Romania - Mountain bike tour: Carpathian / Transylvanian Alps 8 days

Together with our local partners, we have mapped out a fantastic mountain bike trail in the Carpathian Alps (also known as the Transylvanian Alps), which are little-known to Western tourists. Along this route you will traverse the beautiful Bucegi trail, with its dense forests and breath-taking gorges. The views from the mountain passes are absolutely spectacular. The Carpathians are also the natural habitat of the brown bear. You will also meet the friendly locals and learn about their culture. Among other things, you will visit a sheep farm that makes artisan cheese. About 55% of the journey is on single tracks.

In addition to many single track and cross country routes, the varied programme also has a number of downhill runs.

Level: you must be a reasonable to well-trained cyclist. (In other words, aside from good basic conditioning some downhill experience and technical competence is recommended.)

Total elevation and distance: 7.400 m above sea level and 215 km.

While it does not appear to be that many kilometres, you should realise that there are many single track sections along the trail.

On average, you are going to be cycling for seven hours a day.

This program is a so-called Bike-in, Bike-out, which is to say: there are no interim transfers.

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival at the airport, transportation to Brasov, the biggest city close to Bucegi. Assembling of bikes, getting to know each-other, short warm-up ride in the area, and presentation of the next-days program. Accommodation in double rooms at a 3* hotel in Brasov, close to the city center.

Day 2: Postavaru Mountain round tour

The first day we make a warm up round tour in the vicinity of Brasov, up to the mountain resort Poiana Brasov on a forestry road and down to the city on a thrilling forest single trail. 32 km, +1300/-1300m. 

Accommodation, breakfast and dinner at the same hotel in Brasov.

Included services: breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, dinner, 

Day 3: Poiana Brasov to Poiana Secuilor

We leave the hotel in the morning on bikes and reach the bus station for Poiana Brasov. After a 20 minutes drive we follow a nice single trail through the forests of Postavaru Mountain with sections across meadows with century old oaks spattered around. We visit the Rasnoavei gorges before the final climb of the day, up to Poiana Secuilor mountain hut – accommodation in double rooms or bigger rooms for large groups of bikers. +1500 Hm.

Included services: breakfast, bus transfer from Brasov to Poiana Brasov, sandwiches for lunch, dinner. 

Day 4: Poiana Secuilor to Busteni

Poiana Secuilor to Busteni - Single trails in the forests around Fetifoiu ridge in the first part of the day, after leaving Poiana Secuilor mountain hut towards the foothills of Bucegi Mountain. Ascent on dirt road to Poiana Izvoarelor mountain hut, then long single trail section all the way to Busteni.  +1000/-1200 Hm. 

Day 5: Bucegi high plateau 

In the morning we cycle down to Sinaia through some nice forest trails. We get the cable car up to 2000m, entering the Bucegi high plateau. Ascent to the highest peak of Bucegi (Omu, 2504m) with stops on the way to visit the geomorphologic monuments Babele and the Sfinx. Nice pasture singletrails all the way, with a special mention for the traverse of the Cerdac. After a well deserved break at the Omu mountain hut, we follow an old trail to Padina mountain hut (1500m) on more single trails, with a final descent of about 500m level. Accommodation at a mountain hut.  +1300m/-2200m. 

Day 6: West of Bucegi to Poarta

We leave the Bucegi high plateau through Strunga pass. Break half way through to visit a traditional mountain sheepfold. Long descent from Strunga pass, rocky and technical in the beginning, nice and flowing through pastures and forests later on. Another day on endless single trails, with nice views over the hills around Bran Castle near the destination, the village of Simon. +900/-1600 Hm. 

Day 7: Bran country

A perfect way to end a glorious week: 32 kilometers of ascents and descents on pasture or forest single trails and on old cartroads. In the morning the Balaban ridge will bring smiles on everybody’s faces with gorgeous views and nicely flowing descents. Quick wave in the distance to Bran Castle before starting the climb to Magura. Narrow trail descent for adrenaline junkies down to Zarnesti gorges, then up towards Piatra Craiului through impressive rock walls. Final single trail descent back to our guesthouse in Simon village. 40 Km and  +1400/-1200Hm. 

Day 8: transfer to the airport of Bucharest

Departure  - Preparations for the departure (pack the bikes, etc). If the schedule allows it, a visit to Bran Castle on the way to the airport can be included.

Included services: breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, transfer to the airport in Bucharest.

Not included: tickets for the visit of Bran Castle – it depends by the flight time

Other information about the Romanian Bike Tour

The accommodation is chosen carefully, in order to provide a comfortable stay and a nice meal before or after a day facing the elements. But also to sustain the local economy, family-run pensions and mountain huts. Most of the accommodation is in double bed rooms with private bathrooms, bunk beds dormitories with share bathrooms are usual higher up in the mountains.

All breakfasts and dinners are served within the accommodation premises. The meals are prepared as much as possible using the local produce. There isn’t much of a Romanian cuisine, but there are a lot of local dishes that you’d rather eat here than in some “traditional Romanian” restaurants in the big cities.

Here is where they do belong, here is where they taste the best.

During the tour, alcoholic drinks are not included - but available at local bars or neighborhood shops. We don’t drink alcoholic drinks during the day and we ask our guest not to drink either. We’ll happily share a glass at the end of each day. On most of the days the routes pass by mountain huts or village markets where drinks, sweets, fruits can be purchased.

The main luggage will be transported from one accommodation to another by car, using the main roads.

Each participant is kindly asked to make his luggage as compact as possible. After unpacking, the mountain bike boxes used on the plane will be deposited in Brasov till the last day of the tour, when they will be made available for the final packing.

During the six days of mountain biking each participant will carry his own extra-clothes, hydrating system, repairing kit, his lunch pack (received each morning after the breakfast), his own energy bars and gels, photo and video cameras, etc.

The mountains are simply gorgeous, the trails inspiring - the experience, one of a kind.