Babele
Moroeni, Dâmbovița County · Muntenia
About Babele
Babele are a group of mushroom-shaped rocks on the plateau of the Bucegi Mountains, at about 2,200 m, below Baba Mare Peak. They have thick stems of softer rock and wide "caps" of harder rock: the layers of conglomerate and sandstone wore away at different rates under wind, water and repeated freezing, and the lower part thinned faster than the top. Geologists call them erosion remnants; they are protected as a natural monument within Bucegi Natural Park.
The name, meaning "the old women", comes from the silhouettes which, seen up close, recall a group of old women huddled together. Like the nearby Sphinx, they have gathered plenty of legends about Dacian altars and hidden energies, none of them scientific; erosion explains their shape perfectly well.
For decades Babele have been where almost everyone taking the cable car up from Bușteni ends up, and the paths to the Sphinx, the Caraiman Cross, Omu Peak and Peștera all start around them. Administratively they belong to the commune of Moroeni, in Dâmbovița county, even though the usual way up is from Bușteni, in Prahova.
What you can see
The rocks stand right next to the Babele chalet, surrounded by a low fence that keeps climbers off. You can walk around the group and see how each "mushroom" has its own shape: some with a flat cap spreading like eaves, others more bulbous, all with the horizontal layers of rock clearly visible and patches of orange lichen. About 200 m to the north is the Sphinx, and to the north-east, on the edge of the escarpment, you can see the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman. On a clear day the view opens towards the Leaota ridges and the Ialomița valley.
Good to know
You are above 2,200 m: the weather changes quickly, fog can cover the plateau within minutes, and the wind is cold even in summer. The cable car stops in storms and strong wind. The Babele chalet has been closed for several years.
- A walk around the group of rocks, to see how each "mushroom" changes shape from a different angle.
- The caps of hard rock, patched with orange lichen, resting on stems thinned by erosion.
- The Bucegi Sphinx, about 200 m to the north, with its human-head profile seen from the side.
- The cable car ride up from Bușteni, with the Caraiman escarpment and the Prahova Valley below you.
- The hike across the plateau to the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman, along the red cross trail.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By cable car: the easiest way up is the Bușteni–Babele cable car, which leaves from Bușteni and climbs 4.35 km, with a height difference of more than 1,200 m, in about a quarter of an hour. From the top station Babele are about 250 m to the north-west, around 5 minutes on foot, next to the Babele chalet. Another cable car runs from Babele to Peștera, for Hotel Peștera and the Ialomița Cave.
By car: Bușteni is ~135 km from Bucharest, on the DN1 via Ploiești and Sinaia, and ~45 km from Brașov, via Predeal. On the plateau, the nearest you can get by car is the Transbucegi (DJ713), from the DN71 near Sinaia to the barrier near Piatra Arsă; from there it is ~3.5 km along the forest road closed to cars (yellow stripe waymark), about an hour on foot to Babele. The upper section of the Transbucegi is closed in winter.
On foot from Bușteni: the blue cross trail climbs the Jepii Mici valley to the Caraiman chalet and on to Babele in about 4–5 hours; it is steep, with exposed stretches and chains, recommended only for experienced hikers and closed in winter. A longer option of about 5 hours, waymarked with a blue triangle, climbs the Urlătoarea Mică and Urlătoarea Mare valleys to near the Jepi hut, then follows the red triangle to below Ciocârlia Peak, from where the yellow stripe leads to Babele; it is recommended in summer only.
Public transport: Bucharest–Brașov trains stop at Bușteni station; from there it is ~2 km to the lower cable car station.
- Where to park
You cannot drive to Babele. If you take the cable car, park in Bușteni around the lower station, where there are several car parks, some of them paid; on summer weekends they fill up early, and so does the queue for the cable car. If you come via the Transbucegi, leave the car at the end of the tarmac, by the barrier at Piatra Arsă, or at the Piatra Arsă chalet.
- Fees & discounts
There is no entry ticket for Babele. Visiting Bucegi Natural Park costs 10 lei per person (from age 14), with a ticket valid for 3 months, bought online or in cash from the rangers; it is not included in the cable car ticket. Bușteni–Babele cable car (2026 fares): single ascent or descent 105 lei, return 199 lei; children aged 5–12 pay 49 lei each way and 85 lei return; children under 5 travel free. Bușteni–Babele–Peștera return: 249 lei (children 109 lei).
- Rules
You are in Bucegi Natural Park and Babele are a natural monument: do not climb the rocks (they are fenced off), do not write on or scratch them, leave no litter, do not light fires and do not camp outside the signposted sites. In fog it is easy to get lost on the plateau, so do not leave Babele without a map or GPS. Bring warm and waterproof clothing even in summer; for the trails from Bușteni you need hiking boots and an early start. Mountain rescue: 0SALVAMONT (0725 826 668) or 112.
- Facilities
bar at the top cable car station · Babele chalet closed for several years · chalets at Piatra Arsă and Caraiman · patchy mobile signal on the plateau
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