One third of Romania’s territory is occupied by the Carpathian Mountains. Romania is home to 620,000 acres of wild forest, the second-largest such area in Europe; 24% of the country’s territory has been declared a protected area. 30% of the territory of the Sibiu county is covered by mountains, an important range of them part of the Natura 2000 Reserve.

With hundreds km of marked trails, the region is any hiker’s paradise. Regardless the trail you choose, be sure  to enjoy the scenic landscape, nature’s raw beauty, the rich flora and fauna.

If you want to combine an urban vacation and local experiences with mountain hiking, you can stay in the city of Sibiu and take a day trip in the Carpathians.

Summer is the best time for hiking across mild pastures and up rocky peaks. In autumn, nature is busy preparing for winter and the landscape presents an incredible array of red, yellow and brown colors. The fresh air and bright colors are stunning.

‍Făgăraş Mountains are the highest in the Romanian Carpathians, with the peaks: Moldoveanu (2544 m) and Negoiu (2535 m). They are rocky mountains with steep valleys, rich alpine vegetation, refreshing glacial lakes, cool waterfalls and diversified fauna: brown bears, lynx, deer and marmots.

Vânătarea lui Buteanu Peak (also known as Vânătoarea lui Buteanu) is a peak in the Fagaras Mountains reaching 2.507 m altitude/ 8.225 ft, the 8th peak as height in the Romanian Carpathians.

‍We suggest you a hiking day till the Buteanu Peak starting Balea Lake. Till there you’ll enjoy an amazing drive with spectacular views on the Transfagarasan winding road.

The Făgăraş Mountains are also known as the Alps of Transylvania

In the Romanian Carpathians there are 14 peaks heaving over 2500 m altitude. Among them, 8 are in the Făgăraş Mountains.

We’ll drive from Sibiu and our stop is Balea Lake, in the Fagaras Mountains. It is a greta drive on the Transfagarasan winding road, one of the most fascinating mountain roads in the world. We can have various stops along the ride for great pictures, one of them above the Balea Waterfall.

We’ll stop climbing right from the bank of the lake. The climbing is pretty challenging on a narrow rocky trails. There are two different routes we can take, depending on our guests training and weather forecast. 

Therefore, we suggest two options:

1) Bâlea Lake –>Șaua Caprei  (50 min);   Șaua Caprei–> Vănătarea lui Buteanu Peak (1 hour)

Total time: around 4 hors
Altitude difference: 300 m – 467 m
Level: easy/average. 
The trail is relatively easy excepting the first part of the climbing till Saua Caprei and the passage between the Buteanu Peak and Caprei Peak.

3) Bâlea Lake –>  Șaua Paltinului –> Iezerul Caprei  –> Șaua Caprei –>  Vanatarea lui Buteanu Peak

Total time: around 6 hours
Altitude difference:  650 m 
Level: easy/ average
The trail has several areas which are more complicated with narrow paths and rock climbing.