Păltiniș

About Păltiniș

Păltiniș is Sibiu's mountain resort, set at 1,442 m on the northern slope of the Cindrel Mountains, about 32 km from the city. The idea of a high-altitude resort near Sibiu was launched in 1885 within the Transylvanian Carpathian Society (SKV), the Saxon hikers' club, and the site was chosen in 1890, beside a spring the Germans called Hohe Rinne ("the upper trough"); this gave the resort its German name, while the Romanian one comes from the nearby peak. The spa house, built in Tyrolean alpine style, was inaugurated on 10 June 1894, and that date is regarded as the birth of the country's oldest mountain resort.

In the following years came the tourist house, the first wooden villas and the road from Rășinari, completed in 1902. Administratively, Păltiniș is a village belonging to the city of Sibiu, although it does not border the city. The philosopher Constantin Noica lived here in the last years of his life, gathering young intellectuals around him in what became known as the "Păltiniș School"; he was buried in December 1987 beside the church of the hermitage at the entrance to the resort.

In winter Păltiniș is a ski destination for families and beginners; in summer it is the starting point for waymarked trails through the forests and alpine meadows of the Cindrel.

Information verified on 21 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from Sibiu, head out along Calea Dumbrăvii to Rășinari, then climb the DJ 106A, a paved road with hairpin bends through the forest, ~32 km in all (~45 minutes). Sibiu is linked by the A1 motorway to Deva and Timișoara, and along the Olt Valley (DN7) to Râmnicu Vâlcea, Pitești and Bucharest.

Public transport: Sibiu railway station has trains from Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara. From outside the station, Tursib line 22 climbs to Păltiniș via Rășinari; in winter, the Arena Platoș operator announces a Tursib ski bus with three runs a day in each direction between Sibiu and Arena Platoș.

Where to park

There are car parks in the centre of the resort, by the bottom station of the chairlift, and at Arena Platoș, at the entrance from Sibiu. On snowy winter weekends they fill up quickly and the road from Rășinari gets busy; parking charges are not published by an official source.

Fees & discounts

Entry to the resort is free. On the Păltiniș chairlift, a return trip costs 45 lei (price posted by the operator in 2026). At Arena Platoș, in the 2026–2027 season, a one-day ski pass for adults (12+) costs 120 lei Monday–Friday and 150 lei at weekends off-peak, and 170 lei in peak season; students, pupils and pensioners get reduced prices, and children aged 0–6 pay 20 lei with a parent's ski pass. There are also points cards (30 points, 120 lei for adults), 2–5-day passes, a season pass (2,100 lei for adults) and floodlit skiing (120 lei). For the Arena's chairlift alone, a trip up costs 25 lei and a return 50 lei for adults.

Rules

On the slopes, keep to the markings and difficulty grades: Oncești is a red run, Dăneasa a black one, and beginners have the Arena Platoș slopes. On mountain trails, stay on the waymarked routes and wear mountain footwear and warm clothes even in summer, as the weather changes quickly above 1,400 m. Bears live in the Cindrel forests: do not leave food or rubbish behind and do not feed the animals. Dress modestly at the hermitage and keep quiet in the church.

Facilities

Hotels, villas and guesthouses · restaurants and après-ski · equipment hire and ski schools · floodlit slopes · Salvamont mountain rescue base · weather station