Moldoveanu Peak

About Moldoveanu Peak

Moldoveanu Peak, at 2,544 m, is the highest point in Romania. It stands in the Făgăraș Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians, in Argeș County, a little south of the main ridge, to which it is linked by Viștea Mare Peak (2,527 m), the third highest in the country. The two peaks, joined by a rocky arête, form the so-called Viștea–Moldoveanu “trapezium”. Because it is surrounded by summits over 2,400 m, Moldoveanu cannot be seen from the Făgăraș Land below, only from the ridge or from the air.

According to local tradition, the name comes from the nickname of a shepherd who leased the surrounding pastures, at a time when almost only shepherds climbed these mountains. The area is part of the Făgăraș Mountains Natura 2000 site, with glacial cirques, alpine lakes, meadows and chamois.

Information verified on 21 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: from the south, Nucșoara commune is reached from Pitești via Curtea de Argeș (~75 km); from there the forest road along the Râul Doamnei and up Valea Rea climbs past Lake Văsălatu to Stâna lui Burnei, about 38 km from Nucșoara. The road is rough, suitable only for high-clearance or off-road vehicles, and was washed out by floods in 2024 and 2026, so ask Salvamont Argeș about its condition before you set off. From the north, the Sâmbăta Valley trail starts at the Brâncoveanu Monastery in Sâmbăta de Sus, ~85 km from Brașov and ~25 km from Făgăraș, and the Viștea Mare Valley trail starts in the town of Victoria. The ridge can also be reached from Bâlea Lac on the Transfăgărășan, but getting to Moldoveanu from there is a traverse of several days, with sections fitted with chains.

Public transport: there is no public transport to Stâna lui Burnei. On the northern side, trains on the Brașov–Sibiu line stop at Făgăraș, from where you reach Sâmbăta de Sus or Victoria by taxi or car.

Where to park

At Stâna lui Burnei, at the end of the forest road, cars are left by the roadside and in the surrounding clearings, with no proper car park; on summer weekends spaces fill up quickly. If the road is washed out, the car stays further down and you walk to the sheepfold (in June 2025, another 8 km each way). On the northern side, you park by the Brâncoveanu Monastery and the Sâmbăta tourist complex, or in the town of Victoria.

Fees & discounts

Climbing the peak is free. According to the notice of 31 August 2026, driving on the forest roads of the Argeș Forestry Directorate is allowed only with a transit permit requested from the forest district that manages the road (for Valea Rea, the Domnești Forest District) or from the directorate, for a fee of 30 lei + VAT; the permit is valid only for the vehicle, road and period written on it.

Rules

Climb only on the marked trails and do not set off in fog, storms or late in the afternoon. Bring hiking boots, rain gear and warm layers even in August, enough water, a map or the route downloaded to your phone, and a power bank. In winter and spring you need crampons, an ice axe and winter mountaineering experience, and the valleys and gullies are exposed to avalanches. Do not leave litter, do not light fires outside permitted places and keep dogs close, as there are sheepfolds with sheepdogs and bears in the area. In an accident call 112 or Mountain Rescue (Salvamont).

Facilities

no facilities on the summit · Portița Viștei mountain refuge, on the ridge below Viștea Mare · Valea Sâmbetei Chalet, open all year, on the northern trail · camping spots at Iezerul Triunghiular · no drinking-water points on the trail · weak or no mobile signal in the valleys