# Rânca

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Gorj County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/gorj) › [Novaci](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/novaci)

> A mountain resort at 1,600 m, at the foot of Păpușa Peak in the Parâng Mountains, on the Transalpina: a ski area with chairlifts and drag lifts, alpine pasture scenery and a starting point for the Parâng ridge.

**At a glance:** Ski slopes in Novaci, Gorj County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 4½ – 5 hours. Information verified on 29 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The resort is open at all times. The ski lifts usually run from 09:00 to 18:00, depending on the weather (the operator posts webcams), in the winter season; no advance bookings can be made, and one day a week is set aside for technical maintenance.
- **Ticket:** Free — 1-day ski pass: 160 lei
- **Visit duration:** 4½ – 5 hours — a day's skiing or a stroll
- **With kids:** Yes — slopes for beginners
- **Best season:** All year round — skiing in winter, walking in summer
- **Address:** DN67C (Transalpina), at the entrance to the resort, Strada Gheorghe Tătărăscu, Novaci, Gorj County
- **Coordinates:** 45.29211, 23.68891
- **Phone:** +40 745 632 032
- **Website:** https://skiranca.ro/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A2nca
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7385886
- **Categories:** [Ski slopes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ski-slopes), [Mountains and trails](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mountains-and-trails), [Resorts and thermal baths](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/resorts-and-thermal-baths)

## About Rânca

Rânca is a mountain resort in Gorj county, set at about 1,600 m, at the foot of Păpușa Peak, in the Novaci Mountains of the Parâng massif, on the Transalpina road (DN67C), about 20 km from the town of Novaci. Development began in 1930, when the “Gilortul” People's Bank of Novaci built the first chalets here; the central chalet was opened in 1937. Since then Rânca has grown from a few chalets into a resort of guesthouses, hotels and a ski area, and in 2025 the Government declared the town of Novaci, together with the Rânca area, a tourist resort of national interest.

Administratively, the resort spreads over the territory of the town of Novaci and the commune of Baia de Fier, without being a component locality of either. In winter Rânca is a ski destination for families and beginners, with plenty of snow and high-altitude slopes; in summer it is a place of fresh air and a starting point for the alpine pastures and ridges around.

### What you can see

The resort's houses and guesthouses are scattered across an open plateau, with spruce forest below and bare alpine ground above; from them you can see the crests of the Parâng. The ski area, run by Domeniul Schiabil Rânca, has over 6 km of slopes between 1,600 and 1,900 m, served by 3 chairlifts and 3 drag lifts, plus an equipment rental centre.

The resort is also the southern gateway to the Transalpina ridge road: from here the hairpins leave the forest and climb towards the Urdele Pass, at over 2,000 m. On the road from Novaci, the last kilometres climb in hairpins through the forest up to the plateau.

### Good to know

The section of the Transalpina that starts at Rânca towards Obârșia Lotrului is closed in winter, in 2025 from 20 October; the road from Novaci up to the resort stays open, but in winter conditions, and in heavy snowfall it may be closed temporarily. The ski lifts run depending on snow and weather, and one day a week is set aside for technical maintenance.

## Don't miss

- Skiing the slopes at 1,600–1,900 m, served by chairlifts and drag lifts.
- The view of the Parâng crests from in front of the guesthouses, at 1,600 m.
- The hairpins of the Transalpina emerging from the forest above the resort.
- Summer walks on the alpine pastures at the foot of Păpușa Peak.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Novaci, climb the DN67C (Transalpina), ~20 km (~45 minutes), in hairpins through the forest to the resort. From Târgu Jiu it is ~62 km (~1 hour 40 minutes), via Novaci. In winter the road is sometimes covered in snow: carry chains or winter tyres and check the road conditions before you set off. Towards Obârșia Lotrului, the ridge section is closed in winter.

### Where to park

Parking for the slopes is in specially marked areas. On snowy winter weekends the resort gets crowded and the road from Novaci gets busy; parking charges are not published by an official source.

### Fees & discounts

Entry to the resort is free. A ski pass valid for 1 day costs 160 lei, 2 days 290 lei, 3 days 420 lei, 4 days 540 lei (consecutive days). Points cards valid for a single season are also sold: 2 points 30 lei, 10 points 90 lei, 20 points 150 lei, with a 10 lei card deposit refunded at the end; the chairlift costs 2 points, the drag lift 1 point. Prices are for the 2025–2026 season and may change from one season to the next.

### Rules

On the slopes, keep to the markings and safety rules. In the mountains, stay on waymarked trails, with warm clothes and suitable footwear, as the weather changes quickly above 1,600 m. Bears live in the surrounding mountains: do not leave food or rubbish behind and do not feed the animals. On the Transalpina, on the way to the resort, drive slowly and watch for flocks of sheep.

### Facilities

Accommodation and restaurants at the foot of the slope · equipment hire · ski and snowboard school · après-ski · live webcams on the slopes

## Details

- **Maximum altitude:** 1,900 m
- **Mountain range:** Parâng Mountains
- **Total slope length:** 6 km
- **Lifts:** 6
- **Base altitude:** 1,600 m
- **Night skiing:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Rânca

**How much is a ticket to Rânca?**

Admission to Rânca is free (1-day ski pass: 160 lei). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Rânca?**

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

**How long does a visit to Rânca take?**

A visit to Rânca takes about 4½ – 5 hours (a day's skiing or a stroll).

**Can you visit Rânca with kids?**

Yes, Rânca is suitable for children (slopes for beginners).

**How do I get to Rânca?**

Rânca is located at DN67C (Transalpina), at the entrance to the resort, Strada Gheorghe Tătărăscu, Novaci, Gorj County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Rânca?**

The best season for Rânca: All year round (skiing in winter, walking in summer).

## Nearby attractions

- [Transalpina](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transalpina) — Scenic roads · Gorj County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 20 · 8 km
  Romania's highest road: the DN67C climbs from Novaci over the Parâng Mountains to 2,145 m at the Urdele Pass and drops past Lake Oașa to Sebeș, 148 km above the clouds.
- [Women's Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/women-s-cave) — Caves · Baia de Fier, GJ · 20 lei · 40 min · Top 100 · 16 km
  A four-level cave at Baia de Fier, in the Galbenul Gorge at the foot of the Parâng Mountains, with 860 m of lit galleries, cave bear bones and some of the oldest modern human remains in Europe.
- [Polovragi Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/polovragi-cave) — Caves · Polovragi, GJ · 20 lei · 45 min · 16 km
  A cave more than 10 km long, carved by the Olteț river into the limestone of the Olteț Gorge, with 800 m of gallery open to visitors and legends about Zalmoxis, a kilometre from Polovragi Monastery.
- [Polovragi Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/polovragi-monastery) — Monasteries · Polovragi, GJ · 45 min · 18 km
  A convent at the foot of Piatra Polovragilor, with a church built in the 1640s by the logothete Danciu Pârâianu, a porch and bell tower from the time of Brâncoveanu, and a carved wooden gate.
- [Transalpina Ski Resort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transalpina-ski-resort) — Ski slopes · Voineasa, VL · Free · 4½ – 5 hours · 18 km
  A ski area by Lake Vidra, in Voineasa commune: a gondola through spruce forest from 1,350 to 1,800 m, slopes on the open alpine ground up to Bora Peak at 2,000 m, and gondola rides in summer.
- [Lotru Valley Road](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lotru-valley-road) — Scenic roads · Vâlcea County · Free · 22 km
  The DN7A climbs 108 km from Brezoi up the Lotru valley, through Voineasa and past Lake Vidra to Obârșia Lotrului, then crosses the Groapa Seacă Pass and drops through the Jieț Gorge to Petroșani.

## Featured in the guides

- [Ski slopes in Romania: the ski resorts and ski areas by region, with a map](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/ski-resorts-in-romania) — 46 ski resorts and ski areas in Romania by region: Poiana Brașov, Sinaia, Straja, Transalpina, Rânca, Cavnic. Km of slopes, lifts, night skiing, map.
- [When the ski slopes open and where the snow comes first: the ski season in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/ski-season-in-romania) — Romania's slopes open from late November (Arena Platoș: 28 November 2026) to January and close in March–April. Where the snow comes first.
- [The longest ski slope in Romania and the other records: the largest ski area, the highest, the hardest](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/longest-ski-slope-in-romania) — Longest slope: Straja, 8.1 km with a 1,118 m vertical drop. Largest ski areas: Sinaia, Straja, Poiana Brașov. Highest: Sinaia, 2,090 m.
- [The nearest ski slopes to Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași, Timișoara and Oradea: distances for a day of skiing](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/ski-slopes-near-bucharest-cluj-brasov) — Feleacu is 10 km from Cluj, Poiana Brașov 12 km from Brașov, Păltiniș 32 km from Sibiu, Sinaia 140 km from Bucharest. Distances and times for 12 cities.

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Last updated: 29 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania