Hello friends. In this post, I want to tell you about our journey on the Transfagarasan mountain road in Romania. Transfăgărășan is a magnificent mountain road in the Carpathian Mountains in southern Romania. Starting near the village of Bascov and passing through amazing peaks like Moldoveanu and Negoiu, it offers the most beautiful views of the country.
As we were about to embark on the 2-hour journey towards Transfagarasan, we first stopped at a market. We thought of getting some water and snacks for the evening. Starting from the road, we didn't see any gas stations until we reached Vidraru Dam and the road was long. We passed by the Lutheran Church of the city. Inside the church, there is a baroque organ dating back to 1780. Nearby, there is a museum representing Saxon life.
In the village along our way, we passed by the house where Dimitrie Stăniloae lived. Stăniloae was a Romanian Orthodox priest, theologian, educator, professor, translator, spiritual writer and journalist who was active in many fields. He was also a member of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest, representing the country's highest scientific institution. He was born in 1903 and lived for 89 years.
We passed by the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral. The oldest documented settlement in the city dates back to 1291 and is named in honor of John Bote in Romanian. The word "Făg" means "tree" in Romanian, while according to another version, it is the origin of the word meaning "tree money" in Hungarian. The castle under construction was paid for by the workers who built it.
We decided to change our route a bit because we were heading to the Transfagarasan Pass. The Transfagarasan Pass is half an hour closer to CBU and about an hour and a half away from Vidraru Dam. Therefore, the journey from CBU to Vidraru takes just over three hours. This city was founded in 1301 as protection against Turkish and Tatar attacks, by order of Hungarian prince Vladislav.
We began to climb towards the Făgăraș Mountains. Here is the famous Transfagarasan Pass, with its highest point at 2.34 meters. The road is quite good throughout, completely rebuilt in some places. The construction of the Transfăgărășan Road required massive costs. Due to the delayed melting of snow in the high mountainous region, the road between the northern and southern slopes of the Carpathians is open only from June 30 to November 1 and within daylight hours, from 06:00 to 22:00. The recommended speed is 40 km/h.
If you don't have a car, there are day trips or minibus transfers from Sibiu and Bucharest to Transfăgărășan. The tour includes a visit to the medieval former capital of Valasske Mezirici. There are also cheaper tours that only include visits to the Sibiu region. These tours usually do not include Brașov and other cities. Meeting at the hotel and transportation to the Bucharest area are provided during the tour, with vehicles equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
I find it more intriguing to choose my travel routes and gather information about them myself. Tours from Sibiu are generally cheaper because the city is closer to the road and doesn't include visits to castles or other cities. Most tours are conducted with daily bus transfers between Sibiu and the Balea region. Passengers are taken to the lower station of Balea Waterfall and then can reach Balea Lake by cable car. Cable car tickets are around 40 Romanian lei (approximately 10 dollars) and usually operate with prior reservations.
Ahead of us was a winding road that would take nearly an hour and a half. This road stretches all the way to Vidraru Dam. Along the way, we encountered massive pine trees, large rocks on the mountain slopes and huge boulders. Stone falls and soil slides are frequent along the road, evident from the road signs. These incidents usually occur after the melting of winter snow, making it extremely dangerous to be in this area. Similarly, it can be hazardous during earthquake moments. Therefore, the road is closed for much of the year.
Vidraru Dam is a beautiful reservoir on the Transfagarasan road. The road passes over the dam, allowing for a stop and photo opportunities. The scenery was stunning.
We passed by the Dr. Oetker Factory in Curtea de Argeş. This is an international German company that deals with the production of baking powder, cake mixes, frozen pizza, pudding, cornflakes and other products. The company's history dates back to the year when Dr. August Oetker invented baking powder. August spent the first 30 years of his life as a pharmacist and botanist before later patenting baking powder for release to the market. Quite interesting, isn't it? While enjoying the roads in this city and other interesting places in Romania, you might encounter surprises.
Later on, we passed by a factory of Holcim, a Swiss company. The company was established about 100 years ago to produce cement and other construction materials.
Then, we saw a monument dedicated to the heroes of World War I. Built between 1928 and 1935, this monument commemorates the resistance of Romanian soldiers against a larger, better-armed and more prepared enemy. Intense battles occurred in the region, halting the progress of the Central Powers in the plains of Romania. The monument consists of a horizontal crypt and marble plaques on the walls bearing the names of fallen soldiers. It also has a tower, which can be climbed via a spiral staircase.
The most beautiful view was from the mountain. We were lucky to pass by during sunset and felt like we were in a fairytale place with the sunlight breaking.
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