Route description
From Sinaia up to the mountain peaks
Since the tour extends over a good 47 km, you can of course also run it in individual stages and turn it into a multi-day tour. Before the actual start of the tour you can enjoy some culture in Sinaia and visit the castle of Peles. This includes a large art collection, so don't miss this highlight at the beginning. Afterwards you head for the hospital in the city centre and walk from here directly into the forest. The path leads you further and further up the mountain, where it slowly but steadily becomes steeper for you. Soon you will have reached the first ridge and you will circle the peak of Fumica at 2103 m altitude on the hiking trail located there. If you want an even better view than you already have at this point, you can alternatively make a detour to the top of the mountain and return to the original route.
The Caraiman cross
Now you continue on a relatively level track and after a short time you come to a paved path, where you turn right and then follow the Drum Cabana Babele hiking trail until your path runs parallel to the Telecabina Pestera-Babele mountain railway. You follow it to the left and through the forest and a small clearing you reach the monastery of Ialomicioara. At this point you should not only make a stop to take a closer look at the church building, but you can also make a detour to the Ialomiţa-Cave. Then take the same path back in the opposite direction and turn left at the already familiar crossroads of the two paths to continue in the direction of the Babele refuge. When you have reached it, keep to the right and at the junction of the two footpaths take the left turnoff, which takes you up the mountain slowly and slowly. You continue in the direction of Caraiman at 2384 m altitude and walk just below its summit up to the Caraiman cross. Here you can enjoy the unique view before you walk the way in the opposite direction back to the well-known crossroads at the refuge.
From the Babele formations to the target
When you have reached the hut again, you now keep to the right and continue your way in the direction of the so-called sphinx. For this impressive rock formation you should definitely take a little more time, because its skull-shaped shape offers the perfect scenery for some souvenir photos. After that you follow the hiking trail further and further until you reach a paved road again and reach the next natural highlight on your hike, because there are more babele formations here, which partly resemble oversized mushrooms. After a further break at this point, the hiking trail continues to be relatively flat for you over a mountain ridge and you now continue to run below the summits in the direction of Găvanele. From here, a narrow degree leads you further and further over the summits, until the path leads slightly downhill again and you run directly into the forest. From here the path flattens out until you finally reach Bran and the destination of your long hike.
Where to eat
After almost every stage you have the possibility to spend the night, so that the hike can also be completed in several stages. So you can stay in the Babele mountain hut, the Malaiesti mountain hut or in one of the pensions in Bran and take care of your physical well-being on the route.
Interesting facts
- With an overall length of 47 km the hike is currently the longest hike in Romania available on TouriSpo.
- Elevated between 767 m and 2,469 m, the hike is the highest elevated hikes in Romania. You're facing an uphill climb of 3248 vertical meters on this hike. This is quite much. You should be fit to do this track. This makes the Hike the one with the largest ascent in Romania.
- You shouldn’t forget to bring your hiking boots. There are some sections on the trail where sturdy footwear is required. There are places to buy beverages and food along the track. However it’s always recommended to bring enough water and food along with you.
Video
Highlights of the tour
Since this hike stretches over a few kilometres, there is a lot to discover here. Especially if you are interested in architectural features such as castles and palaces, this hike is the right one for you. Right at the beginning in Sinaia you can visit the castle Peleș, which doesn't have as long a history as many other historical buildings in the area, but makes up for it with its fairytale beauty. The outer walls of the castle are covered with elaborate reliefs and the many towers give the impression that this building was built with great attention to detail. In addition, it is lined with a total of seven balconies, so that it actually looks like a fairytale castle. Precisely because of this fact, the castle was probably already used as a backdrop for some film productions. Even at the end of the hike in Bran, a castle ready for film awaits you. The castle Bran reminds in large parts of the descriptions of Bram Stoker and his fictional scary figure of Dracula. So you will get the perfect optical mixture of horror story and fairy tale.
On your tour, you will also come across the rock formations of the Babele, which means "grandmother" and thus resembles the appearance of one of the three rock formations. Especially impressive is the Bucegi-Sphinx, because it looks like the image of a antique Sphinx in the profile. Also beautiful is the Caraiman Cross, which commemorates the victims of the First World War. From here you also have a wonderful panoramic view of the surroundings, so you should definitely take a short break here. Another eye-catcher is the monastery Ialomiţa, because it is half built into the rock and impresses with its paintings on the outer walls.
Variations
You can of course reduce this long tour by some alternatives. If you are not interested in a detour to the Caraiman Cross or to the monastery of Ialomicioara, you can save these kilometres and continue directly in the direction of the famous Babele stone formations.
Getting here
By car
From Brașov
You first drive over the Strada Timișul Sec out of the city and reach the Centura Brașov, which you follow for the next kilometers. After this you change to DN1 and stay on it for the next 40 km to reach the starting point of your hike in Sinaia directly
From Târgoviște
You leave the city via the DN72, but after a short time you change to the DN71 and stay there for about the next 18 km. When you have arrived in Pucioasa, take the second exit at the roundabout and continue your journey for the next 41 km on the DN71, where you will finally reach Sinaia.
From Ploiești
You leave the city first via Bulevardul Republicii and then change to DN1, which you follow for about the next 56 km. You will still stay on the road and will get directly to Sinaia.
With public transport
Sinaia can be reached from almost all directions with various remote buses.
