The Transfăgărășan is Romania’s second highest paved road and was built as a strategic military route. It runs for 90 km with twists, turns and offers beautiful views to drivers amongst the Carpathian mountain range. The road climbs to 2,034m with more tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania. In 2009, when the presenters of Top Gear took to the road and raced their cars up and down, they referred to it as ‘the most beautiful road in the world’. It’s not uncommon to see this road feature in first position in lists about beautiful places and roads.
During our weekend in Romania we thought we’d see whether this road really lived up to all the hype. So, we escaped the capital of Bucharest and hired a car for the day. We headed for the hills in our little Ford Ka, passing through traditional Romanian villages where farming is rife and it’s not uncommon to see a horse and cart trotting down the road. As we started to climb the views became even more beautiful. The landscape grew upwards, as mountains appeared and the golden forests looked stunning in the autumn sunshine.
The journey from Bucharest is long; you can expect a 3 hour drive to reach the top of the pass. However, the beautiful views will keep you entertained. There’s also plenty of spots to stop, get out and admire the view. Take a packed lunch and have a roadside picnic – whilst there’s a few places to grab something to eat, your choices are very much limited.
Top tips:
– Daily car hire costs from £30 (with a small extra charge for under 25s)
– Duration: from Bucharest you can expect a 6hour return journey
– Take a packed lunch and enjoy the views
– Wrap up warm – it’s chilly in the winter!
– In winter snow chains are recommended.
This trip was first published on That Adventurer.
