Explore the Carpathians' Gate - 8 days

Description Explore the Carpathians' Gate - 8 days

Enjoy the amazing ecotrails of the mountain villages at the foot of Piatra Craiului National Park, Bucegi Natural Park and Leaota Mountains.

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Walk through traditional mountain villages with astonishing views over the Carpathians, hike in Piatra Craiului National Park considered to be one of the most beautiful in Carpathian Mountains range with its narrow and saw-like ridge, explore the wild northern part of Bucegi Natural Park which is Romania's best-kept secret, rivalling Slovakia's Tatra Mountains and the Alps when it comes to trekking, enjoy a round-trip hike to the epic Seven Ladders Canyon (Canionul Sapte Scari), famed for its ladders and waterfalls.

Rates:

• Group of 2: 749 euros/person
• Group of 4: 679 euros/person
• Group of 6: 639 euros/person
• Single supplement: 190 euros

The package includes:

• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast at 2/3 star pension or guesthouses with private facilities, twin or double rooms
• 5 homemade dinners at the local guesthouses from the mountain villages
• maps and route notes
• all transfers per itinerary with a car or minibus
• luggage transfers

Not included:

• 2 dinners and lunches
• entrance fees for Piatra Craiului National Park (2 euro/person), Bran Castle (12 euro/person), Bucegi Natural Park (4 euro), 7 Ladders Canyon (4 euro), flight tickets, drinks, and personal expenses
• upgrade at 3* to 5* hotels in Brasov, located in the old city center (eg, Bella Muzica, Safrano Palace, Casa Chitic, Schuster Boarding House, Radisson Blu Aurum, subject to availability)

Observations: Best travel time: June-October. Well-marked trails, part of the Carpathian hiking network. Changing weather in summer means you need good rain gear just in case. Note that walking in the national parks of Romania means you may come across wild animals, including Brown Bears. To avoid unexpected meetings, try to speak louder with your travel mates when hiking in some of the densest forests.

Group Size: Min. 2 persons

♦ Brasov - Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains and resplendent with gothic, baroque, and renaissance architecture, as well as a wealth of historical attractions, Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance and has been used as a backdrop in many recent period films. Stroll around the old Town Hall Square (Piata Sfatului), where you can admire colourfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Take a peek inside the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul. The interior is impressive and well-kept, housing one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe.

♦ 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: Transfer from Otopeni Airport to Magura village, approx. 3 - 4 hours or Brasov Airport - Magura village (40-50 minutes). Accommodation and dinner at a 3* local guesthouse for 2 nights. Meet our guide, who will provide you with all the information about the tour.

Day 2: 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 a junction and from here you turn to the right and continue the trekking to (ur on the red cross sign, about 1 – 1 ½ hours, to the "La table" point (this is a cross point where eight trekking routes meet). From here, you follow the same sign, red cross, follow lovely 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 a junction in about 30 minutes; turn left and follow the forest road that climbs into the forest. After 20 minutes with no signs, you see two signs: a red and a yellow triangle, which lead to the Curmatura chalet (about 1 hour). So, from the guesthouse to the Curmatura chalet you are supposed to walk between 3 and 4 hours on a medium route. You can have lunch at the chalet and then 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 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, approx. 22 km).

Day 3: Breakfast. Walk crossing the most authentic and beautiful mountain villages from the bottom of the National Park Piatra Craiului - Magura - Pestera - Sirnea (the first tourist village of Romania) - Fundata, meeting the locals (4-6 hours; easy to medium, 15 km, 1083 m elevation gain, 890 m elevation loss). At the end of the tour, you walk about 1.500 m on the national road to the guesthouse (no other way). Accommodation and dinner at a 3* guesthouse for 3 nights.
About Sirnea village: to develop the town and attract as many tourists as possible, Professor Nicolae Fruntes initiated two feasts: "The measure of milk and the meeting of the village sons" held every June and "Winter at Sirnea", aimed at presenting the customs of the villagers, both during summer and winter. Launched in 1969, the feast "Winter at Sirnea" entails a skiing race with torches in hands, sleigh rides, and parties organized at the Cultural Centre.

Day 4: Breakfast. Have an enjoyable walk on one of the ecotrails from Fundata village (3 - 4 hours, easy to medium, uphill/downhill walk: 300 m/300 m).
Surrounded by the Bucegi Mountains and the Piatra Craiului Mountains, Fundata's altitude of 1360 m makes it the highest commune in Romania. In August 1916, when troops from the Romanian Old Kingdom entered Austria-Hungary, the first village they took was Fundata, also capturing their first prisoners there and suffering their first battle death.

Day 5: Breakfast. Head to Moieciu de Sus mountain village and follow one of the most beautiful ecotrails in the area, crossing meadows separated by fences and enjoying breathtaking views over the Bucegi Natural Park. The walking route starts from the guesthouse, crossing Fundata village, and reaches near the local church. From here you follow one of the ecotrails (T3) down to the center of Moieciu de Sus village. Continue on the ecotrail T8, which starts from the Community Center, on a steep climb. The climb becomes smoother and reaches a small plateau where there is a rocky formation called "The Top of the Church" - "Varful Bisericutei". In front of you are the astonishing views over the Bucegi Natural Park. If you turn back, you'll see the main ridge of Piatra Craiului National Park (4-5 hours, medium effort, with an uphill/downhill walk of 400 m/400 m, approximately 14 km). Transfer back to the guesthouse in Fundata (about 40 minutes).

Moeciu de Sus is located 35 km from Brasov, in the beautiful and wild Bucegi mountain area, at the edge of the Bucegi National Park. The village is appreciated for its fantastic nature and its tradition in preparing delicious cheeses and sheep wool products.

Day 6: Breakfast. Transfer from the guesthouse to the starting point of the trekking tour in Bucegi Natural Park (about 40 minutes of driving). Follow the yellow triangle sign on a wide forest road for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. After that, you cross a small river and start to climb a steep part, with forest, for about 20 minutes, and you reach a lovely meadow. Stop for a rest and then continue the route, now much easier, till in a big meadow with a former sheep farm on the right side. Optional: From this point, it takes about 1 hour, round trip, to visit the "Devil's Mill Waterfall," which you can find by following the red cross sign. Back in the meadow, you follow the metal poles with a blue triangle sign, crossing the meadow from left to right, diagonally, uphill. You head mainly uphill from here, and in about an hour, you'll reach a forest road and then a sheep farm. You can make a stop to taste the cheese made here (from June to September) for a small extra cost, or you can pick up cigarettes. From the sheep farm, you follow the red stripe sign from the rocks or metal poles. At some point, after 1 km from the sheep farm, you see a big rock with a sign on it. You follow the sign, pass near a former Hunting house, now in ruin, and about 1-1 ½ hours, you reach the main forest road, for the meeting point. Transfer to Brasov city (about 40 minutes). (5-6 hours, medium effort, uphill/downhill walk: 800 m/ 800 m, approx. 14 km). Today, in the morning, you can visit Bran Castle (Monday is open at noon). Accommodation at a 3* hotel/guesthouse located near the city center for 2 nights.

Day 7: Breakfast. Short transfer from Brasov to the starting point of the last trekking day: Piatra Mare Mountain (10 km). Head to the Seven Ladders Canyon (Canionul Sapte Scari) - an interesting karstic phenomenon - in the Piatra Mare range, part of the Southern Carpathian Mountains. Once there was a cave here, whose roof collapsed to show the steep and close walls of the canyon. This stunning gorge is famed for its steep ladders that take you up the rock walls past a series of rushing waterfalls. On arrival, set off along meadow and forest paths, reaching the canyon after a 45-minute hike. Head inside, and spend the next 15 minutes or so crossing the bridges and climbing each of the near-vertical metal ladders that make up the gorge. As you go, enjoy thrilling close-up views of the tumbling waters and the towering rock walls around you. After your trek, choose between a 1.5-hour return route or a longer 2 to 3-hour trail, walking back through forests and glades to your meeting point. After your hike, your tour ends back at your Brasov hotel.

Day 8: Breakfast. Transfer to the Bucharest airport (about 3 hours) or to the Brasov airport (about 20-30 minutes).

Details about the trekking tour:

- optimal time: June - October
- transportation - car or minibus
- mountain tour requires a good physical shape, with resistance to medium effort, but for a long duration
- "7 Ladders Canyon" is closed on Monday, and because of weather conditions (thunderstorms, heavy rains)
- Accommodation in Brasov is done at 3* guesthouses located at 10 - 20 minutes walking distance from the old city center; 20-25 euros/night/person for accommodation at a 3* or 4* hotel located nearby or in the old city center.

See the required equipment for adventure.

See Classification of the trekking and hiking tours

Good to know:

♦ How the tour runs: After accommodation in Magura village, you will have an info meeting to discuss all details regarding the trek and receive your maps and route notes. On each day, except days 2 to 4, you will be transferred to the starting point of the trek, meet 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, except on day 3^rd (only from Pestera village to Sirnea Village). Most common waymark symbols are colored stripes, triangles, circles, etc
♦ Terrain: You follow mainly forest and meadow paths and dirt roads with gradual elevation gain. The “7 ladders canyon” (day 7) 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
♦ Lunch: you can have a lunch pack from every guesthouse for a fee (6 - 8 euros/person/lunch pack)
♦ Luggage transport: luggage transfer will be provided

Necessary equipment: day pack (20-30l), hiking shoes, breathable clothes, waterproof gear, headlamp or torch, sunglasses.

Map of visited POI's:

View route