Olt Defile

About Olt Defile

Between Turnu Roșu, near Sibiu, and Cozia, above Călimănești, the Olt cuts through the Southern Carpathians in a 47 km gorge. To the east rise the Făgăraș and Cozia Mountains, to the west the Lotru and Căpățânii Mountains. Through it run the DN7 (E81), known simply as the "Olt Valley", and the Sibiu – Râmnicu Vâlcea railway: for a driver it means almost 60 km of road along the river, between wooded slopes and rock.

The pass has been in use for almost two thousand years. The Romans had a military and trade road here, and forts such as Arutela, near Călimănești. The Austrians, who ruled Oltenia after 1718, cut the Via Carolina into the rock of the right bank, the first carriage road through the gorge. The railway was built at the end of the 19th century, and in recent decades the Olt has been dammed, so in places the road runs along reservoirs or on viaducts over the water.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from the south, from Râmnicu Vâlcea on the DN7 to Călimănești (~18 km); from Bucharest it is ~195 km on the A1 to Pitești and then the DN7 (~3 hours without traffic). From the north, from Sibiu on the A1 motorway to the Boița junction (~23 km), where the motorway ends and traffic joins the DN7. Between Călimănești and Boița it is almost 60 km, about an hour's drive in normal traffic, much longer on busy days or after accidents.

Public transport: the Sibiu – Râmnicu Vâlcea railway runs through the gorge, on the bank opposite the road, stopping in the villages along the valley; from the train you can see the gorge without the stress of driving. Coaches and minibuses between Sibiu and Râmnicu Vâlcea also use the DN7.

Where to park

Do not stop on the carriageway: the DN7 is narrow in many places and carries heavy traffic in both directions. Stop only in the lay-bys and car parks by the road, in the car park at Cozia Monastery, or in the towns and villages (Călimănești, Brezoi, Câineni, Boița). For unhurried photos, a stop at Cozia or a hike in the mountains is a better choice than the roadside.

Fees & discounts

The road is public and free, with no toll. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN7, as on every national road, and on the A1 motorway from Sibiu.

Rules

Keep to the speed limits and the solid lines: overtaking on bends, past queues of lorries, causes many accidents. On the three-lane sections, the middle lane is only for the direction marked. In work zones traffic runs one way at a time, controlled by lights or flaggers, and there may be stops of a few minutes. Stones can fall from the rocky slopes after rain; do not stop under the cliffs. Plan the drive for early morning or outside weekends and check road conditions with the CNAIR dispatch centre (021 9360).

Facilities

Petrol stations, restaurants, shops and accommodation in the towns and villages along the way, especially Călimănești-Căciulata and Brezoi · the spa town of Călimănești-Căciulata at the southern end · no public toilets on the road; at petrol stations and restaurants