The Bucegi from Bușteni: Cable Car to Babele, the Sphinx and the Heroes' Cross

The short version

From the little resort of Bușteni, 40 km south of Brașov, a cable car lifts you in minutes from the valley floor to the Bucegi plateau at more than 2,000 metres — a high, grassy tableland of strange wind-carved rocks, wide horizons and, on a clear day, views that run across the Carpathians. The two famous formations, Babele ("the Old Women") and the Sphinx, are a short, easy walk from the top station. It is the quickest way into real high mountain country anywhere near Brașov.

• Distance: Bușteni is about 40 km from Brașov via Predeal; 45–60 minutes by car midweek, much longer on weekend afternoons.
• The lift: the Bușteni–Babele cable car climbs to Babele, at over 2,200 m.
• Time needed: half a day for Babele and the Sphinx; a full day with the Heroes' Cross or Omu.
• The catch: weather. Wind, fog and storms stop the lift and turn the plateau hostile. Watch the forecast.

The Bucegi plateau

The Bucegi massif rises like a wall above the Prahova valley: seen from Bușteni, the Caraiman and Coștila faces are vertical cliffs over a thousand metres high. Behind the edge, though, the mountain changes character entirely. The plateau is a rolling high pasture, cut by valleys and dotted with limestone and conglomerate rocks that wind, frost and rain have sculpted into odd shapes.

Babele is a cluster of mushroom-shaped rock pillars near the top station and the Babele chalet. The Sphinx, about 15 minutes' walk away, is a rock about eight metres high which, seen from the right angle, looks startlingly like a human face in profile. Both are natural erosion forms. You will hear theories that they are ancient monuments or energy points; they are geology, and no less beautiful for it.

The cable car: hours and prices

Hours and prices below come from regional listings compiled from the operator and checked September 2026; the operator changes them by season, so confirm on the day.

• Hours: first ascent around 08:30, last ascent around 16:00, last descent around 17:00. On Tuesdays the first ascent is later (around 10:30) after scheduled maintenance.
• Prices listed for 2026: one-way ascent around 105 lei for adults and 49 lei for children; return around 199 lei for adults and 85 lei for children; children under 5 free.
• Weather: the lift can stop at short notice because of wind, fog or storms, and may not restart that day. Keep a plan B, and check the status in the morning.

Queues: on summer weekends and holidays the wait at the lower station can be long. Go on a weekday, arrive for the first cars, or come in September, when the plateau is quieter and the light is at its best.

Walks from the top

Babele to the Sphinx (easy): about 15 minutes each way on a clear path. Perfect for families and anyone in trainers.

Babele to the Heroes' Cross (moderate): the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman, a steel cross of the late 1920s commemorating the railway workers and soldiers killed in the First World War, stands on the edge of the Caraiman cliffs above Bușteni. From Babele it is a walk of roughly an hour to an hour and a half each way along the plateau. It is lit at night and visible from the valley.

Babele to Omu Peak (serious): at 2,505 m, Omu is the highest point of the Bucegi, with a small, historic mountain hut on the summit. The walk from Babele takes several hours return, on rough ground, and should only be attempted in stable weather with proper boots, water and warm clothes.

Down to Peștera: a separate cable car links Babele with the Peștera area and the Ialomița Cave and its small monastery — useful for a traverse, but check that both lifts are running.

Safety — take it seriously

The plateau feels gentle, but it is high mountain terrain. Fog can come down in minutes and make the landmarks disappear; summer afternoons bring thunderstorms with lightning on exposed ground; temperatures at 2,200 m can be 10–15 °C colder than in Brașov. Every season Salvamont rescues people who walked out in sandals.

• Bring a warm layer and a waterproof, even in July.
• Stay on marked paths and keep the top station in sight in poor visibility.
• Start down before storms build, usually by early afternoon in summer.
• Emergency 112; Salvamont — Brașov's mountain rescue is on 0725 826 668.

Check our weather page and the mountain forecast before you go, and see our essentials page for more on mountain safety.

In Bușteni itself

• Cantacuzino Castle — a neo-Brâncovenesc palace with a terrace facing the Caraiman cliffs, famous lately as a filming location for Netflix's *Wednesday*.
• Urlătoarea Waterfall — an easy forest walk from the edge of town.
• Caraiman Monastery — a wooden monastery below the cliffs.

The Bucegi can also be reached from Sinaia, where a gondola climbs to the Cota 1400 area and on to higher stations. Combine a morning in Sinaia with Peleș Castle (closed Monday and Tuesday) and an afternoon in Bușteni. Our Sinaia and Bușteni area guide covers the valley.

Getting there

By train: Bușteni is on the main Brașov–Bucharest line, roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Brașov on direct services; the cable car is a 15–20 minute walk from the station. By car: DN1 via Predeal. Weekend traffic in the Prahova valley can be severe, especially on Sunday afternoons heading back towards Bucharest. Our getting around guide explains the options.

Our verdict

The Bușteni cable car is the easiest way near Brașov to stand on a real Carpathian plateau. Go on a clear weekday morning, walk to the Sphinx, add the Heroes' Cross if the weather holds, and be back at the station before the clouds build. For a wilder mountain day without lifts, try Piatra Craiului; and if you want to sleep closer to the mountains, where to stay includes options in the valley.