# Vulcan Pass

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Hunedoara County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/hunedoara) › [Vulcan](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/vulcan)

> A small mountain resort above the town of Vulcan, in the Jiu Valley: a gondola from the town, short easy slopes with drag lifts, sledging on the road closed in winter and, in summer, the climb to the 1,621 m pass.

**At a glance:** Ski slopes in Vulcan, Hunedoara County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 3½ – 4 hours. Information verified on 3 November 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The resort is open at all times. The Vulcan gondola runs on a winter and a summer timetable, and the drag lifts operate only in the ski season, depending on snow and weather.
- **Ticket:** Free — separate lift tickets
- **Visit duration:** 3½ – 4 hours — a day's skiing or a stroll
- **With kids:** Yes — easy slopes and sledging
- **Best season:** All year round — skiing in winter, hiking in summer
- **Address:** DJ664, at the top station of the Vulcan gondola, Vulcan, Hunedoara County
- **Coordinates:** 45.32649, 23.29233
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcan_Pass
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8557738
- **Categories:** [Ski slopes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ski-slopes), [Mountains and trails](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/mountains-and-trails)

## About Vulcan Pass

Pasul Vâlcan (the Vulcan Pass) is a small mountain resort within the municipality of Vulcan, in the Jiu Valley, on the northern side of the Vâlcan Mountains. It takes its name from the 1,621 m pass above it, the old crossing between the Jiu Valley and Oltenia, on the border between Hunedoara and Gorj counties. The first chalets appeared here in the 1970s, and between 2009 and 2012 the gondola that climbs from the edge of town up to the slopes was built with funding from the Ministry of Tourism.

In winter it is a ski area for beginners and families, with short, easy slopes and sledging on the mountain road closed to traffic. In summer, the resort is a starting point for the pass and the waymarked trails in the surrounding forests, and the road to the pass draws cyclists for its gradient.

### What you can see

The gondola leaves from the south of Vulcan and climbs about 3 km above the forest to just beside the slopes. The ski area is small: slopes a few hundred metres long, of the lowest difficulty, between about 1,256 and 1,317 m, served by drag lifts. Above the top station, the county road climbs towards the resort's chalets; in winter, the closed section between the gondola and the chalets becomes a sledging run through the forest.

About 4 km further up is the pass itself, with the monument to Michael the Brave, raised on the initiative of the “Cultul Eroilor” (Cult of Heroes) Society: an eagle on a plinth, with the prince's face in relief. Tradition has it that Michael the Brave crossed here on his way to Vienna. Lower down, from the spot known as “Trecătoarea lupilor” (the Wolves' Passage), a short path leads to the Wolves' Waterfall (Cascada lupilor), about 10 m high.

### Good to know

The county road to the resort is closed to cars in winter, from mid-November, so the way up is by gondola; when the gondola is stopped for repairs, the only way up is on foot. The slopes only run in winters with enough snow. Beyond the pass, towards Gorj, the road is unsurfaced and not passable by car.

## Don't miss

- The gondola ride from Vulcan, about 3 km above the forest, up to the slopes.
- The short, easy slopes with a drag lift, suited to first steps on skis.
- Sledging on the mountain road closed in winter, running down through the forest towards the gondola.
- The monument to Michael the Brave at the pass, at 1,621 m, about 4 km above the slopes.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** Vulcan is on the DN66A. From Petroșani, take the DN66 to Livezeni, then the DN66A into Vulcan, ~15 km (~25 minutes) to the gondola's bottom station, in the south of the town, on the DJ664. From Târgu Jiu it is ~62 km (~1 hour 50 minutes), on the DN66 through the Jiu Gorge, then the DN66A. From Vulcan, the DJ664 climbs ~5 km to the slopes and continues to the pass; in winter it is closed to cars and the way up is by gondola.

**By gondola:** the bottom station is on the edge of Vulcan and the top station right beside the slopes.

### Fees & discounts

Entry to the resort is free. The gondola and the drag lifts have separate tickets, with prices that may change from one season to the next.

### Rules

On the slopes, keep to the markings and safety rules; sledge only on the section of road set aside for it. In the mountains, stay on waymarked trails, with warm clothes and suitable footwear, as the weather changes quickly. Bears live in the surrounding forests: do not leave food or rubbish behind and do not feed the animals.

### Facilities

Gondola from the town · drag lifts · accommodation in chalets at the resort and guesthouses in Vulcan

## Details

- **Maximum altitude:** 1,317 m
- **Mountain range:** Vâlcan Mountains
- **Lifts:** 3
- **Base altitude:** 1,256 m

## Frequently asked questions about Vulcan Pass

**How much is a ticket to Vulcan Pass?**

Admission to Vulcan Pass is free (separate lift tickets). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Vulcan Pass?**

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

**How long does a visit to Vulcan Pass take?**

A visit to Vulcan Pass takes about 3½ – 4 hours (a day's skiing or a stroll).

**Can you visit Vulcan Pass with kids?**

Yes, Vulcan Pass is suitable for children (easy slopes and sledging).

**How do I get to Vulcan Pass?**

Vulcan Pass is located at DJ664, at the top station of the Vulcan gondola, Vulcan, Hunedoara County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Vulcan Pass?**

The best season for Vulcan Pass: All year round (skiing in winter, hiking in summer).

## Nearby attractions

- [Straja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/straja) — Ski slopes · Lupeni, HD · Free · 4½ – 5 hours · 6 km
  A mountain resort at 1,445 m in the Vâlcan Mountains, above Lupeni: floodlit slopes, the 8.1 km Straja slope, a gondola from the town and summer trails to Mutu and Straja.
- [Lainici Monastery](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lainici-monastery) — Monasteries · Bumbești-Jiu, GJ · Free · 45 min · 14 km
  A monastery for monks right beside the DN66 in the Jiu Gorge: the painted old church of 1812–1817, the two-level new church and the relics of St Irodion.
- [Jiu Gorge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/jiu-gorge) — Scenic roads · Gorj County · Free · Top 100 · 14 km
  The 33 km gorge by which the Jiu crosses the Carpathians between Bumbești-Jiu and Livezeni: the DN66 follows the river through Defileul Jiului National Park, past Lainici Monastery.
- [Bănița Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/banita-dacian-fortress) — Fortresses and fortifications · Bănița, HD · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 18 km
  The ruins of a Dacian fortress on the rocky summit of Piatra Cetății, above the DN66, which guarded the southern approach to Sarmizegetusa Regia; a UNESCO site, reached only on foot by a steep climb.
- [Bolii Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bolii-cave) — Caves · Bănița, HD · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 19 km
  A cave crossed by a mountain stream north of Petroșani, with a 20 m-wide portal and a gallery of about 466 m walked end to end on footbridges, beneath the Dacian fortress of Bănița.
- [Parâng Ski Resort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/parang-ski-resort) — Ski slopes · Petroșani, HD · Free · 4½ – 5 hours · 20 km
  Petroșani's ski area in the Parâng Mountains: two chairlifts climb from the edge of town to the chalets below Parângul Mic, with slopes for beginners and for advanced skiers.

## 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.
- [Sledging, alpine coasters and tubing in Romania: where to go with a sledge](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/sledging-in-romania) — Sledging slopes at Bușteni, Cavnic, Toplița, Mărișel; year-round alpine coasters at Toplița, Ghimeș, Homorod, Fundata; tubing from 10 lei. Prices, rules.
- [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.
- [Beginner and kids' ski slopes in Romania: where to learn to ski, ski schools and slope colours](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/beginner-ski-slopes-in-romania) — Bradul and Stadion in Poiana Brașov, Baloo at Straja, Pârtia A at Parâng, Arena Platoș: easy slopes, magic carpets, ski schools and what the colours mean.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vulcan-pass
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/pasul-valcan.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/pasul-valcan.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/passo-valcan.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/col-de-valcan.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/puerto-de-valcan.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/vulkan-hago.md
Last updated: 3 November 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania