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 euro/person
• Group of 4: 679 euro/person
• Group of 6: 639 euro/person
• Single supplement: 190 euro

The package includes:

• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast at 2/3 star pension or guesthouses with private facilities, twin or double rooms
• 5 home made 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, 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 of availability)

Observations: Best travel time: June-October. Well-marked trails, part of the Carpathian hiking network. Changing weather in summer, requiring 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 most dense 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 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 and houses 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 Otopeni Airport - 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 provide you all the info 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 to 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 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 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 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. 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 touristic 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 national road to the guesthouse (no other way). Accommodation and dinner at a 3* guesthouse for 3 nights.
About Sirnea village: in order to develop the village 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 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 following one of the most beautiful ecotrail from this area, crossing meadows separated by fences, with breathtaking views over the Bucegi Natural Park. The walking route is starting from the guesthouse crossing Fundata village and reaching nearby the local church. From here you follow one of the ecotrail (T3) down to center of Moieciu de Sus village. Continue on the ecotrail T8, which starts from the Community Center, by a steep climb. The climb becomes smoother and reaches on a small plateau where is a rocky formation called "The Top of the Church" - "Varful Bisericutei". All the way you have in front of you the astonishing views over the Bucegi Natural Park. If you turn back, you see all the main ridge of Piatra Craiului National Park (4-5 hours, medium effort, uphill/downhill walk: 400 m/ 400 m, appr. 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 amazing 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 – 1 ½ hour. After that you cross a small river and start to climb a steep part, with forest, for about 20 minutes, and you reach in a nice 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 in about 1 hour, round trip, you can visit, following the red cross sign, the "Devil mill waterfall". Back in the meadow you follow the metal poles with blue triangle sign, crossing the meadow from left to the right, in diagonal, uphill. You go mainly up from here and in about 1 hour you reach to a forest road and then to a sheep farm. You can make a stop and taste the cheese made here (from June to September) for a small extra cost or 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 the sign on it. You follow the sign, pass nearby a former Hunting house, now in ruin, and in about 1-1 ½ hours you reach to 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, appr. 14 km). Today, in the morning, you can visit Bran Castle (Monday is opened at 12:00). Accommodation at a 3* hotel/guesthouse located nearby the city center for 2 nights.

Day 7: Breakfast. Short transfer Brasov to starting point 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 trekking tour:

- optimal time: June - October
- transportation - car or minibus
- mountain tour requires a good physical shape, with resistance to medium effort but for long duration
- "7 Ladders Canyon" is closed 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 euro/night/person for accommodation to a 3* or 4* hotels located nearby or in the old city center.

See 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 for discussing all details regarding the trek and receiving your maps and route notes. On each day, excepts day 2 to day 4, you will be transferred to the starting point of the trek and 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 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 meadows paths and dirt roads with gradual gaining of elevation. 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 euro/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, sun glasses.

Map of visited POI's:

View route