Twists and turns at 2034 m. Transfagarasan and Balea Lake, Romania
Romania is a beautiful country that has more to offer than just legends of Dracula and Transylvania. In this post I present two sights which hopefully will make you want to pack your bags and visit Romania: Transfagarasan and Balea Lake.
TransFagarasan
Transfagarasan is a twisted 90km long road through Fagaras Mountains (in Romania) that connects Transylvania with Wallachia (the North and the South of Romania). There are steep cliffs on one side and deep valleys on the other, the air is cold even during summer and flocks of sheep enjoy eating grass in the fresh mountain air. Along the road there are parking spots from where you can admire the landscape and take photos. The twisted road goes up to 2034 m of altitude where there’s a breathtaking view over the Balea Glacier Lake.
NB: The road is closed from October till June due to bad weather, but it’s opened for driving from June till September. The top legal speed is 40km/h because of the dangerous curves.
View from the highest point (2034 m of altitude)
Along the way there are flocks of sheep eating fresh, green grass. This is BIO!
Balea Lake
Balea Lake is a glacier lake situated at 2,034 m of altitude in Fagaras Mountains. To get there you can drive on the beautiful Transfagarasan Road that I described earlier.
The views are breathtaking and you can enjoy it in silence if you go there soon enough (before 11 AM) because around noon crowds start to arrive. I recommend you take a rest on the terrace of the cottage with a view over the lake and try the Tripe Soup (Ciorba de burta) –Β a traditional Romanian soup served with cream, garlic sauce and vinegar!
In the parking lot there are street vendors selling Romanian traditional goodies like cheese, sausages, sweets, honey, syrups and souvenirs.
Balea Glacier Lake in Fagaras Mountains, Romania
While in the area, you can also visit Balea Waterfall from where you can take a cable-car to the first Ice Hotel built in Eastern Europe in 2006. The Ice Hotel has 12 rooms, a bar, a restaurant and and an ice lounge. And if that wasn’t enough, there is also an ice church where weddings can be performed. The beds of the hotel are made of ice, covered with mattresses and furs. Not really my cup of tea, but for anyone adventurous enough this could end up being a wonderful experience and memory π
The photos are not enough to describe the beauty of this place. If you’ve already been here, you know what I mean, but if you haven’t, I can only hope you have the chance to visit this beautiful places someday.
Don’t miss:
- Heaven on Earth: rural Maramures in Romania
- The unique MERRY Cemetery on Earth: Sapanta, Romania
- Dracula’s birthplace: Sighisoara, Romania
- A STUNNING castle in Romania
Wow! These pictures are just amazing. I bet you had an amazing time π
I am watching your pictures again! They look like taken out from a fairytale, love them. And no, have never been to Romania but looks like a destination to consider π
Awesome photos of a magnificent drive. The most beautiful that I’ve seen in Europe (so far).
Thank you very much! When have you been there?
July 2010. π
I have been there too and I know what you mean! π We were there this summer and this was one of the highlights!
Beautiful!
Gorgeous photos! My jaw is dropping looking at them. That road sure is intense. Though, I must say, it makes me want to take a road trip.
Thank you, Emilia! Maybe some day you will visit the place. It’s much more beautiful and impressive than it looks in the pictures π
Thank you for showing me the wonderful landscapes Transfagarasan.
I especially like the picture of the man looking at the house on the lake – great work.
Great images, this is on my bucket list….we were unable to visit when we were in Romania some years ago. All those twists and turns, very reminiscent of the Stelvio pass in Italy which I have driven twice in an old sports car…. I’m just off to look at some more of your images…. π
So beautiful!
That house on Balea Lake is breathtaking! Wow.
Fantastic pictures, wonderful blog! Spectacular locations! We will definitely follow your blog and we are looking forward to see more of your adventures! We also like the style of your pictures, you are very consistent in the form. Congratulations! π