Craiului National Park (King's Stone)
 

DESCRIPTION & FEATURES OF THE TREKKING TOUR
 

Tour highlights:
♦ Piatra Craiului mountauins and National park - with its narrow and saw-like ridge the mountains are considered to be one of the most beautiful in Carpathian mountains range
♦ Brasov is everything that Bucharest is not: a placid, gentle, civilized city of 300,000 people nestled in the Carpathian mountains. At present the 2-nd industrial centre after Bucharest and one of the main university, historic and tourist cities in Romania. Places of interest include remnants of a citadel built in 1553, The Black Church (14-th - 15-th centuries), the largest Gothic church in Romania and within the territory between Vienna and Istanbul.
♦ Bran castle is no doubt one of the milestones when traveling in Transylvania. Towers, narrow corridors, hidden premises - the castle offers many interesting facts and stories, mysterious enough to incite the legend lovers.
 

Day 1. Piatra mare Mountains - 7 Ladders canyon
The tour starts from Brasov. Transfer Brasov – to starting point of first trekking day: Piatra Mare Mountain (10 km). We start the trekking tour to the top of the mountain on yellow stripe sign (2 – 3 hours to the Chalet Piatra Mare – 1628 m) trekking through "7 Ladders canyon". This route is a medium one with narrow path, sometimes steep. Optional: hike to the top of the mountain (1843 m), from the Chalet, round trip about 2 hours. We go down on the red stripe sign (about 2 hours).  This route is an easy to medium one. "The Seven Ladders Canyon" it is one of the main attractions for the tourists hiking the rocky paths of the Piatra Mare (Big Rock) mountain. Transfer to Brasov. (7-8 hours, medium to hard effort, uphill/downhill walk: 800 m/800 m, appr. 16 km).
 

Day 2. Piatra Craiului Mountains - Magura village
Today you start exploring the Piatra Craiului National Park. Transfer from Brasov to Bran town (30 km). You walk from Bran to Magura or Pestera village on nice trails and dirt roads among beautiful forests, meadows and idyllic countryside passing by Magura village en route. Accommodation at a village guesthouse in Magura Village for 2 nights. Hiking time: 4-5 hours, uphill/downhill walk: 400 m/400 m, medium effort.

Day 3. La table - Curmatura hut - Magura
Breakfast. The heart of Piatra Craiului National Park - Pestera Village – Curmatura chalet (1470 m) - Magura village. From the guesthouse you continue the trek to the next mountain village Pestera, about 2 km. You reach to a junction and from here you turn to the right and continue the trekking tour on the red cross sign, about 1 – 1 ½ hour, to the "La table" point (this is a cross point where 8 trekking routes meet). From here you follow the same sign, red cross, follow nice and large meadows, hardwood and pine forest to the bottom of the Piatra Craiului Mountain ("Rock of the King" or "King's Stone") for about 30 minutes. The road now is a forest one. You reach to a junction in about 30 minutes, you turn to the left and follow the forest road that climbs into the forest. After 20 minutes with no signs, you see 2 signs, red and yellow triangle which go to the Curmatura chalet (about 1 hour). So, from the guesthouse to Curmatura chalet you supposed to walk between 3 and 4 hours on a medium route. You can have lunch to the chalet and than you continue the trek to Zarnesti town, the main gate to the National Park, following the yellow dot (2 hours of descending – easy). At some point you reach to a small metal bridge (on your right), you cross the spring and walk up about 30  minutes to the guesthouse in Magura village. (6-7 hours, medium effort, uphill/downhill walk: 500 m/ 700 m, appr. 16 km).
 

Day 4. Magura – Zarnesti town – Bran Castle – Brasov
Breakfast. Today is the most relaxed day – you do a walking tour in the Magura area visiting the Bat Cave, enjoying the landscapes and village life. The Bat Cave is a national natural monument, part of the National Park Piatra Craiului. The cave entrance is through a narrow corridor, followed by a grotto and a gallery. You can admire the Jurassic limestone formations, formed over centuries, including so-called “tears of the earth”. The cave is not electrified, in order not to change the natural habitat of the bats. Walking for the day: 3-4 hours, 8 km, 400 m elevation gain, 400 m elevation loss. After the walk we pick you up and we drive to visit Bran Castle (famous as the Dracula castle it was built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order between 1211 – 1225). Optional: accommodation in Brasov or transfer to the airport.
 

Good to know:
♦ How the tour runs: You will be met at the hotel by our local supporting agent. After accommodation you will have an info meeting for discussing all details regarding the trek and receiving your maps and route notes. On day 1 you will be transferred to the starting point of the trek and met at the final point and transferred to your accommodation
♦ Routes and waymarks: You follow very well marked routes on clear paths that are part of the Carpathian hiking network. Most common waymark symbols are colored stripes, triangles, circles, etc
♦ Terrain: You follow mainly forest and meadows paths and dirt roads with gradual gaining of elevation. The “7 ladders canyon” (day 1) includes walking on steel ladders and bridges in a very narrow and spectacular gorge and might seem difficult or dangerous for some hikers and can be skipped.
♦ Luggage transport: There is organized transport of the luggage.

Details about trekking tour:

- optimal time: June - October

- transportation - car

- mountain tour requires a good physical shape, with resistance to low effort but for long duration

- accommodation is done at boarding houses

- "7 Ladders Canyon" is closed Monday and because of weather conditions (thunderstorms, heavy rains).

See required equipment for adventure

See Classification of the trekking and hiking tours

Map of visited POI's:

View route