About Tihuța Pass
At a glance: Scenic roads in Bistrița-Năsăud County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 1½ – 2 hours. Information verified on 29 September 2026.
The Tihuța Pass, also called the Bârgău Pass, is where the DN17 (E58) links Bistrița with Vatra Dornei, that is, north-eastern Transylvania with Bukovina. The saddle, at 1,201 m, lies in the south-east of the Bârgău Mountains, within Tiha Bârgăului commune, a few kilometres from the border with Suceava County. From the west the road climbs through the villages of the Bârgău valley to Piatra Fântânele, a scattered settlement among pastures, then crosses the pass and descends towards Poiana Stampei and Vatra Dornei.
Foreigners know the place as the “Borgo Pass”, the name under which Bârgău appeared on maps of the time. Bram Stoker, who never visited Romania, most likely found it on such a map and used it in his novel “Dracula” (1897): it is where the Count's carriage waits for Jonathan Harker. The Count's castle, however, is pure fiction, as is the link between the character and this place. The Hotel Castel Dracula in Piatra Fântânele was built between 1976 and 1983 on the initiative of Alexandru Misiuga, head of the county tourist office, under the name Hotel Tihuța, and only took its current name after 1989.
What you can see
Climbing from Bistrița, the landscape opens up after Mureșenii Bârgăului: wide meadows with scattered spruce, isolated houses and views of the Călimani Mountains to the south and of the Bârgău and Rodna ridges. In Piatra Fântânele stand the towered hotel, built to look like a medieval manor, at 1,116 m, and Piatra Fântânele Monastery, with the 31 m metal cross raised in 2010 on the hill beside it and lit up at night. This is also the base of Tășuleasa Social, the association that started the Via Transilvanica; the trail runs through the pass. Further up, the road passes a wind turbine and reaches the saddle of the pass, then descends through forest into Bukovina.
Good to know
The pass is open all year but exposed to the wind: in winter blizzards often drift snow across the road near the turbine, and in severe blizzards traffic has been stopped temporarily between Mureșenii Bârgăului and the Suceava County border.
- The view over the pastures and spruce forests around the pass, with the Călimani Mountains to the south.
- The 31 m metal cross beside Piatra Fântânele Monastery, raised in 2010 and lit up at night.
- The Hotel Castel Dracula in Piatra Fântânele, built in the 1970s and '80s after the place imagined by Bram Stoker.
- The scattered settlement of Piatra Fântânele, with houses spread across the pastures, on the climb from Bistrița.
- A stretch of the Via Transilvanica, the long-distance hiking trail that crosses the pass, if you want to walk.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: from Bistrița, take the DN17 (E58) east via Prundu Bârgăului, Tiha Bârgăului and Mureșenii Bârgăului to Piatra Fântânele (~45 km), then another ~3 km to the pass. From Vatra Dornei, take the DN17 west via Poiana Stampei (~35 km to the pass). The crossing from Bistrița to Vatra Dornei is about 85 km on a paved European road that carries traffic all year round.
Public transport: several coaches and minibuses a day run between Bistrița and Vatra Dornei over the pass; a few also stop in Piatra Fântânele. Check the times on bus station websites before you travel.
- Fees & discounts
The road is public and free, with no toll. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN17 outside built-up areas.
- Rules
In winter drive only on winter tyres and allow for the road being closed temporarily in a blizzard. Do not stop on the carriageway for photos: the DN17 is a European route with heavy traffic. At the monastery dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. On the mountain trails stay on the waymarked routes and wear suitable gear.
- Facilities
Piatra Fântânele Monastery, with the 31 m cross · Hotel Castel Dracula and guesthouses in Piatra Fântânele · Tășuleasa Social base, on the Via Transilvanica · accommodation, restaurants and petrol stations in Bistrița and Vatra Dornei
Frequently asked questions about Tihuța Pass
- How much is a ticket to Tihuța Pass?
- Admission to Tihuța Pass is free (public road, no toll). The road is public and free, with no toll. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN17 outside built-up areas.
- What are the opening hours of Tihuța Pass?
- Opening hours at Tihuța Pass: daily open 24 hours. The national road is open at all times, with no seasonal closure. In winter blizzards often drift snow across the road at the pass, and in very bad weather traffic can be stopped temporarily (as happened, for example, in January 2024); you need winter tyres, and it is worth checking road conditions on the CNAIR road authority's website or with Infotrafic before setting off.
- How long does a visit to Tihuța Pass take?
- A visit to Tihuța Pass takes about 1½ – 2 hours (the crossing, with one stop).
- Can you visit Tihuța Pass with kids?
- Yes, Tihuța Pass is suitable for children (warm clothes, windy at the pass).
- How do I get to Tihuța Pass?
- Tihuța Pass is located at DN17, about 3 km past Piatra Fântânele towards Vatra Dornei, near the Suceava County border, Bistrița-Năsăud County. By car: from Bistrița, take the DN17 (E58) east via Prundu Bârgăului, Tiha Bârgăului and Mureșenii Bârgăului to Piatra Fântânele (~45 km), then another ~3 km to the pass. From Vatra Dornei, take the DN17 west via Poiana Stampei (~35 km to the pass). The crossing from Bistrița to Vatra Dornei is about 85 km on a paved European road that carries traffic all year round. Public transport: several coaches and minibuses a day run between Bistrița and Vatra Dornei over the pass; a few also stop in Piatra Fântânele. Check the times on bus station websites before you travel.
- When is the best time to visit Tihuța Pass?
- The best season for Tihuța Pass: May – October (open in winter too, with blizzards).
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