About Transfăgărășan
The Transfăgărășan (DN7C) links Wallachia with Transylvania over the main ridge of the Făgăraș Mountains, running 151 kilometres between Bascov, near Pitești, and Cârțișoara, where it meets the DN1. It was built by the army between 1970 and 1974 on Nicolae Ceaușescu's orders, as a strategic road across the mountains after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. It opened on 20 September 1974, although paving was only finished in 1980.
The work came at a high price: thousands of tonnes of dynamite, and officially 40 soldiers died on the site; workers from that time speak of many more. The route has 27 viaducts and five tunnels, including the Capra–Bâlea tunnel, almost 900 metres long and the longest road tunnel in the country. The highest point, 2,042 m, is next to the entrance of this tunnel.
International fame came in 2009, when the TV show Top Gear named it "the best road in the world". Since then, the hairpin bends on the northern side have become some of the most photographed places in Romania.
What you can see
From the south, the road climbs the Argeș valley past Poenari Citadel, linked to Vlad the Impaler, and runs across the top of the 166 m high Vidraru dam, next to the statue of Prometheus. Then come almost 20 km along the shore of Lake Vidraru, followed by the climb through the forest and up the Capra valley, with ever tighter bends above the tree line.
Beyond the tunnel you reach Bâlea Lake, a glacial lake with chalets on its shore and trails leading up to the Făgăraș ridge. The descent to the north is the famous part: loops stacked one above the other down the Bâlea valley, seen from above at the rim of the cirque, all the way to Bâlea Cascadă, where a cable car climbs back up to the lake.
Good to know
The high section, between Piscu Negru and Bâlea Cascadă, is closed in winter (usually from the second half of October to the end of June) and, while open, can only be driven in daylight hours. Bears are often seen next to the road.
- The hairpin bends on the northern side, seen from above at the rim of the Bâlea cirque, next to the lake.
- The glacial Bâlea Lake, above 2,000 m, with the chalets on its shore and the paths up to the ridge.
- The top of the Vidraru dam, with the view down the Argeș gorge and the statue of Prometheus.
- The Capra–Bâlea tunnel, almost 900 m long, which takes the road under the Făgăraș ridge.
- The cable car between Bâlea Cascadă and Bâlea Lake, over the valley climbed by the hairpin bends.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from the south, take the A1 from Bucharest to Pitești, then the DN7C through Curtea de Argeș and Arefu; it is ~85 km from Curtea de Argeș to Bâlea Lake. From the north, leave the DN1 (Sibiu–Brașov) for the DN7C at Cârțișoara, ~45 km from Sibiu and ~100 km from Brașov; from there it is 22 km to Bâlea Cascadă and 35 km to Bâlea Lake.
Public transport: there are no scheduled services on the mountain section. A private tourist shuttle (Bâlea Bus) runs from Sibiu to Bâlea Cascadă, where you can take the cable car up to the lake.
- Where to park
The car parks at Bâlea Lake are paid and fill up quickly on summer weekends; on busy days people also park along the roadside. There are more places to stop at the Vidraru dam, at Bâlea Cascadă next to the cable car station, and at several viewpoints along the route.
- Fees & discounts
The road is free, with no toll. Parking at Bâlea Lake, the Bâlea Cascadă – Bâlea Lake cable car and entry to Poenari Citadel are paid separately; prices change from year to year, so check them on the spot.
- Rules
Driving on the high section is prohibited between 21:00 and 07:00. Feeding bears is illegal and carries fines of 10,000–30,000 lei; do not get out of the car near them, and report them to the authorities. The weather changes fast at altitude (fog, torrential rain), and the road is closed temporarily when it is dangerous. Fill up before the climb and bring warm clothes even in summer for Bâlea Lake.
- Facilities
Chalets with restaurants at Bâlea Lake and Bâlea Cascadă · public toilets at Bâlea Lake · Salvamont mountain rescue post at Bâlea Lake · Bâlea Cascadă – Bâlea Lake cable car · stalls with local produce along the route
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