Spectacular driving session - Transfagarasan and Transalpina

Infrastructure is not the country’s strong suit to say the least, but there are two roads in Romania so spectacular that they deserve the label of tourist destinations in their own right. Whether you are a driver, biker or cyclist, the Transfagarasan and the Transalpina roads are an experience that should not be missed. You will “cut through the clouds”!

Simona Bazavan

“From above it looks like every great corner from every great race track in the world has been knitted together to create an unbroken gray ribbon of automotive perfection. This is the best road in the world!” enthused Jeremy Clarkson of the Transfagarasan two years ago, during the only episode of Top Gear, the popular British driving show, ever filmed in Romania.
The Transfagarasan is also known as the road that cuts through the clouds. On its most spectacular section, it offers breathtakingly sharp descents, steep hairpin turns and long S-curves. And all this comes at an altitude that peaks at 2,034 m.

The route was built between 1970 and 1974 by Nicolae Ceausescu out of pure ambition, some say. About 6,000 tons of dynamite were used to break through the mountain, at a cost of 40 human lives, according to official records. But witnesses speak of hundreds of soldiers and workers having died on the project in reality.

The Transfagarasan cuts through the Fagaras Mountains, probably the most inaccessible in the country, connecting the southern part of Romania with Transylvania. Part of the National Road 7C (DN7C), it begins in Bascov, a village near Pitesti, and at the other end it connects with the National Road (DN1) between Brasov and Sibiu, with a total length of 151 km. The road is in good condition, except for a segment of about 15 km after the Vidraru Dam which is in a deplorable state.

Attractions along the route are the Poenari Fortress, where there are 1,480 steps to climb in order to admire the view, the Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, Balea glacial lake, where an ice hotel is built every winter, and the Balea Waterfall. The speed limit for the Transfagarasan is 40 km/h.
Less popular than the Transfagarasan but even more spectacular, the Transalpina is actually the highest road in Romania. It reaches an altitude of 2,145 m at its peak, the Urdele Pass. The road crosses the Parang Mountains from north to south, connecting the Transylvania and Oltenia regions. The most amazing segment consists of about 30 km (between Obarsia Lotrului and the Ranca resort) out of a total of 120 km, where the road winds in tight curves on alpine pastures and scythes through mountain peaks and valleys. It is an amazing and almost alien experience to simply drive though the clouds in the midst of this savage landscape! And what makes it even more chilling is the fact that its highest section the road has no safety barrier whatsoever.

The Transalpina, also known as the Devil’s Path or the King’s Road, was most likely used from ancient times by local shepherds. According to some sources it was first built by the Romans during the wars against the Dacians in the second century AD. In the 1930s, under the regime of King Carol II, the road was paved with rock and later refurbished by the Germans during the Second World War. In the following decades it was neglected and pretty much forgotten. Nowadays it is a national road (DN67c) and in 2009, for the first time ever, it was paved with asphalt concrete. About 113 km out of a total of 120 km (between Jina and Novaci) are in a perfect condition and the rest should be finished by the end of this year.
You can stop anywhere along the road to admire the landscape and if you find yourself there, another two must-see attractions are the Polovragi and Muierii Caves which are close to Novaci.
Before you start your journey, do check that the roads are open. Sections of the Transfagarasan and Transalpina can be closed during wintertime as well as for several months in spring and autumn due to weather conditions.

Getting there
Either of the two roads can be a destination for a weekend break in Romania. If you want to reach the Transfagarasan you can start from Bucharest and head for Pitesti on the A1 highway and then onto Bascov. The journey is just over 120 km. You can find accommodation in Sibiu or Brasov which are 47 km and 95 km respectively from Arpasu de Jos, the village where the Transfagarasan ends.
For the Transalpina, beginning from Sibiu you continue to Sebes. The road will end in Novaci, about 45 km from Targu Jiu, where you can take in three of Constantin Brancusi’s iconic creations – The Endless Column, The Table of Silence and The Gate of the Kiss. And if you like variety, you can end your journey on the banks of the Danube in Orsova, 112 km away from Targu Jiu. From there, the journey back to Bucharest is about 370 km.

Published in August 2011