About Bucura Lake
Bucura Lake lies in the glacial cirque of the same name in the Retezat Mountains, at 2,040 m, below Peleaga, the highest peak in the range. It is about 550 m long, covers 8.9 hectares and is up to around 15.5 m deep, which makes it the largest glacial lake in the country. It is fed by several springs coming down from the cirque, and its water drains towards Lia Lake, further down the valley.
The Bucura cirque is the largest glacial complex in the Retezat, a range nicknamed "the land of blue eyes" for its more than 50 permanent lakes. A local legend says that Bucura is the palm of a giant defeated by a young hero, and the smaller lakes around it are his fingers. The area belongs to Retezat National Park, Romania's first national park, created in 1935 and declared a biosphere reserve in 1979.
This is not a roadside stop: no car can get here, and the shortest path climbs for about two hours from Poiana Pelegii. On the shore there is a Salvamont mountain rescue refuge and one of the few places in the park where tents are allowed, so many people come for a night or two and set off from here to the ridges.
What you can see
The lake is enclosed by granite walls, scree and alpine meadows, with patches of snow that sometimes last into summer. On the valley side of the shore are the Salvamont refuge and the camping area, with the low stone walls that hikers have built as windbreaks for their tents.
Smaller lakes are strung out around Bucura: Lia and Ana down the valley, Viorica and Florica, then Bucurel, Tăul Agățat and Tăul Porții towards the ridge, all linked by a waymarked circuit. From the cirque, paths climb to the Bucura saddle (Curmătura Bucurii) and, through the Căldarea Berbecilor cirque, to Peleaga Peak (2,509 m); chamois are often seen along the way.
Good to know
This is a full-day or two-day hike, not a short visit. The forest road to the trailhead is rough, the weather at 2,000 m can change quickly, and in winter and spring the area is covered in snow and practically out of reach for ordinary hikers.
- The view down over the lake and the whole cirque, from the Bucura saddle or from the path up to Peleaga Peak.
- The circuit of the cirque's lakes, past Lia, Ana, Viorica, Florica, Tăul Agățat and Tăul Porții.
- The climb through the Căldarea Berbecilor cirque to Peleaga Peak (2,509 m), the highest summit in the Retezat.
- A night under canvas on the lakeshore, in the camping area next to the Salvamont refuge.
- Chamois on the surrounding slopes, easiest to spot in the morning with binoculars.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: there is no road to the lake; you leave the car at one of the trailheads. The shortest approach is from the south-west: from Hațeg towards Râu de Mori and Brazi, then along the DJ685 up the Râul Mare valley for ~23 paved km to the Gura Apelor dam (the county road has been undergoing upgrade works since 2024). From the dam, past the national park barrier, there are ~20 km of rough, unpaved forest road to Gura Bucurii, recommended only for high-clearance vehicles. From Gura Bucurii it is 15 minutes on foot to Poiana Pelegii, then the path marked with a blue stripe (together with a red cross) climbs the Bucura valley for about 2 hours to the lake, from ~1,630 m to ~2,040 m. On the north side the starting point is Cârnic (from Ohaba de sub Piatră on the DJ667A through Nucșoara, the last stretch unpaved): follow the blue stripe past the Pietrele and Gențiana chalets and Pietrele Lake up to the Bucura saddle (Curmătura Bucurii), from where it is about 45 minutes down to the lake; it is a long day, which can be split in two, with a night at the Pietrele or Gențiana chalets or in a tent.
Public transport: there are no scheduled services to the trailheads. Regional trains stop at Ohaba de sub Piatră, which is still several kilometres below Cârnic, with no scheduled transport; there is no public transport to Gura Bucurii.
- Where to park
At the end of the forest road, at Gura Bucurii, there is a basic car park with no facilities, 15 minutes' walk from Poiana Pelegii and about two and a quarter hours from the lake. On the north side you park at Cârnic, where the road open to the public ends (cars are not allowed on to Pietrele).
- Fees & discounts
Entry to Retezat National Park carries a visitor fee of 10 lei per person (VAT included), valid for 7 days with any number of entries. You can buy it online (bilete.retezat.ro, Easy2Visit), by text message to 7494 (PNR1 for one ticket, €2 + VAT), at the park's access points, at the Nucșoara visitor centre or from park staff; keep the proof for inspections and save it offline, as there is no signal in many places. Under-18s, local residents and people with disabilities (as provided by law) are exempt. Camping in the permitted areas is free.
- Rules
Tents may only be pitched in designated areas — at Bucura, around the Salvamont refuge — without digging trenches or laying cut branches underneath. Open fires are forbidden; cook only on a camping stove. Swimming in the lakes and using detergents in the water are not allowed, and you must stay on waymarked trails. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. Drones may not fly without the park administration's approval, and noise (music, shouting) is forbidden. There are no bins: take everything you bring back with you. You need hiking boots, rain and wind gear, and water and food for the whole day; the Salvamont refuge is not a chalet and can only be used in exceptional situations, with the rescuers' consent. In an emergency call 112 or 0SALVAMONT (0725 826 668).
- Facilities
Salvamont refuge on the shore, staffed in summer · free camping area with no facilities · water sources along the trail · no chalet, shop or toilets at the lake · dry latrines at Poiana Pelegii and Gura Bucurii · weak or no mobile signal · not accessible for people with disabilities
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