The Transfăgărășan from Brașov: Season, Route and How to Drive Romania's Great Mountain Road

The short version

The Transfăgărășan (DN7C) is the mountain road that crosses the Făgăraș range, Romania's highest, in a series of hairpins, viaducts and a tunnel near the summit. It is a genuine spectacle — and a seasonal one. The high section opens for only a few months each year, and the best way to drive it from Brașov depends on the day of the week, the weather and your appetite for hairpins.

• Season: the high section is open only in summer and early autumn. In 2026 it reopened on 12 June at noon, between Bâlea Cascadă and Piscul Negru; it usually closes again in October or at the first heavy snowfall — the exact closing date depends on the weather and is announced by the national roads company, CNAIR.
• Daily hours: traffic on the high section was allowed 07:00–21:00 in summer 2026.
• From Brașov: about two hours to the northern foot of the road at Cârțișoara, then an hour or more up to Bâlea Lake.
• Plan: a long, full day. Start early, go midweek, fill the tank before you leave the plain.

Why it exists, and why it is famous

The road was built between 1970 and 1974 on the orders of Nicolae Ceaușescu, officially as a strategic military route across the Carpathians after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. It was built fast, at enormous cost and with real loss of life among the soldiers who worked on it. Half a century later it is Romania's most photographed road, helped along by a British television programme that once called it the best driving road in the world.

It deserves the reputation for the northern side alone: from the forest at Bâlea Cascadă the road loops up an open glacial valley in tight, stacked switchbacks, climbs to Bâlea Lake at just over 2,000 metres and slips through a tunnel under the ridge. The southern descent is longer, wooded and quieter, passing the huge Vidraru Dam and the ruins of Poenari — the real fortress of Vlad the Impaler, far more authentic than Bran.

Opening dates: the honest version

Official openings and closings change every year. In 2026 the high section opened on 12 June; in most years the road closes by late October at the latest, and snow can close it earlier, even in September, for a day or two. Rock falls and works also cause temporary closures: in 2026 works at the Vidraru dam imposed restrictions on a short stretch on the southern side.

Before you go, always check: CNAIR's announcements and the traffic information services, plus the mountain forecast on our weather page. If the road is closed at the top, you can still usually drive up from the north to Bâlea Cascadă and, in season, take the cable car from there to Bâlea Lake.

Route from Brașov

Out: Brașov → DN1 west through Codlea and Făgăraș → turn south at Cârțișoara onto the DN7C. About 110–120 km and two hours to Cârțișoara, depending on lorries and roadworks.

Up: Cârțișoara → Bâlea Cascadă (waterfall, car park, cable car in season) → the switchbacks → Bâlea Lac (lake, chalets, food stalls) → tunnel. Allow at least an hour of driving and as long as you like for stops.

Back — three options:

1. Same way: turn round after the tunnel and drive back north. The simplest option, about 5–6 hours of driving in total. The descent of the northern hairpins is as beautiful as the ascent.
2. The southern side: continue down to Vidraru Dam and Poenari, then return the same way over the pass. A very long day.
3. The grand loop: south to Curtea de Argeș, then east to Câmpulung and back north via the Rucăr–Bran pass (DN73) and Bran. Ten hours or more, but it takes in two passes, a great monastery and the Bran–Moeciu valley on the way home. Only in long summer days, and only if you enjoy driving.

How to drive it well

• Go on a weekday, early. Weekend afternoons bring queues on the switchbacks and full car parks at Bâlea Lac.
• Fuel and cash. Fill up in Făgăraș; facilities at the top are basic and seasonal.
• Weather changes fast. Even in August, fog, rain and near-freezing temperatures are common at the lake. Bring a warm layer.
• Motorcycles and cyclists share the road in large numbers; overtake carefully.
• Do not stop on the carriageway for photos; use the lay-bys.

Bears on the Transfăgărășan

The road is notorious for bears that wait by the tarmac for food. Do not stop, do not feed, do not get out. Feeding wild animals is illegal in Romania; the police can fine you for feeding and for stopping on the national road, and habituated bears are often later shot. Read our bear-watching guide for ethical ways to see bears near Brașov.

Staying and eating

There are chalets and guesthouses at Bâlea Lac and Bâlea Cascadă and along the northern approach, useful if you want sunrise on the lake. Most visitors return to sleep in Brașov: see where to stay for the city's best hotels. For a shorter mountain day, Piatra Craiului is 40 minutes from the city — see our Zărnești Gorges guide.

Without a car

There is no regular public transport over the pass. Small-group or private tours from Brașov run in season, usually combining Bâlea Lake with the Făgăraș fortress or the Saxon villages. Our getting around guide covers car hire, private drivers and tours, and our essentials page has emergency numbers for the mountains.

Our verdict

Worth it — once, on a clear weekday, with an early start. Drive the northern side up to Bâlea Lake and back if you want the spectacle without the marathon; do the grand loop via Poenari and Bran only if you love driving. Check the opening status on the morning you go, and keep your sandwiches to yourself. For castles closer to home, start with our castles page.