TransFagarasan Scenic Road, Carpathian Mountains

TransFăgărășan scenic road

Current road status/ traffic conditions.

Also labeled "the Road to the Sky", "the Road to the Clouds", "the Best Driving Road in the World" and even "A spectacular Monument to Earth-Moving Megalomania" the TransFagarasan climbs, twists and descends right through Moldoveanu and Negoiu - the highest peaks in Fagaras Mountains and in Romania. This is no pass through a gap but a frontal assault, a stark and spectacular reminder of unchecked power stamping itself on an obstreperous landscape.

Built for military purposes at the initiative of Romania's last communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu, this dynamite-forged road connects two of Romania's historic provinces Transylvania (the Center) and Walachia (the South) through a series of five tunnels, 27 viaducts and 831 small bridges.

The TransFagarasan ranges in elevation from 1,630 feet at Cartisoara to almost 6,700 feet at Balea Lac. The road is below the tree line until about 5,000 ft. and then it opens up and reveals itself.

No visitor should not get discouraged by the significant elevation difference; the road is a relatively easy climb even for bicyclists weighted down with all necessary equipment.
The Transfagarasan was engineered to be accessible to heavy military vehicles and the gradient is never too steep, hence the many hairpin bends or switchbacks. During off-season and week-days, the Transfagarasan is still relatively unperturbed by the motoring masses.
However, this scenic road can get quite crowded during vacation months (July and August) and weekends.

TransFăgărășan Facts:

Begins: Curtea de Argeș (95 miles NW of Bucharest)

Ends: Carțișoara (30 miles east of Sibiu)

Distance: 71 miles (114 kilometers).

# of tunnels: 5
TransFăgărășan tunnels dimensions:
Width (d1): 6 m (19.5 ft.) to 7.2 m (23.5 ft.)
and
Height (d2): 3.9 m (12.8 ft.) to 4.2 m (14 ft.)

Note:
Feedback and Video we have received from visitors confirms that although a TransFagarasan road sign
shows that the height of an underpass is 3.6 m (11.8 ft.)   a 3.9 m (12.8 ft.) high vehicle
crossed all TransFagarasan tunnels and underpasses with no problem;
obviously, road sign needs to be updated.

Gateway cities:
Sibiu (30 miles W) and Brașov (65 miles E) of Carțișoara,
Pitești (23 miles S) and Bucharest (96 miles S) of Curtea de Argeș

Open end-to-end: July 1 through October 31 (weather permitting).
Early re-opening happens when weather is good, all snow has been removed from the road and there is no danger of avalanches.
Romania's Road Authority announces the early re-opening 24 to 48 hours in advance.

...

Road condition: paved, good.

Highest point: 6.699 ft (2042 m) - Lake Bâlea

Route time: 3 hours, without stops. A leisurely drive can take all day.

Points of note:
-- Monastery Curtea de Argeș,

-- Poenari - Vlad the Impaler's fortress,
-- Vidraru Hydroelectric Dam / Reservoir

Also known as the "Transylvanian Alps", the Fagaras Mountains are rich in unique wildlife and scenic hiking and biking trails.

-- Golul Alpin nature reserve,

-- Bâlea Glacial Lake,

-- Balea waterfall (Bâlea Cascadă).

Map: Map of TransFagarasan Route

Transfagarasan scenic road video

Other Carpathian Mountains Scenic Drives:
TransAlpina,
TransBucegi