Poiana Brașov

What it is

Poiana Brașov is a mountain resort inside the city limits: a high meadow on the flank of Postăvarul, about 12 km and 20-odd minutes by road from Piața Sfatului, with its base at roughly 1,010–1,050 m and the summit at 1,799 m. It became Romania's flagship ski resort in the communist decades, and it is the place the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) came to in 2013 — and returns to for alpine skiing on 14–21 February 2027. It is not a village: there is no historic centre, just hotels, chalets and restaurants scattered across the meadow, which is part of its charm and part of its problem.

Skiing

The domain officially counts seven homologated slopes, about 24 km in total, plus connecting runs (Ruia, Doamnei, lower Lupului) that locals treat as slopes of their own. The one everyone remembers is Drumul Roșu, a gentle 4.75 km blue from the top to the base. Sulinar is the classic red; Lupului and Subteleferic are the steep blacks, the latter homologated for FIS racing. Beginners stay at the bottom, on Bradul — which is also the resort's only slope with permanent floodlights for night skiing.

Three lifts go to the top: the Postăvarul Expres gondola, run by the city, and the Kanzel and Capra Neagră cable cars, run by Ana Teleferic; drag lifts and chairlifts fill in between. In 2025/26 a day pass cost 240 lei for adults and 140 lei for children 6–12, and a single ride up on any of the three big lifts was 40 lei; 2026/27 prices had not been published when we checked in September 2026. Lifts generally run 09:00–16:00, Bradul until 18:00. Last season opened on 30 December and closed on 29 March. For pistes, passes, schools and rental in detail, see our ski guide and the Poiana Brașov page.

Summer

When the snow goes, Postăvarul becomes the city's walking mountain. The classic route to the Postăvaru hut takes 1.5–2 hours from the resort, and the summit about 2.5–3; the gondola also carries bikes to the Bike Park Postăvarul, whose six downhill and enduro trails run from blue to black. Other summer options are the leisure centre — climbing wall, bowling, minigolf — and the little Milk Cave on the forest path. The resort's timber church of St John the Baptist sits by the road. Check which lifts run in summer before planning a lazy ascent.

Eating and staying

Poiana eats in big timber halls: Șura Dacilor, Coliba Haiducilor, Stâna Sergiana on the road up, and the Yager Chalet by the slopes. At the top end of the hotel scale is the Swissôtel, the first five-star in the resort; the Teleferic Grand Hotel is a short walk from the Kanzel cable car, and ANA Hotels Sport and the Alpin Resort are the big all-rounders.

Who should stay here

Skiers who want to be on the snow by nine without the drive up; families who want the children in ski school a few minutes from the room; walkers and riders in summer. If the city is the point of your trip and the mountain is a day out, stay in town instead.

The catch

Weekend traffic and parking. On a sunny Saturday in February the single road up can be slow and the car parks fill early; parking currently costs 3 lei an hour or 24 lei a day, and a reform in consultation until 9 October 2026 would put Poiana in the most expensive "Zone 0". Snow cover at 1,000 m is not guaranteed in a mild December, so early-season trips depend on the snow cannons (the city is buying 14 new ones for 2027). The resort is quiet in the evenings and spread out; you walk between hotels on the road. The tourist tax of 12 lei per person per night applies here as in the city.

Getting there

City bus 20 runs from Livada Poștei to Poiana on a normal 5 lei ticket (90 minutes, free on Fridays); in summer a double-decker also runs hourly. A taxi or Uber takes about 20 minutes. Mountain rescue: Salvamont Brașov, 0725 826 668, or 112. See getting around.