# Transursoaia [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Alba County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) > National road DN1R, 80 km through the Apuseni Mountains between Huedin and Albac: past Lake Beliș-Fântânele, through the Moți villages and over the Ursoaia Pass, at about 1,320 m. **At a glance:** Scenic roads in Alba County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 2½ – 3 hours. Information verified on 28 September 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The road is open at all times from April–May to November, with no set hours. In winter, the mountain section Poiana Horea – Mătișești (km 58–62) is closed by the CNAIR road authority until the snow melts, with no fixed closing or reopening dates; check infotrafic.politiaromana.ro or cnadnr.ro before setting off. - **Ticket:** Free — public road, no toll - **Visit duration:** 2½ – 3 hours — the whole road, with stops - **With kids:** Yes — many bends, car sickness - **Parking:** Yes, free — on the roadside - **Best season:** May – October — the pass is closed in winter - **Address:** DN1R, between Huedin (DN1) and Albac (DN75); Ursoaia Pass at about km 59, between Poiana Horea and Mătișești, Alba County - **Coordinates:** 46.53757, 22.88785 - **Phone:** +40 21 9360 - **Website:** https://www.cnadnr.ro/ - **Categories:** [Scenic roads](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/drumuri-panoramice) ## About Transursoaia Transursoaia is the name by which the DN1R is known: the 80 km national road linking Huedin, in Cluj county, with Albac, in Alba county, across the Apuseni Mountains. The name comes from the Ursoaia Pass, the highest point of the route at about 1,320 m, a saddle on the watershed between the Someșul Cald and the Arieșul Mare rivers, between the Bihor and Gilău Mountains. It is not a ridge road like the Transalpina, but a quiet mountain road through spruce forest, hay meadows with haystacks and farmsteads scattered over the hills. For a long time the mountain section was a gravel road, and the villages at its end were hard to reach. After it was paved, and after the rehabilitation carried out by the national roads authority in 2020–2021, tourist traffic grew, and many houses in Beliș, Poiana Horea and Horea have become guesthouses. ### What you can see From the north, the road leaves Huedin heading south, through Sâncraiu and Călata, and climbs to Beliș, where it passes the Fântânele dam and runs by the Beliș-Fântânele reservoir, surrounded by forest. Next comes the village of Poiana Horea, with houses scattered over the meadows, then the climb through the forest to the Ursoaia Pass. From the pass the road winds down in hairpins to Mătișești and along the Albac valley, through Horea, to Albac, where it meets the DN75 in the Arieș valley. The most spectacular part is the mountain section between Poiana Horea and Mătișești, with the pass in the middle; the best light is in the morning, when the mist lifts from the valleys, or in the evening, towards sunset. ### Good to know The Poiana Horea – Mătișești section (km 58–62), over the pass, closes every winter because the snow cannot be cleared safely; it reopens in spring, once the snow has melted. The Cluj county part has been rebuilt recently and is in good condition, but the Alba county part, between the pass and Albac, is narrow in places, without guardrails and with potholes. ## Don't miss - The Ursoaia Pass, at about 1,320 m, with the Ursoaia spring by the road and the spruce forest all around. - Lake Beliș-Fântânele, seen from the Fântânele dam, which the road passes. - The village of Poiana Horea, with houses and haystacks scattered over the meadows, just before the climb to the pass. - The descent in hairpins from the pass to Mătișești and the Albac valley. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** from the north, from Cluj-Napoca on the DN1 to Huedin (~50 km, ~1h), then the DN1R south, through Beliș (~30 km), to the pass (~59 km from Huedin, ~1h20). From the south, the road starts at Albac, on the DN75: it is ~16 km from Câmpeni and ~23 km from Arieșeni to Albac; from Alba Iulia it is ~95 km to Albac (~2h). The full crossing, Huedin – Albac, takes almost 2 hours without stops; the Alba county part is narrow and in poor condition in places. **Public transport:** Huedin has a railway station on the Cluj-Napoca – Oradea line; there are no known scheduled services over the Ursoaia Pass, so in practice the road can only be driven by car, motorbike or bicycle. ### Where to park There are no proper car parks on the mountain section: you stop on the roadside, in the wider spots, without blocking the carriageway, which is narrow in places. In Beliș, Poiana Horea and Albac you can park at the guesthouses and in the village centres. ### Fees & discounts The road is public and free, with no toll or parking charge. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN1R, as on any national road outside built-up areas. ### Rules Do not try to cross the pass in winter: the Poiana Horea – Mătișești section is closed. In season, drive slowly on the Alba county part, where guardrails are missing and there are potholes, and watch out for timber lorries, animals on the road and cyclists. Do not stop on the carriageway on bends for photos. You are in the mountains: fog and rain come quickly, and the pass is colder than Huedin or Albac. ### Facilities Guesthouses in Beliș, Poiana Horea, Horea and Albac · shops and petrol stations in Huedin; best to fill up before the climb · no facilities at the pass ## Details - **Road number:** DN1R - **Length:** 80 km - **Maximum altitude:** 1,320 m - **Mountain range:** Bihor and Gilău Mountains - **Fully paved:** Yes ## Frequently asked questions about Transursoaia **How much is a ticket to Transursoaia?** Admission to Transursoaia is free (public road, no toll). The road is public and free, with no toll or parking charge. The road vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory on the DN1R, as on any national road outside built-up areas. **What are the opening hours of Transursoaia?** Opening hours at Transursoaia: daily open 24 hours. The road is open at all times from April–May to November, with no set hours. In winter, the mountain section Poiana Horea – Mătișești (km 58–62) is closed by the CNAIR road authority until the snow melts, with no fixed closing or reopening dates; check infotrafic.politiaromana.ro or cnadnr.ro before setting off. **How long does a visit to Transursoaia take?** A visit to Transursoaia takes about 2½ – 3 hours (the whole road, with stops). **Can you visit Transursoaia with kids?** Yes, Transursoaia is suitable for children (many bends, car sickness). **Where can I park at Transursoaia?** There is free parking at Transursoaia (on the roadside). There are no proper car parks on the mountain section: you stop on the roadside, in the wider spots, without blocking the carriageway, which is narrow in places. In Beliș, Poiana Horea and Albac you can park at the guesthouses and in the village centres. **How do I get to Transursoaia?** Transursoaia is located at DN1R, between Huedin (DN1) and Albac (DN75); Ursoaia Pass at about km 59, between Poiana Horea and Mătișești, Alba County. By car: from the north, from Cluj-Napoca on the DN1 to Huedin (~50 km, ~1h), then the DN1R south, through Beliș (~30 km), to the pass (~59 km from Huedin, ~1h20). From the south, the road starts at Albac, on the DN75: it is ~16 km from Câmpeni and ~23 km from Arieșeni to Albac; from Alba Iulia it is ~95 km to Albac (~2h). The full crossing, Huedin – Albac, takes almost 2 hours without stops; the Alba county part is narrow and in poor condition in places. Public transport: Huedin has a railway station on the Cluj-Napoca – Oradea line; there are no known scheduled services over the Ursoaia Pass, so in practice the road can only be driven by car, motorbike or bicycle. **When is the best time to visit Transursoaia?** The best season for Transursoaia: May – October (the pass is closed in winter). ## Nearby attractions - [Scărișoara Ice Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-scarisoara) — Caves · Ghețari, AB · 45 min · Top 100 · 10 km A cave in the Apuseni Mountains that holds one of the largest underground glaciers in the world: a block of ice over 10,000 years old, reached by stairs down a shaft 60 m across. - [Vârtop Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-vartop) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · 15 lei · 11 km An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains, with ice at the entrance and white formations, where a Neanderthal footprint at least 62,000 years old was found in 1974. - [Coiba Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-coiba-mare) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · Free · 11 km An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains near Casa de Piatră: a huge portal, tens of metres high, through which the Gârdișoara stream vanishes underground. - [Cetățile Ponorului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatile-ponorului) — Caves · Bihor County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 · 19 km A karst complex on the Padiș Plateau: three huge sinkholes with walls over 200 m high and a portal over 70 m tall where the Cetăților stream vanishes into the mountain. Seen from a marked hiking loop, not a show cave. - [Vârciorog Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-varciorog) — Waterfalls · Arieșeni, AB · Free · 2 – 2½ hours · 21 km A waterfall of about 15 m on the Vârciorog stream, tucked into a spruce forest below Piatra Grăitoare, near Arieșeni; reached up a wooded valley on foot or by horse cart. - [Focul Viu Ice Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-focul-viu) — Caves · Pietroasa, BH · Free · 21 km An ice cave in the forests of the Galbena Valley near Padiș, reached on foot along a marked trail. Around midday, light pours in through a hole in the roof and falls on the ice. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transursoaia Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/transursoaia.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/transursoaia.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/transursoaia.md Last updated: 28 September 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania