# Dâmbovicioara Gorge

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Argeș County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/arges) › [Dâmbovicioara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/dambovicioara)

> A 2.4 km limestone gorge carved by the Dâmbovicioara stream on the southern edge of Piatra Craiului National Park, with the road from Podu Dâmboviței to Dâmbovicioara running through it.

**At a glance:** Gorges and canyons in Dâmbovicioara, Argeș County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 2 November 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The gorge is crossed by the DJ730, a public road open at all times.
- **Ticket:** public road, no toll
- **Visit duration:** 45 min — with a walk through the gorge
- **With kids:** Yes — watch out for cars on the road
- **Best season:** All year round — the road is open all year
- **Address:** DJ730, between the villages of Podu Dâmboviței and Dâmbovicioara, Dâmbovicioara, Argeș County
- **Coordinates:** 45.41861, 25.20917
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheile_D%C3%A2mbovicioarei
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12723936
- **Categories:** [Gorges and canyons](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gorges-and-canyons), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/national-parks-and-reserves)

## About Dâmbovicioara Gorge

The Dâmbovicioara Gorge was cut by the Dâmbovicioara stream into the southern edge of the Piatra Craiului massif, just above the village of Podu Dâmboviței, where the stream flows into the Dâmbovița. It is 2.4 km long and the best-known stretch of the valley, with vertical walls leaving barely enough room for the stream and the road. At the confluence at its lower end, at 735 m, lies the lowest point of Piatra Craiului National Park.

The gorge was formed by surface water and underground water working together. Compared with the Zărnești Gorge, in the north-east of the park, it evolved faster, because faults in the rock drew the water underground. The limestone was dissolved and worn away, and around 50 caves have formed in the area.

### What you can see

The county road that climbs from Podu Dâmboviței towards the villages of Dâmbovicioara and Ciocanu enters the gorge a short way from the main road and runs between the limestone walls, with the stream rushing alongside. On the walls, stretches of limestone and conglomerate follow one another, and higher up the rocks end in ridges and towers covered with spruce and beech. The gorge is best seen on foot, along the edge of the road. Further up the valley, beyond the village of Dâmbovicioara, is [Dâmbovicioara Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-dambovicioara), and the [Rucăr–Bran Corridor](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/culoarul-rucar-bran) passes the lower end of the gorge.

## Don't miss

- The entrance to the gorge from Podu Dâmboviței, where the road passes between two vertical limestone walls.
- The alternating stretches of limestone and conglomerate on the walls of the gorge.
- The Dâmbovicioara stream, with its rapids, running beside the road along the whole gorge.
- Dâmbovicioara Cave, ~4 km further up the valley, beyond the village of Dâmbovicioara.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the gorge lies ~2 km from the DN73 (the Rucăr–Bran Corridor): in the village of Podu Dâmboviței, turn onto the DJ730 towards Dâmbovicioara. From Brașov it is ~60 km (~1 hr 15) on the DN73, via Râșnov and Bran; from Câmpulung ~29 km (~40 min), via Rucăr; from Pitești ~83 km (~2 hours); from Bucharest ~200 km (~3 hrs 10). The DJ730 is paved.

**On foot:** from Podu Dâmboviței, at the junction with the DN73, you can walk up through the gorge along the edge of the road.

### Fees & discounts

The road through the gorge is public and free. The gorge lies in Piatra Craiului National Park, whose visitor fee is 10 lei per person, valid for 7 days (season pass 40 lei); children under 14 do not pay. Tickets are sold online, on the park's website, or at the machines in Zărnești and Plaiul Foii.

### Rules

The gorge is in the national park: do not pick flowers, leave no litter, light fires only in designated places and camp only in specially designated spots. On hiking routes, keep to the marked trails. Cars, motorbikes and ATVs are not allowed off the roads open to traffic.

### Facilities

Tourist information centre in Podu Dâmboviței · guesthouses in Podu Dâmboviței and Dâmbovicioara · no toilets or other facilities in the gorge

## Details

- **Protected area type:** national park
- **Part of:** Piatra Craiului National Park
- **Length:** 2.4 km
- **Watercourse:** Dâmbovicioara stream
- **Accessible by car:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Dâmbovicioara Gorge

**What are the opening hours of Dâmbovicioara Gorge?**

Opening hours at Dâmbovicioara Gorge: daily open 24 hours. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Dâmbovicioara Gorge take?**

A visit to Dâmbovicioara Gorge takes about 45 min (with a walk through the gorge).

**Can you visit Dâmbovicioara Gorge with kids?**

Yes, Dâmbovicioara Gorge is suitable for children (watch out for cars on the road).

**How do I get to Dâmbovicioara Gorge?**

Dâmbovicioara Gorge is located at DJ730, between the villages of Podu Dâmboviței and Dâmbovicioara, Dâmbovicioara, Argeș County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Dâmbovicioara Gorge?**

The best season for Dâmbovicioara Gorge: All year round (the road is open all year).

## Nearby attractions

- [Dâmbovicioara Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/dambovicioara-cave) — Caves · Dâmbovicioara, AG · 30 min · Top 100 · 4 km
  A small, easy-to-visit cave on the Rucăr–Bran corridor, in Piatra Craiului National Park: a dry gallery carved by the Dâmbovicioara stream, with about 250 m laid out and lit.
- [Rucăr–Bran Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/rucar-bran-pass) — Scenic roads · Brașov County · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 7 km
  The pass between Piatra Craiului and the Bucegi: the DN73 climbs from Rucăr onto the Fundata plateau, over the Giuvala Pass at about 1,260 m, and descends to Bran past hamlets scattered on the ridges.
- [Saint George Wooden Church in Dragoslavele](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/saint-george-wooden-church-in-dragoslavele) — Churches · Dragoslavele, AG · 45 min · 11 km
  A wooden church moved twice, with a tall bell-tower spire and folk-style painting, in the grounds of Dragoslavele Hermitage on the hill north of the village.
- [Bat Cave at Moieciu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bat-cave-at-moieciu) — Caves · Peștera, BV · 45 min · 15 km
  A natural cave 162 m long in the village of Peștera, Moieciu commune: a natural monument with bat colonies and traces of Palaeolithic occupation, a few minutes' walk from the village.
- [Zărnești Gorge (Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/zarnesti-gorge) — Gorges and canyons · Zărnești, BV · 10 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · 17 km
  A dry limestone gorge in Piatra Craiului National Park, with vertical walls and layers of Jurassic limestone, walked on an easy forest road that also suits children.
- [Mateiaș Mausoleum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mateias-mausoleum) — Monuments and historic sites · Valea Mare-Pravăț, AG · 11 lei · 45 min · 20 km
  The First World War heroes' mausoleum on Mateiaș Hill, built between 1928 and 1935 beside the DN73 on the site of the autumn 1916 fighting, with an ossuary, a bas-relief and two museum rooms.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/dambovicioara-gorge
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Last updated: 2 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania