The longest ski slope in Romania and the other records: the largest ski area, the highest, the hardest
The longest ski slope in Romania is the Straja run (Pârtia Straja), in the Straja resort above Lupeni: 8.1 km, from Straja peak (1,868 m) down to 750 m, with a 1,118 m vertical drop, according to the ski area's technical data sheet. It is a red run of medium difficulty, not a black one. Next come the descent of about 6 km at Transalpina Ski Resort and Drumul Roșu in Poiana Brașov, at 4,752 m.
Below, each record is taken in turn: the length of a single run, the kilometres of a ski area, altitude, vertical drop and difficulty. The rankings only include the ski areas that publish their figures; where an area does not, this is stated. For the list of all the resorts, by area, see the guide to ski slopes in Romania.
In short
- The longest ski slope in Romania is the Straja run, 8.1 km long, which descends from 1,868 m on Straja peak to 750 m, at the gondola in Lupeni, according to the Straja ski area's technical data sheet.
- The Straja run also has the largest published vertical drop for a single run in Romania: 1,118 m, with a medium (red) difficulty rating.
- By length, it is followed by the descent of about 6 km at Transalpina Ski Resort, from Vârful Bora (2,000 m) down to the base, and Drumul Roșu in Poiana Brașov, at 4,752 m.
- The largest ski areas by published kilometres are Sinaia (26.9 km), Straja (about 26 km) and Poiana Brașov (about 24 km).
- The highest runs are in Sinaia, up to 2,090 m, followed by Șureanu Ski Area (2,010 m) and Transalpina Ski Resort (2,000 m).
- The longest black run with a published data sheet is Lupului in Poiana Brașov: 2,605 m with a 728 m vertical drop; the steepest on average, among those with figures, is the short Kanzel run in the same resort.
Romania's ski slope records at a glance
"Longest" and "largest" are not the same thing. Length is measured on a single run, from start to finish. The size of a ski area is the total kilometres of its runs, and the vertical drop is the vertical distance between the start and the finish. Each operator publishes its own figures, some with technical data sheets for every run, others only with a rounded total, and some not at all.
The table puts the records side by side. The figures are the operators', from the data sheets on their websites, or those of the attraction pages on this site, where the operator does not publish a data sheet.
| Criterion | Run or ski area | Figure | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longest run | Straja run (Straja, Hunedoara) | 8.1 km | medium (red) |
| Largest vertical drop on a single run | Straja run | 1,118 m (1,868 → 750 m) | medium (red) |
| Largest ski area, by km | Sinaia (Prahova) | 26.9 km of runs | all levels |
| Highest altitude | Sinaia, Cota 2000 area | 2,090 m | — |
| Longest black run | Lupului (Poiana Brașov) | 2,605 m, 728 m vertical drop | difficult (black) |
| Steepest on average, with published figures | Kanzel (Poiana Brașov) | 297 m long, 109 m vertical drop | difficult (black) |
Figures from the technical data sheets of the Straja (skistraja.ro) and Poiana Brașov (discoverpoiana.ro) ski areas, checked on 3 November 2026; Sinaia, from the resort's page on this site. Rankings only include the ski areas that publish the figure.
Which is the longest ski slope in Romania
The longest ski slope in Romania is the Straja run, 8.1 km long, in the Straja ski area. The operator lists it as a separate run, numbered I on the map: it starts on Straja peak, at 1,868 m, and ends at 750 m, at the bottom station of the gondola in Lupeni. It came about, the ski area's data sheet says, after the gondola and the chairlift up Straja peak were built, linking the top of the mountain with the town. It is marked red (medium difficulty) and has artificial snow.
In second place, by the published figures, is the descent at Transalpina Ski Resort, near Lake Vidra: the operator gives a "total run length" of about 6 km, from Vârful Bora (2,000 m) down to the base (1,350 m), partly above the treeline and partly through the forest, alongside the gondola. In third place is Drumul Roșu in Poiana Brașov, at 4,752 m, the longest in the resort, marked medium-easy.
| Run | Ski area | Length | Vertical drop | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straja | Straja | 8.1 km | 1,118 m | medium (red) |
| Descent from Vârful Bora | Transalpina Ski Resort | ~6 km | ~650 m | red, with a black variant |
| Drumul Roșu | Poiana Brașov | 4,752 m | 715 m | medium-easy |
| Telegondola | Straja | ~3,200 m | ~593 m | medium (red) |
| Vâlsanu | Muntele Mic | 1,800–3,000 m, depending on the variant | 400 m | red |
| Pârtia Rarău | Câmpulung Moldovenesc | 2.84 km | 455 m | medium |
| Sulinar | Poiana Brașov | 2,820 m | 635 m | medium |
| Pârtia Albastră | Cavnic | 2,700 m | — | easy to medium |
| Lupului | Poiana Brașov | 2,605 m | 728 m | difficult (black) |
| Sorica | Azuga | 2.1 km | 561 m | — |
Operators' technical data sheets (skistraja.ro, transalpinaski.ro, discoverpoiana.ro, weski.ro, superskicavnic.ro), checked on 3 November 2026; Rarău and Azuga, from their pages on this site. The vertical drop at Transalpina is the one between the base and the summit. At Șureanu, the longest run on the list (A3) is 2,060 m.
The largest ski area in Romania
When someone asks which is "the largest ski resort in Romania", the measurable answer is the total kilometres of runs. The top three are almost level: Sinaia, with 26.9 km of runs between Cota 1000 and Cota 2000 (22 runs), Straja, with about 26 km in 12 runs, 20 km of them with artificial snow, and Poiana Brașov, with about 24 km after the modernisation of the 2010s (12 runs).
Next is Șureanu Ski Area, with ten runs adding up to 12.31 km, according to the operator. At Muntele Mic, the operator weSKI advertises "over 20 km of slopes", with variants and freeride areas, but the five runs on its list add up to about 8 km at most, so the figure is left out of the ranking. Differences of a kilometre or two come from how each operator counts variants and links, not from extra runs.
| Ski area | Km of runs | Cable lifts | Highest altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinaia | 26.9 | 9 | 2,090 m |
| Straja | ~26 (12 runs) | 11 | 1,868 m |
| Poiana Brașov | ~24 (12 runs) | 10 | 1,783 m |
| Șureanu | 12.31 (10 runs) | 3 | 2,010 m |
| Borșa Resort | 6.45 | — | 1,633 m |
| Rânca | over 6 | 6 | 1,900 m |
| Transalpina Ski Resort | ~6 (one descent) | 5 | 2,000 m |
| Parâng Resort | 5.5 | — | — |
From the attraction pages on this site and the operators' websites (skistraja.ro, discoverpoiana.ro, skiranca.ro, transalpinaski.ro), checked on 3 November 2026. Cavnic, Azuga, Predeal, Păltiniș and Vatra Dornei do not publish a total in km.
The highest ski slope and the highest ski resort
The highest runs are in Sinaia, up to 2,090 m, in the alpine area at Cota 2000, reached by cable car and gondola. Just below them are Șureanu Ski Area, with runs that start above the treeline, at 2,010 m, between Șureanu peak (2,059 m) and Aușel peak (2,009 m), and Transalpina Ski Resort, with the drag lift up to Vârful Bora, at 2,000 m. On the peaks above 2,000 m around Lake Vidra, the snow usually lasts until May.
The altitude of the base matters for snow: of the ski areas that publish their base altitude, the highest is at Rânca, where the runs start at 1,600 m and climb to 1,900 m. As resorts, Rânca and Muntele Mic both sit at about 1,600 m. The highest town in Romania is Predeal, at 1,030–1,110 m, with the Clăbucet and Cocoșului runs.
The largest vertical drop on a single run
The vertical drop tells you how far down you go and, together with the length, how long the descent takes. Here the Straja run comes first again, with 1,118 m, almost 400 m more than the next run with a published data sheet. Across whole ski areas, the largest difference between base and summit is at Sinaia, from 1,026 m to 2,090 m, but over several connected runs, with different lifts.
Among the runs with a published data sheet, next come Lupului (728 m) and Drumul Roșu (715 m) in Poiana Brașov, the descent at Transalpina (about 650 m), Sorica in Azuga (561 m, over 2.1 km, through the forest down to the gondola base) and the Rarău Ski Slope (455 m, over 2.84 km). At Borșa Resort, the two runs of about 3 km each descend from 1,633 m to 847 m, and the Olympic run is certified by the International Ski Federation for slalom and giant slalom.
The hardest ski slope in Romania and the black runs
There is no official difficulty ranking: each operator assigns the colour, and the maximum gradient is not published anywhere. What can be compared are the runs marked black (difficult) that have a data sheet with length and vertical drop.
The longest black run with published figures is Lupului (Lupului Superior on the data sheet) in Poiana Brașov: 2,605 m, from 1,703 m to 975 m, with a 728 m vertical drop. The same resort has Subteleferic, difficult, at 2,200 m and 650 m, and Kanzel, only 297 m long but with a 109 m vertical drop, the steepest on average of the runs with a data sheet (about 37 vertical metres per 100 metres of run). In Straja, the black runs are Lupului (519 m, 163 m vertical drop) and Canal (about 1.4 km), set up for snowboarding and skiable until April.
Other places with black runs or variants, without a data sheet giving the gradient: Harghita Mădăraș Ski Area (700 m), Mărișel Ski Slopes, Muntele Băișorii, Păltiniș (Dăneasa), Piatra Grăitoare Ski Slope, Râușor Ski Area and Transalpina. At Cavnic, Rainer 1 is marked difficult, and at Predeal, Cocoșului is described as steep and technical.
| Black run | Ski area | Length | Vertical drop | Average gradient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lupului | Poiana Brașov | 2,605 m | 728 m | ~28% |
| Subteleferic | Poiana Brașov | 2,200 m | 650 m | ~30% |
| Kanzel | Poiana Brașov | 297 m | 109 m | ~37% |
| Lupului | Straja | 519 m | 163 m | ~31% |
| Canal | Straja | ~1,400 m | ~180 m | ~13% |
Technical data sheets from discoverpoiana.ro and skistraja.ro, checked on 3 November 2026. The average gradient is calculated here, as the vertical drop divided by the length; the steepest sections of a run are steeper than the average.
Run, descent or ski area: what is being compared
Figures in the press and on forums often mix up three things. A run has a name or a number on the ski area map and a data sheet: start, finish, length. A descent can link several runs, like the one at Transalpina, which the operator gives as a total length from summit to base. A ski area adds up all the runs, sometimes including the link runs and variants, which is why rounded totals ("over 20 km") cannot be compared with a list of measured runs.
The Straja run is a special case: the operator lists it as a run in its own right, not as a sum of runs, so the 8.1 km is the length of a single run on the ski area map. If a ski area does not publish the length of its runs (no per-run data sheet was found for Sinaia, and Cavnic only gives a few), a record "for the whole of Romania" cannot be backed up; that is why the tables here say "among the ski areas that publish the figure".
"The longest bobsleigh run" is a different question: a bobsleigh on rails is not a ski slope, and its tracks are in the guide to sledging slopes and bobsleigh tracks.
Before you ski a record-breaking run
The longest runs are red: the Straja run and Drumul Roșu call for skiers who are confident on medium slopes, and a descent with more than 1,000 m of vertical drop tires the legs even at a medium grade. The lifts at the top (the chairlift on Straja peak, the drag lift on Vârful Bora, Cota 2000 in Sinaia) stop in strong wind, so the record run may be closed even when the rest of the ski area is running.
The daily slope conditions, opening hours and ski pass prices are on the page of each ski area, which links to the official website and webcams. If you are just starting out, choose with the guide to ski slopes for beginners; for a resort by area, see how to choose a resort.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the longest ski slope in Romania?
- The Straja run, in the Straja resort (Hunedoara), 8.1 km long, from 1,868 m on Straja peak down to 750 m, at the gondola in Lupeni, according to the ski area's data sheet (November 2026). It is a red run, of medium difficulty.
- What is the longest slope in Poiana Brașov?
- Drumul Roșu, 4,752 m long, with a 715 m vertical drop and a medium-easy difficulty rating, according to the ski area's data sheet. It is the third longest in Romania, after the Straja run and the descent at Transalpina Ski Resort.
- What is the largest ski resort in Romania?
- By published kilometres of runs: Sinaia (26.9 km), Straja (about 26 km) and Poiana Brașov (about 24 km), almost level. Șureanu Ski Area follows, with 12.31 km.
- What is the highest ski slope in Romania?
- The runs in Sinaia, which climb up to 2,090 m in the Cota 2000 area. Next come Șureanu, from 2,010 m, and Transalpina Ski Resort, up to Vârful Bora, at 2,000 m.
- What is the hardest ski slope in Romania?
- There is no official ranking. Among the black runs with a published data sheet, the longest and the one with the largest vertical drop is Lupului in Poiana Brașov (2,605 m, 728 m), and the steepest on average is Kanzel, in the same resort (297 m, 109 m).
- Where are the black runs in Romania?
- In Poiana Brașov (Lupului, Subteleferic, Kanzel), Straja (Lupului, Canal), Harghita Mădăraș, Mărișel, Muntele Băișorii, Păltiniș (Dăneasa), Piatra Grăitoare, Râușor and Transalpina Ski Resort (a black variant). At Cavnic, Rainer 1 is marked difficult.
- Is the Straja run suitable for beginners?
- Not for the first few days: it is marked red (medium) and descends 1,118 m over 8.1 km. In Straja, beginners have short runs, with a magic carpet on the Baloo run.
Sources
All guides
- Ski slopes in Romania: the ski resorts and ski areas by region, with a map
- When the ski slopes open and where the snow comes first: the ski season in Romania
- Sledging, alpine coasters and tubing in Romania: where to go with a sledge
- The nearest ski slopes to Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași, Timișoara and Oradea: distances for a day of skiing
- Beginner and kids' ski slopes in Romania: where to learn to ski, ski schools and slope colours
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- Ice caves and underground glaciers in Romania: Scărișoara, Focul Viu, Vârtop, Borsec
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- The largest cave in Romania and the other records: the longest, the deepest, the oldest show cave
- The nearest cave to Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj, Sibiu, Oradea and Timișoara: distances for a day trip
- Famous caves in Romania you cannot visit: Movile, Topolnița, Vântului, Coliboaia, Peștera cu Oase (and what to see instead)
- Stalactites and stalagmites: what they are, how a cave forms and where to see them in Romania
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- Danube Delta trip: one, two or three days, where to start and how to get to Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe
- Things to do in Tulcea: what to see in the city and around it
- Birds and wildlife of the Danube Delta: pelicans, where and when to see them
- Visiting the Danube Delta for the first time: the access permit, mosquitoes and when to go
- Fishing in the Danube Delta: the fishing permit, the 2026 closed season and where you may fish
- Sulina or Sfântu Gheorghe? The beaches of the Danube Delta (and Gura Portiței)
- Deltas near Bucharest: Văcărești, Comana (the Neajlov Delta) and Balta Mică a Brăilei
- The Romanian Black Sea coast: the resorts in order, north to south, with a map
- The best beaches in Romania (and the Blue Flag ones)
- The Black Sea season in Romania: when it opens, how long it lasts and when the water is warmest
- Wild beaches on the Romanian coast: Corbu, Vadu, Tuzla and the south
- Which Romanian seaside resort to choose: for young people, families, quiet, budget
- The Romanian seaside with kids: resorts, shallow beaches and what to do off the beach
- Things to do in Constanța: what to see in the city, on the seafront and nearby
- Jellyfish, sharks and lifeguard flags in the Black Sea
- Salt mines in Romania: the complete guide to the salt mines you can visit
- The largest, the deepest and the oldest salt mine in Romania
- The nearest salt mine to Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași, Timișoara, Oradea, Constanța and other cities
- Salt mines with children and babies: from what age, which one suits, what to bring
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- Visiting a salt mine for the first time: temperature, clothing, how long, lift or bus, dogs
- Salt lakes and salt baths in Romania: where to swim, season and prices
- Salt mine therapy in Romania: what the operators say, how long to stay, which mines have a treatment base