The most beautiful natural sites to discover Transylvania & Carpathian Mountains

From Şimon and Moieciu de Sus, you can win Poiana Guţanu, a refuge from which many paths go to the Smo, Babele or, further afield, Sinaia, across the Bucegi mountains.

The village of Fundata is one of the most beautiful in this valley and one of the highest in Romania. The site is superb, the architecture of some rich houses. In July there is a folk festival very popular (dances, costumes, etc.).

Stretching around the massif's highest point, at 2,238 meters, the "Prince's Stone" National Park is characterized by its steep walls and rich flora. It was here that the film Return to Cold Mountain, starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, was shot. The area is home to many endemic plant species, including the Piatra Craiului carnation. Birds of prey and large carnivores can also be found here. It's a popular massif for hikers and mountaineers. One of the most beautiful hikes: the one leading to Cabana Curmatura via the Zărnești gorge.

The Piatra Craiului National Park Visitors' Center is a natural site located in Bran. Visitors can buy tickets using the blue ticket machines located at the Zărnești post office, the Piatra Craiului National Park Visitors' Center, the Plaiul Foii Hut and the Ivan Valley Bridge. Tickets can also be purchased by sending an SMS with the text "Pcrai1" for one person, "Pcrai2" for two people or "Pcrai5" for five people to number 7473. Prices range from 2 to 10 euros, plus VAT. The entrance fee also includes a visit to the Zărnești Visitors' Center.

A mountain pan that brings together more than 35 species of fossilized molluscs.

Some ten kilometers west of the city, the Turda Gorge(Cheile Turzii) offers an astonishing spectacle. The Hășdate River has cut an impressive corridor over 3 kilometers long, giving rise to cliffs nearly 350 meters high. There are some sixty caves, formed in the karstic relief. Most are small, apart from the 120 m-long Cetățeaua Mare. The region benefits from a microclimate that favors a dazzling natural wealth. Some sixty species of animals (birds, foxes, fish, weasels, amphibians, deer...) and over 1,000 different plant species, including some particularly rare ones (wild garlic, Jupiter's helmet...), can be found in a 125-hectare reserve.

The main access point to the gorge is the village of Cheia, which can be reached by local bus or by a 2-hour walk from Turda, along a path called Drumul Domnilor (departure from piața Romană, red cross markings, approx. 8 km). By car, pass the village of Mihai Viteazu and, a little further on, on the road towards Câmpeni, follow the signs. The gorge can easily be covered in just over an hour. But if you'd like to explore the area in more depth, you can go to the Cabana Cheile Turzii, where a map is displayed, detailing the various trails. We can also provide you with a map. The gorge route stops at Petreştii de Jos, where buses run back down to Turda (occasionally at least).

This small village north of Luduş (town between Târgu Mureş and Turda) has a small original natural reserve. It is formed around an area where many of the peonies of the steppes grow. Beautiful during flowering in May.

On the road towards Deva, near Pietroasa, this waterfall of 80 meters is part of a geological reserve (precipices, waterfalls, water holes…), forest and floral, refreshing in summer. Attention, access is not easy. Located in the Apuseni Natural Park, the place is quite impressive and places beautiful landscapes in this natural region away from any human domestication.

The salt mine leisure center (still in operation) plunges you to a depth of 120 meters. The temperature is a constant 15°C. Here, curists (respiratory patients) spend whole days watching films, playing sports or having a drink at the bar, all the while breathing the beneficial air. There's even a chapel carved out of the salt. There are plenty of games for children, and even a restaurant where wine tastings are held. Next to the mine is a modern saltwater swimming pool.

It's the world's largest brown bear sanctuary: the Libearty sanctuary is home to around a hundred of them, in 69 hectares of forest. Opened in 2005, the sanctuary takes in abused bears from zoos, circuses and private owners. Until the mid-2000s, it was not uncommon to see plantigrades chained up or locked in cages in front of restaurants or hotels, to lure tourists. Since then, the situation has improved considerably, and almost all of them have been rescued from the clutches of their owners. Unable for the most part to return to the wild, these animals find here a place of freedom, as well as the food and care they need. Those who are fit are released back into the wild. The sanctuary was created by Cristina Lapis, president of Millions of Friends, one of the country's oldest animal protection associations.

The visit is highly supervised: it can only be undertaken in the company of a guide, in groups of no more than 50 people. The guide will lead you past various enclosures and tell you the story of several bears, the conditions in which they lived, the care they receive here and the traumas they still suffer. It's an instructive experience that respects the animals and lets you see them up close. Although this is not a zoo. Visits take place in the morning only, in Romanian or English. During the vacations, it's strongly recommended to buy your ticket online in advance.

The town has its own nature park, administered by a special body.

Oradea is the capital of the Bihor județ. The city is prosperous, with a population of around 183,105 in 2021. Oradea is located at an altitude of 142 meters, in the Alföld, to the east of the Great Plain of Pannonia, close to the Hungarian border. It is crossed by the Crișul Repede and Peța rivers. The city is built on the alluvial terraces of the river and backs onto the first hills of the Apuseni Mountains in the southern Carpathians. Oradea is also surrounded by neighboring communes such as Borș, Biharia, Paleu, Sântandrei, Oșorhei, Sânmartin and Nojorid. The city enjoys a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Oradea is an attractive tourist destination with its historic architecture, museums and parks.

This small, densely forested mountain dominates the old town at an altitude of 960 metres. A cable car at the foot of the ramparts climbs to the top every 15 minutes. You can also climb to the top via a footpath from the same point (approx. 1h walk). The view from the top is exceptional: the city is at your feet and you can see the different stages of its construction (medieval city, Șchei, modern city), with the majestic Carpathian Mountains as a backdrop. Until the ^15th century, the hilltop was home to the citadel.