Transylvania is a fantastic destination for hiking with stunning scenery, fabulous views, and so many wildflowers.
The areas we hiked in felt remote and unspoilt. We saw very few hikers on the routes we took and even had one of the mountain huts to ourselves.
As some of the other reviews say, this is a challenging week and requires a good head for heights (some parts are very exposed) and a good level of fitness. The days are long (8-10 hours of walking on the first three days, 6 hours on the last three days as the walks were cut short to avoid afternoon storms) which means little ‘down time’. The terrain is varied (rocks and scree, pastures, meadows, forests).
A significant amount of scrambling is required the first three days, and in particular the third when heading up to La Om. The other days don’t require scrambling but are still demanding in terms of the terrain and elevation gain/loss.
Two nights are spent in simple huts, with basic facilities (outside drop toilets), but the location of Cabana Malaiesti is spectacular as well worth it.
Carpathian Mountains Tours
Carpathian Mountains Transylvania Trips
Trips to the upspoilt Carpathian Mountains are a fresh take on wildlife and conservation holidays. They form the eastern wing of the great Central Mountain System of Europe, curving 1500km along the borders of Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Serbia and northern Hungary. History and geography conspired to make Transylvania in central Romania one of Europe’s most beautifully wild and fascinating regions.
For centuries the locals have existed in harmony with a variety of wildlife, including Europe’s highest concentration of wolves, lynx and bears – almost half the European population of brown bears is recorded in the Carpathian Mountains. Meanwhile, dense forests have remained largely untouched. There are spectacular canyons, virgin forests and fairytale Saxon villages to explore too, making Carpathian Mountains tours perfect for hikers as well as wildlife lovers.
Our Best Carpathian Mountains Transylvania Tours
victoria glendinning Summits of the Transylvanian Alps
Darinka Shaw Carpathian Walking & BearsThis was my first back pack trip ever. It was challenging but exciting and memorable!
HELEN BRIDGETT Summits of the Transylvanian AlpsThis is a tough week (and I’ve done Kilimanjaro/TMB/Toubkal). Don’t underestimate it. Someone told me that in Romania the trails just go straight up – no zigzags and they really do! The ascents one the first two days are quite technical scrambles /climbs and the descents are absolutely knee-wrecking. So be ready for that and you’ll have a fabulous time!
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