The beauty of the Transfagarasan route

COJOCARU ALEXANDRU

THE TRANSFĂGĂRĂŞAN ROAD IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND SPECTACULAR ROAD IN ROMANIA AND EVEN IN EUROPE.

THE WONDERFUL PANORAMAS OF THE FAGARAS MOUNTAINS AND COUNTLESS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS MAKE IT A DREAM SHOW.

THE ROUTE IS 151 KILOMETERS AND IT GOES UP TO THE MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 2042 METERS AT BÂLEA LAC. IN WINTER, FROM BALEA CASCADA YOU CAN REACH BALEA LAKE BY CABLE CAR.

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Curtea de Arges

THE ONLY CITY ON THE TRANSFĂGĂRĂŞAN ROUTE IS CURTEA DE ARGEŞ, WHERE YOU CAN VISIT THE MONASTERY OF THE SAME NAME, BUILT AT THE COMMAND OF THE PRINCE NEAGOE BASARAB. NUMEROUS LEGENDS ARE RELATED TO THIS PLACE, AMONG WHICH THE MOST FAMOUS IS THE LEGEND OF MANOLE AND HIS WIFE ANA. HERE ARE ALSO THE GRAVES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF ROMANIA.

The Poenari Fortress

THE POENARI FORTRESS IS A 14TH-CENTURY HISTORICAL MONUMENT, SITUATED ON A MOUNTAIN PEAK THAT DOMINATES THE KEYS OF ARGES. THE POENARI FORTRESS HAS FIVE DEFENSIVE TOWERS AND FORTRESS WALLS ARE 2-3 METERS THICK. TO GET TO THE FORTRESS RUINS YOU MUST CLIMB 1480 STEPS. ONCE YOU GET UP THE PICTURES YOU CAN SEE WILL FASCINATE YOU.

Stan Valley�

IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CANYON IN ROMANIA.

STAN VALLEY IS A ROUTE SET UP WITH STAIRS AND CABLES, A REAL CHALLENGE FOR THE BRAVE ONE. THE ROUTE TAKES ABOUT 4 HOURS AND IS DONE IN THE CIRCUIT, BOTH THE ENTRANCE AND THE EXIT BEING ON THE TRANSFAGARASAN ROAD.

THIS ROUTE TRAVERSES A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES WITH WATERFALLS, TALL CLIFFS AND RICH VEGETATION.

The Vidraru Barrage

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ON TRANSFAGARASAN, THE VIDRARU BARRAGE AND THE RESERVOIR LAKE IS A SPECIAL PLACE WHERE YOU CAN ADMIRE THE NATURAL BEAUTIES AND THE IMPOSING CONSTRUCTIONS MADE BY PEOPLE.

THE VIDRARU DAM WAS BUILT IN 1965 AND AT THAT TIME WAS RANKED EIGHT IN THE TOP OF THE HIGHEST IN EUROPE. IT HAS A HEIGHT OF OVER 160 METERS, AND THE TRANSFAGARASAN ROAD PASSES THROUGH A TUNNEL BY THE DAM.

Iezer Falls

THIS WATERFALL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE IEZER FALLS.

IT IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF FAGARAS MOUNTAIN AT 1960 METERS ALTITUDE. THE WATER FALLS FROM A HEIGHT OF OVER 40 METERS, BEING SUPPLIED BY THE GLACIAL LAKE OF THE SAME NAME. IT DOES NOT FREEZE EXCEPT IN VERY COLD WINTERS.

IN ORDER TO ADMIRE IT IN ALL ITS SPLENDOR, YOU MUST CLIMB THE BRIDGE SET RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE WATERFALL.

Bâlea Lac��

THE MOST VISITED PLACE ON THE TRANSFĂGĂRĂŞAN IS BÂLEA LAC. BECAUSE IT IS THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE ROUTE, HERE YOU CAN FIND SNOW EVEN IN AUGUST.

THE LAKE HAS A DEPTH OF MORE THAN 11 METERS AND THE AREA AROUND IT HAS BEEN DECLARED A SCIENTIFIC RESERVE.

HERE YOU CAN FIND MANY CHALETS AND DURING THE WINTER, AN ICE HOTEL WITH A BAR AND EVEN A CHURCH IS BUILT NEAR THE LAKE, ALL BUILT WITH HUGE BLOCKS OF ICE TAKEN OUT OF THE LAKE.

Bâlea Lac��

�Cascada Balea

THE BALEA WATERFALL IS SITUATED BETWEEN THE PEAKS MOLDOVEANU AND NEGOIU AND FALLS FROM A HEIGHT OF OVER 60 METERS.

TO REACH THIS SPECTACULAR WATERFALL YOU MUST FOLLOW A ROUTE THAT TAKES ABOUT 50 MINUTES.