About Capra Waterfall
Capra Waterfall, also called Iezerului Waterfall, is the waterfall the Transfăgărășan passes on the Argeș side of the Făgăraș Mountains, at about 1,690 m, between the Capra chalet and the tunnel under the ridge. The Capra stream drops roughly 40 m over a rock wall and then runs under the road, so you see it from the car before you even stop.
The stream comes from the glacial Lake Capra, in a cirque below the main ridge at over 2,200 m, and is one of the headwaters of the Argeș river. Fed by the lake and by snow that lingers on the slopes, the waterfall still has water in late summer, and in winter it only freezes over completely in very cold years.
It is one of the easiest waterfalls to see in the Carpathians: no hike, just a stop at the roadside. On the other hand, it can only be reached while the high section of the Transfăgărășan is open to traffic.
What you can see
From the bridge in front of it you see the whole fall: the water splits into several strands over rust-coloured and grey rocks, then gathers in a small boulder-strewn pool at the bottom before passing under the road. You can step down a few metres over the stones to the edge of the pool.
It is also a good place to stop for the view of the Capra valley: below are the forest and the hairpin bends down to the Capra chalet, above are the alpine meadows and scree slopes beneath the ridge.
Good to know
The waterfall lies on the Piscu Negru – Bâlea Cascadă section of the Transfăgărășan, which is usually closed from the second half of October to the end of June because of avalanches and rockfalls. While the road is closed, entering this section is forbidden on foot as well. Bears are often seen next to the road: do not feed them and do not get out of the car near them.
- The whole waterfall, seen from the Transfăgărășan bridge over the Capra stream.
- The boulder-strewn pool at the foot of the fall, a few metres from the road.
- The strands of water spread across the rock wall in the afternoon light.
- The view down the Capra valley, with the road's hairpin bends towards the Capra chalet.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the waterfall is right on the Transfăgărășan (DN7C), on the Argeș side. From the south, take the DN7C from Curtea de Argeș through Arefu, past the Vidraru dam and lake and the Capra chalet (~80 km, ~2 hours); from Bucharest, take the A1 to Pitești and then head for Curtea de Argeș. From the north, leave the DN1 (Sibiu–Brașov) for the DN7C at Cârțișoara, climb to Bâlea Lake, go through the Capra–Bâlea tunnel and descend ~5 km to the waterfall (~40 km from Cârțișoara). The section between Piscu Negru and Bâlea Cascadă is only open in summer and early autumn.
Public transport: there are no scheduled services on the mountain section. In summer a private tourist shuttle runs from Sibiu to Bâlea Cascadă, where the cable car goes up to Bâlea Lake, but from the lake to the waterfall it is another ~5 km by road, with no transport.
- Rules
The waterfall is in the Făgăraș Mountains Natura 2000 site: leave no litter and do not pick plants. Only stop where your car does not block traffic, on a narrow road that gets very busy on summer weekends. The stones by the pool are wet and slippery. Do not feed the bears (it is fined) and keep away from them. When the road is closed, entering the section is forbidden because of the avalanche risk.
- Facilities
No facilities at the waterfall · the Capra chalet, ~4 km down the road · chalets and stalls at Bâlea Lake, ~5 km up the road · weak mobile signal
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