Wander & Wonder

If you’re a road trip enthusiast, a lover of stunning landscapes, or just anyone really, let me introduce you to one of Europe’s best-kept secrets: the Transfăgărășan Road in Romania. I recently had the pleasure of exploring this incredible route, and trust me, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

First things first—what exactly is the Transfăgărășan Road? Well, it’s a highway that stretches over 90 kilometers (about 56 miles) through the Carpathian Mountains, connecting the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. Built in the 1970s under the orders of Nicolae Ceaușescu, this road was initially constructed for military purposes. Nowadays, it’s famous for being one of the most scenic drives in the world (as Tony tells me, it is even used as the filming site of many car commercials).

Definitely start the journey early as this is a popular tourist attraction. We started near the town of Sibiu, where we drove through the picturesque Romanian countryside for a few minutes before reaching the mountains. Right as we began our ascent, we saw a family of bears! You will likely see brown bears along the sides of the road. You can definitely slow down and take a few pictures, but stay in the car and give them space! It is shocking how many people don’t know the danger of brown bears, especially a mama bear who will defend her cubs at all costs!

The road climbs up to an altitude of over 2,000 meters, offering breathtaking views of peaks, valleys, and streams. You can (and should) stop whenever you want along the road to take some pictures. Every turn offers a different view of the surroundings!

At the top you will reach Bâlea Lake, which is a glacial lake nestled between the Carpathian mountain peaks. This is definitely the biggest tourist hotspot along the road (but surprisingly there is always enough parking spots for everyone).

You can continue along the other side of the mountain range by crossing through the tunnel. We actually booked one night in a mountain hotel called Hotel Paraul Capra to do a hike the next day (check out my other blog post to read about this AMAZING hike). We slept with the window open to let in the fresh mountain air and were greeted with friendly donkeys near our car in the morning. We saw a lot of people camping along the road which is definitely something we want to try out next time.

Driving the Transfăgărășan Road was definitely one of the highlights of my travel across Romania (especially thanks to all the ADORABLE shepherd dogs we met along the way). I have honestly never seen anything similar to this road and would highly recommend this to anyone. And by the way, the pros significantly outweigh the cons for those of you who are prone to motion sickness in the car like me.