Fagaras Mountains, the Balea Valley and the Transfagarasan highway are stunning regardless the season. Sometimes, when the weather is not very gentle with us they seem impressive, quite a bit frightening…
But in wintertime, they are special… The snow covers the mountains, sometimes it reaches 3-4 m layer. Imagine the tall majestic rocky peaks covered the a pure white powder, then imagine the immense blue line of the sky…. Heavenly!
A part of the road is, indeed, closed for traffic from November 1st till July 1st because of the snow (it is the part between Balea Waterfall and Balea Lake). This is why we’ll take the drive just till Balea Lake and from there till the top will take the cable car for about 15 minutes. The cable car ride itself is a real adventure, we’ll rise up above the waterfall, above the tall fir trees and, suddenly the whole valley opens in front of us. The road is totally covered in snow and from time to time we might even spot an avalanche… There is so much to immortalise with our cameras…
Fagaras_Mountains
Up, at Balea Lake we’ll have a walk through the snow, we’ll walk even on the frozen lake, we can make a snowman, we take as many pictures as we can, we can go for a sleigh ride or snowmobile ride. I, personally, love the Transfagarasan highway and the Fagarasa mountains in wintertime – they are so calm, celestial…
On our way back we can visit the former Cistercian abbey from Carta (and even meet the funny guardian dogs Moritz and Max), we can also visit the Clay Castle, Cisnadioara fortress or the glass manufacture in Avrig. There are plenty of things to do!
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The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
The tour includes:
Visit till Balea Lake
Visit at the Hotel of Ice/ Igloo Village
Visit at Carta Abbey
Visit at the Clay Castle/ Saxon fortress/ Glass manufacture
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What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
The tour doesn’t include but we are glad to stop for a lunch break at the lovely Albota trout farm – the food is delicious and the view of the fish ponds and the mountains in the background is terrific!
We’re at about 2035 m altitude (around 7600 ft) – enjoy the calm of the mountains, the astonishing view, breathe the fresh air and even sunbathe in snow!
In December the water of the glacier lake from Balea becomes a big ice hotel – not through magic but through the amazing hands of some talented people. It is a big hotel with several rooms and an ice bar.
Unfortunately, climate change really is a big issue felt even in our region, in the Carpathian mountains. In 2019-2020, because the weather was warmer than usual, the lake didn’t freeze in time for the hotel of ice to be built. Instead, some little, lovely igloos were built – the ice sculpture details are splendid. The visit will be fascinating!
Let’s hope that next year the weather conditions will be better and temperatures normal for winter. Unluckily, climate change seems to be a sad reality!
One of the oldest constructions in Transylvania, a fascinating mix of architectural styles but, above all, a peaceful place where you can relax and even try to travel with your imagination back in time…
We advise you to do this tour if the weather is sunny and not very windy. Of course, we can go up to Balea Lake also if it snows, it all depends on how much you enjoy snow and cold weather. Either way, you need warm clothes and winter boots…. If sunny, don’t forget your sunglasses!
Transfagarasan road is one of my favourite tours! The perfect combination of white and blue, the calm of the mountains, the celestial view, the altitude, the horizon, I love everything and I’m sure you’d love it, too.
Let us know when you’d like to go to Balea Lake. We’ll check the weather forecast and tailor the tour so that you can enjoy and take advantage of your stay here. Be ready to take pictures… and selfies:)
Balea_Lake
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The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance.
Balea Lake, Cable Car, Carta Abbey... the whole credit goes to the snowy mountains!
Snow_Transfagarasan
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Lunch is not included...... but we're happy to have a stop at the local trout farm or have a warm snack at the lake!
Sometimes, in wintertime, weather up there at Balea Lake can be warmer than in Sibiu… Nevertheless, bring warm clothes, good boots, a hat and sunglasses!
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Of course! They will love the snow and can have lots of fun. We can even bring a sledge for them.
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In general, even if the weather can be unpredictable in the mountains, we usually know the forecast in advance and can decide if it is possible to go or not. Very rare are the situations of extreme fog or storms.
Highlight of our trip!
Having visited Sibiu (a wonderful city) and having seen the Top Gear show about Romania, we booked the Transfagarasan day trip with Adela. Adela arrived on time to collect us from our hotel. On the way we also stopped off in Carta for a tour of the Abbey. Adela's knowledge of both Transylvania and Romania was exceptional and she was a wonderful conversationalist. The Transfargarasan highway is quite remarkable. We enjoyed the trip immensely and the day flew in, mostly thanks to Adela! As a guide, I could not recommend anyone else and if you're visiting Sibiu, I highly recommend you check out the sightseeing tours as hosted by Adela!
A great tour and a great guide
We - a group of 5 persons - booked a day tour to Transfagarasan road. Adela was a really good guide and we had a great day and learned a lot. Highly recommended! The view and the road were spectacular, it is a tour really worth doing.
Highlight of our trip! Having visited Sibiu (a wonderful city) and having seen the Top Gear show about Romania, we booked the Transfagarasan day trip with Adela. Adela arrived on time to collect us from our hotel. On the way we also stopped off in Carta for a tour of the Abbey. Adela's knowledge of both Transylvania and Romania was exceptional and she was a wonderful conversationalist. The Transfargarasan highway is quite remarkable. We enjoyed the trip immensely and the day flew in, mostly thanks to Adela! As a guide, I could not recommend anyone else and if you're visiting Sibiu, I highly recommend you check out the sightseeing tours as hosted by Adela!
A great tour and a great guide We - a group of 5 persons - booked a day tour to Transfagarasan road. Adela was a really good guide and we had a great day and learned a lot. Highly recommended! The view and the road were spectacular, it is a tour really worth doing.