Zbuciumată Waterfall

About Zbuciumată Waterfall

At a glance: Waterfalls in Nucșoara, Argeș County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 30 min. Information verified on 4 October 2026.

Zbuciumată (or Zbuciumatu) Waterfall is the tallest of the waterfalls in Valea Rea, the valley in the Făgăraș Mountains used by the shortest route up Moldoveanu, Romania's highest peak. The water drops almost 100 m in three tiers down a near-vertical wall, at around 1,800 m, before joining the Valea Rea stream right by the Stâna lui Burnei sheepfold.

The water comes from the glacial Galbena cirque, below the peak of the same name, where the Galbena stream collects the outflow of several small lakes. As it leaves the cirque the stream throws itself into the series of falls and changes its name to Zbuciumatu, "the restless one", after the noise it makes. The spruce forest around it, climbing almost to the lip of the wall, makes it look like a picture postcard.

Unlike Capra Waterfall by the Transfăgărășan, Zbuciumată is far from any paved road: it is reached on a long forest road, and is mostly seen by hikers setting off for Moldoveanu.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Pitești, head for Domnești and Nucșoara to the village of Slatina (~75 km, ~1 h 30), where the forest road starts, up the Doamnei valley and then Valea Rea, ~35–40 km, unpaved and potholed, to Stâna lui Burnei (~2 hours). A high-clearance car is recommended; in wet weather an ordinary car should not attempt the upper sections. In June 2025 Salvamont announced that the last 8 km were cut by gullies and could not be driven even in off-road vehicles; in that case you leave the car lower down and continue on foot. From Bucharest it is ~190 km to Slatina (~2 h 40).

Public transport: there is no transport on the forest road; the closest you can get is with the local buses from Curtea de Argeș to Nucșoara.

Where to park

Cars are left at the end of the forest road, by Stâna lui Burnei, where the trails to Moldoveanu start; on summer weekends the space fills up. While the last 8 km of the road are impassable, you park lower down, at the roadside.

Rules

The waterfall is in the Făgăraș Mountains Natura 2000 site: leave no litter, do not pick plants and do not light fires outside spots already in use. Do not try to reach the foot of the waterfall across the steep, pathless slope. Bring water, rain gear and hiking boots; the weather changes quickly and summer afternoons often bring storms. Bears live in the area: do not leave food outside your tent or car.

Facilities

No facilities at the waterfall or at Stâna lui Burnei · Salvamont refuge at Portița Viștei, on the ridge · weak or no mobile signal in the valley