Transfagarasan Road & Balea Lake - Private Tour from Bucharest

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| Bucharest, Romania

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12 hours (approx.)

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Overview

We pick you up in the morning and drive one and a half hours to the former capital of Wallachia, city of Curtea de Argeș. Here we stop for coffee .

Then we go to the real castle of Dracula - Vlad the Impaler, Poienari Fortress which stand high at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Our professional guide will tell you why prince Vlad the Impaler is associated with the fictional character Dracula.
. Our next piece of road is also our destination. The Transfagarasan road, build by Ceausescu, with the help of the army is breathtaking and takes us all the way up to the summit of the mountain where we discover the astonishing glacial lake of Balea. From here we start our long but beautiful drive back home.

What's Included

Pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation
Transport by air-conditioned cars or mini-vans
We offer flexibility around the pace and itinerary
Free Wi-Fi

Lunch

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

What To Expect

Poienari Castle

The ruins of Poienari Fortress stand high on a cliff overlooking the Arges River, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Built at the beginning of the 13th century by the first Walachian rulers, the castle changed names and residents a few times over the decades; eventually, it was abandoned and left in ruins. Vlad Tepes ( Vlad the Impaler) recognized the potential of the location and upon taking over the throne, he ordered that the structure be repaired and consolidated, turning it into one of his main fortresses. When the Turks attacked and captured the castle in 1462, Vlad escaped via a secret passageway leading north through the mountains. Although the castle was used for many years after Vlad's death in 1476, it was eventually abandoned again in the first half of the 16th century and left to the ravages of time and weather. In 1888, a major landslide brought down a portion of the castle which crashed into the river far below.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vidraru Dam

Vidraru Lake and Dam - built between 1960 to 1966, for the production of electricity, irrigation and flood prevention, being now an excellent place also for recreation, tourism and sports, eg Bungee jumping extreme sport. The dam stood at its completion, measured at height, in 8th place in Europe and ranks 20th in the world. Thousands were drilled underground galleries of 42 km long, was excavated one million cubic meters of underground rock, was poured nearly one million cubic meters of concrete, and human sacrifices have cost over eighty lives. Between Fruntii Mountains and Ghitu Massif, in lake waters gather rivers Capra, Buda and several direct tributaries - Raul Doamnei, Cernatul and Valsan, Topologul, Valea lui Stan and Limpedea River, which have a total flow of about 5.5 m3 / s . The lake surface is 893 ha, length of 10.3 km, the maximum width is 2.2 km inValea Lupului - Călugărița zone and it has a circumference of 28 km and water depth is 155 m high near curved dam of 166 m, with a crest length of 307 meters. The volume of water is 465 million m³., the normal retention level beong of 830.00 meters above sea level.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Transfagarasan Highway

Transfagarasan is the best road in the world or at least so said Jeremy Clarkson in a Top Gear episode. Still, it offers so much more besides the amazing driving experience. It’s, first of all, a major creation of the communist regime and its obsession with oversized infrastructure projects. The road is 90 km long and connects the south of Romania with Transylvania. 6,500 tons of dynamite were used to break the Fagaras Mountains, the tallest in Romania. It reaches its highest altitude of 2,042 meters close to Balea Lake. This makes it the second-highest road in the country after Transalpina (2,145 meters).

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Capra Wasserfall

ocate alongside the "Transfagarasan" mountain road (otherwise know as DN7C) , the Capra Waterfall is a landmark along a a landmark road. The view is spectacular, altitude is 1650 m, the height of the waterfall is about 35 m .

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This tour/activity is private , only your group will participate.

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Transfagarasan Road & Balea Lake – Private Tour from Bucharest?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EEST). Read more Apr 2025