SamuelThe mighty Piatra Craiului mountains is a mountain range in central Romania, located a stone’s throw away from the town of Bran with its world’s famous Dracula’s castle. It is one of Romania’s most popular national park with miles of trekking trails, thrilling mountain biking paths, and countless spots for rock climbing.
The highest peak in this mountain range is ‘merely’ around 2200 meters, relatively modest by Romania’s standard. However, the shape of this mountain is what makes it unique. The top of this amazing mountain massif forms a long exposed narrow ridge of about 25 km long that can be traversed completely along its length.
We scaled this truly unique Romanian mountain during our trip in Romania in late May. Besides the Piatra Craiului mountain itself, the enchanting village of Măgura nearby was also totally worth a visit. Check out also our other hikes in Romania in Retezat national park and through the Seven Ladders Canyon.
Getting there:
Because of its proximity to large population centers, the Piatra Craiului national park can be easily reached. The closest major city is Zărneşti, which can be reached by regional train from Braşov. A couple of hiking trails lead to the national park from Zărneşti.
To get to Măgura, the most convenient way is by private transportation since there is no public transport available. Mind you that the road to Măgura is not paved. It is also possible to walk all the way from Zărneşti, which is about 6-7 km away. We advise to get food and supplies in Zărneşti before heading to the mountain or Măgura.
Măgura
Before tackling the Piatra Craiului mountains, we paid a visit to the pretty village of Măgura. It was completely worth the effort through a painstakingly slow, rocky, and bumpy ride up the mountain.
Once the forest cleared and we entered the village area, the postcard perfect view of neatly lined pine trees, rustic shepherds’ hut, and mountain chalets with immaculately trimmed lawn spread over green rolling hills greeted us from the distance. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was Switzerland, but with a fraction of the price.
We spent the night in Nea Marin, a lovely family run mountain chalet with an amazingly picturesque view from its backyard over Măgura and the snowy peak of Bucegi mountain looming in the distance.
This was simply a place to seek relaxation and silence. There were not so many things to do apart from walking around this tiny and tranquil village to breathe in a healthy dose of fresh mountain air and discovering the shepherds’ hut, all while being accompanied by some of Măgura’s most adorable canine inhabitants.
Hiking up to Cabana Curmătura
Early next morning, we headed back down from Măgura to the hiking trail head to finally tackle the mighty Piatra Craiului. Don’t forget to refill your bottle with the crystal clear refreshing water from the fountain nearby. It’s gonna be quite a trek to our first stop, the mountain hut of Cabana Curmătura.
The trail turned very steep very soon. After all, we were directly below the looming mountain. It took us through an area of dense forest and foliage so thick the bright sunlight above barely penetrated to the forest floor.
An information board along the trail revealed the range of wildlife calling this mountain area home. I became a bit paranoid to see snakes and bears among the listed creatures.
A bit too paranoid I suppose that I started using my hiking stick to always poke the leaf covered trail ahead of me to check for snakes and started making noise to ward off bears during the walk.
After making it through the forest part, suddenly came an opening. A big open green plain halfway through the mountain greeted tired hikers like us, with the rocky peaks visible in the distance.
The plain was used by a large flock of sheep grazing to their fill. Friendly sheep I’d say when they suddenly crowded around me. The shepherd appeared from the distance, accompanied by his ever trusted four-legged companion to herd the flock.
We carried on further through the forest at the other end of the open field to finally reach the place where we would overnight, the wooden cabin of Cabana Curmătura. Nestled on a slope facing an open valley below with dense pine forest all around, it was quite a memorable place on a memorable setting.
Scaling the peak
After a break and quick lunch at the hut, I set out to scale and conquer the rocky spiny peaks of Piatra Craiului. After consulting the map found in the cabin, I decided to aim for the Shelter 7 November, located on the mountain ridge.
The path to the top was relentlessly steep, where I at times had to scramble up the rocks. Thankfully the path was clearly marked to guide me to the top. Looking behind, I could get a clear view over the surrounding area.
As I ascended, I started to get a glimpse of the row of Piatra Craiului’s rocky peaks, standing tall as if to support the sky above. Surely not long after a red dome appeared, the conspicuously looking Shelter 7 November perched on the narrow summit.
A bunch of other hikers were already occupying the top, and one person was sitting inside the shelter with his sleeping equipment, looking ready to spend the night up there. As for me, I was just enjoying my well deserved snack up there while congratulating myself for another peak bagged.
Traversing the ridge
My next route would prove to be the most the exciting part, traversing the ridge. I did ask two men at the summit about the route, as they had just done it from the other end. It was quite alright and not too exposed they claimed. Well, it shouldn’t have taken their word literally.
Far from being ‘alright’, traversing the rocky ridge of Piatra Craiului was definitely not a walk in the park. The narrow ridge was really a challenge to tread, making progress to be painfully slow. I could assure you that the gentlemen earlier had a different definition of ‘exposed path’.
Some parts were downright dangerous, where hikers had to skim along a narrow path between a rocky wall and a precipitous drop. Thankfully a steel cable was there to help me across, which I held onto with my dear life. Definitely not for the faint hearted nor those with shaky feet.
After traversing more than 1 km of the ridge, a path started to lead me back to the cabin. Just as the incredibly steep way up, time to navigate through the steep descend, trying not to lose my footing.
Returning
Reaching the cabin was such a relief. Such as pleasant feeling to lie down on the grassy field in front of the cabin or relaxing on one of the picnic tables outside while enjoying a heartwarming cup of herbal tea with a mountain view. The drinks and food they served was perfect for after a long day of trekking.
Nothing beats spending a night in a picturesque mountain cabin. Or so I thought. That night was different though. The blue sky of the day was not a guarantee of a tranquil night. Coming out of nowhere, all hell broke loose.
Rain and storm descended upon the mountain. Lightning rattle the cabins countless times. So much that the dog that strolled around the cabin earlier sought refuge inside the cabin, frightened. Well, spare a thought for the guy sleeping in the shelter, exposed to the full force of nature. I just hoped he survived the lightning.
Morning after, the raging storm seemed a world away. Blue sky and birds chirping welcomed us and accompanied our way back down. We took a different route, going on a slight detour through the Prapastiile Zarnestiului gorge, an area popular with day hikers and mountain bikers. We just did not encounter a flock sheep this time.
As we finally reached the starting point of the hike, I took one last chance to savor the refreshingly cold mountain water from the fountain before bidding farewell to this challenging and equally wonderful Piatra Craiului mountain.
