About Mount Tâmpa
At a glance: Mountains and trails in Brașov, Brașov County. Opening hours: Monday 12:30 – 22:00, Tuesday–Thursday 10:30 – 22:00, Friday–Saturday 10:30 – 22:30, Sunday 10:30 – 22:00. Ticket: 45 lei. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 8 October 2026.
Tâmpa is the mountain that closes off Brașov's historic centre to the south-east: a forested limestone spur rising to 960 m, almost 400 m above Council Square. It belongs to the Postăvarul massif but is almost entirely surrounded by the city, so from the top you see the rooftops of the old walled town laid out like a map. The Saxons called it Zinne, the Hungarians Cenk; since 2004 the white “BRAȘOV” letters on its ridge have become the city's emblem.
In the Middle Ages the summit was crowned by the Brașovia citadel, one of the hardest to take in Transylvania. After the Turks held it for a while as a pledge, in the 15th century the townspeople pulled it down and used its stones for the walls in the valley. Later the mountain carried a chapel, a Russian monument and, from 1896, a 20 m statue of an Árpád-era warrior, which fell in 1913. The cable car opened in 1970 and the Panoramic restaurant beside the top station in 1975.
Most of the mountain has been a nature reserve since 1980, with beech and oak forest, rocky outcrops with rare flowers and a great many butterfly species. You can go up on foot, on the marked trails, at any time, or by the cable car, completely modernised and reopened in October 2025.
What you can see
The cable car leaves from the promenade below Tâmpa and climbs 573 m of cable, with a 320 m height difference, in about two minutes; the new cabins take 25 people. At the top you come out by the TV relay tower and the Panoramic restaurant, also renovated. From there a path through the woods leads to the viewing platform beside the “BRAȘOV” letters, on the site of the old terrace of the Bethlen Grotto restaurant, with a marble cross in the cave next to it. Below you lie Council Square, the Black Church, Șchei and, in the distance, the Bârsa Land; in the evening the letters and the city are lit up.
On foot, the most used route is the Serpentine Road, marked with a red triangle, with 25 switchbacks through the forest from the promenade below Tâmpa to the summit, in about an hour. Steeper is the Gabony Steps trail, marked with a yellow triangle, with more than 160 stone steps. On the summit you can still see the foundations of the 1896 statue's plinth and traces of the Brașovia citadel walls, in the Tâmpa saddle.
Good to know
Tâmpa is a protected area: walk only on the marked trails, and bicycles are banned on them. Shortcuts between the switchbacks erode the slope and can dislodge stones onto people below.
- The viewing platform beside the “BRAȘOV” letters, with Council Square and the Black Church straight below.
- The two-minute ride in the modernised cable car, with the old town falling away beneath the cabin.
- The Serpentine Road, with its 25 bends through the beech forest, from the promenade below Tâmpa to the summit.
- The Gabony Steps, the steep stone-stepped trail marked with a yellow triangle.
- Brașov lit up, seen from above after sunset, when the cable car runs until late in the evening.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 (~3 hours, longer at weekends through the Prahova Valley), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 via Făgăraș (~2h30) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 to Târgu Mureș, then DN13, ~4 hours). The lower cable car station is on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, the promenade below Tâmpa, which runs below the south-eastern walls of the old town, ~500 m south-east of Council Square (Piața Sfatului), about 10 minutes on foot. The Serpentine Road and the Gabony Steps also start from the same promenade.
Public transport: Brașov railway station has direct trains from Bucharest (~2h30–3 hours), Sibiu and Cluj and is ~3 km from the centre; bus 4 takes ~15 minutes to Livada Poștei / Council Square, then it is a ~10-minute walk to the cable car.
- Where to park
At the foot of Tâmpa, on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, there are paid parking spaces a few steps from the cable car; in summer and at weekends they fill up quickly. The rest of the historic centre is also a paid zone, with few spaces. You cannot drive to the summit.
- Fees & discounts
The mountain and the trails are free. Cable car (2026 fares): return 45 lei adults, 30 lei children aged 6–12; single ride (up or down) 30 lei adults, 20 lei children. Children under 6 accompanied by family ride free, and people with reduced mobility travel free of charge. Organised groups of more than 25 people get 20% off, with a request approved in advance. Tickets can also be bought online on the cable car's website.
- Rules
Tâmpa is a nature reserve: stay on the marked trails, do not cut the switchbacks, do not pick plants and do not leave litter. Bicycles are banned on the hiking trails. For the Gabony Steps wear shoes with a good grip; in winter, with snow and ice, the lower part of the trails gets slippery. At busy times groups and holders of cards bought in advance have priority boarding on the cable car.
- Facilities
Panoramic restaurant by the top cable car station · cable car with ramp and lift, wheelchair- and pushchair-accessible · viewing platforms and benches along the trails · tickets online on the cable car's website
Frequently asked questions about Mount Tâmpa
- How much is a ticket to Mount Tâmpa?
- A ticket to Mount Tâmpa costs 45 lei (cable car, return). The mountain and the trails are free. Cable car (2026 fares): return 45 lei adults, 30 lei children aged 6–12; single ride (up or down) 30 lei adults, 20 lei children. Children under 6 accompanied by family ride free, and people with reduced mobility travel free of charge. Organised groups of more than 25 people get 20% off, with a request approved in advance. Tickets can also be bought online on the cable car's website.
- What are the opening hours of Mount Tâmpa?
- Opening hours at Mount Tâmpa: Monday 12:30 – 22:00, Tuesday–Thursday 10:30 – 22:00, Friday–Saturday 10:30 – 22:30, Sunday 10:30 – 22:00. The hours above are for the cable car (Ana Teleferic, 2026): Monday 12:30–22:00, Tuesday–Thursday 10:30–22:00, Friday–Saturday 10:30–22:30, Sunday 10:30–22:00. On foot, by the marked trails, the mountain is freely accessible at any time; climbing in the dark is not recommended.
- How long does a visit to Mount Tâmpa take?
- A visit to Mount Tâmpa takes about 1½ – 2 hours (walking up and back down).
- Can you visit Mount Tâmpa with kids?
- Yes, Mount Tâmpa is suitable for children (pushchair-friendly cable car).
- Where can I park at Mount Tâmpa?
- There is paid parking at Mount Tâmpa (on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu). At the foot of Tâmpa, on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, there are paid parking spaces a few steps from the cable car; in summer and at weekends they fill up quickly. The rest of the historic centre is also a paid zone, with few spaces. You cannot drive to the summit.
- How do I get to Mount Tâmpa?
- Mount Tâmpa is located at Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, lower station of the Tâmpa cable car, Brașov, Brașov County. By car: Brașov is ~170 km from Bucharest on the DN1 (~3 hours, longer at weekends through the Prahova Valley), ~145 km from Sibiu on the DN1 via Făgăraș (~2h30) and ~270 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 to Târgu Mureș, then DN13, ~4 hours). The lower cable car station is on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, the promenade below Tâmpa, which runs below the south-eastern walls of the old town, ~500 m south-east of Council Square (Piața Sfatului), about 10 minutes on foot. The Serpentine Road and the Gabony Steps also start from the same promenade. Public transport: Brașov railway station has direct trains from Bucharest (~2h30–3 hours), Sibiu and Cluj and is ~3 km from the centre; bus 4 takes ~15 minutes to Livada Poștei / Council Square, then it is a ~10-minute walk to the cable car.
- When is the best time to visit Mount Tâmpa?
- The best season for Mount Tâmpa: All year round (evening, with the city lit up).
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