Cycling in Romania: incredibly beautiful

Cycling in Romania. This combination is often seen in the newspaper. Unfortunately, it is combined with the words ‘theft’ or ‘gangs’. This does not do the promotion of the country of Romania any good. That is unfair, because when you see the footage and when you ride the routes, Romania is in our opinion the new Slovenia. They just need a good pro who can go fast in a match. Perhaps then we’ll have a better idea of what this wonderful country has to offer beyond the amazing palace of fallen dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. We’ll explain why you should go cycling in Romania in this article.

Hairpin curls to laugh about

Romania is located in the east of Europe, about 2000km from Utrecht. As a neighbor of Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia, it also has a chunk of land that borders the Black Sea. In the middle of the country you will find a mountainous, more rugged area, where cycling is also the most beautiful. The Transylvania region is very beautiful and challenging to cycle in.

TRANSFORMATION

This is the beast of Roemenië. The Transfăgărășan. This runs right through the Fagaras mountain range. The views and hairpin bends make you instantly captivated by it. Alpe d'Huez, Mont Ventoux en Stelvio Forget it. The climb is a total of 25 kilometers long and is relatively fairly gradual in its ascent. It averages 5.2% kilometers and during those 25 kilometers you go up 1500 meters into the air. But it’s mostly about the surroundings and the beautiful hairpin bends. This makes this climb in central Romania an absolute bucket list item. Do you want to know if this road is passable or that the pass is closed? Check it out this website, with the most up-to-date information about the Transfăgărășan.

Basecamp Sibiu

Despite what you might think: we fly to Bucharest and cycle from there; that turns out to be a pretty good idea. The best thing is to travel from Bucharest to Sibiu and set up your base camp there. From here you can easily tackle the magnificent Transfagarasan. There are also some beautiful climbs to the west that await you. The climb to Poiana Sibiului is very beautiful but you can also drive from Rasinari to Paltinis closer to the city. A bit similar to the Grand Ballon, Because you can get almost 5% km per hour in 18 kilometers there. The Carpathians are literally at your feet here.

The real work – Transalpina Highway

If you really want to go for a spectacular queen ascent, then Transalpina is the one for you. The name says it all. You climb through the Alps. It’s a truly spectacular climb, which actually consists of several climbs if you take the northern variant. You have hairpin bends, drive past Lake Oasa (with a dam), and then more. Because you (if you take the entire route 67c) do several climbs, it’s a huge challenge. Long stretches of seven percent and higher are not uncommon. It’s also jokingly called ’the devil’s path’.

The southern variant actually starts in Sebeș. Or you can take the northern variant from Novaci, which is shorter, steeper but just as beautiful. If you have stored your camp in Sibiu, it is convenient to drive to Sebeș (via some form of transportation). Otherwise, it will be a monster stage.

More to explore

Romania has much more to offer in the cycling field. Of course, the area in Transylvania is the most challenging. If you basecamp in Brasov, you also have several options for fantastic routes with climbs and towns for cultural and historical highlights. It’s time to completely change our image of this country, because it’s clear that you can bike beautifully in Romania. Basic information about Romania as a tourist destination can be found here site

TIPS for bike rental and more

If you plan an adventure in Romania, you will still need to do some preparation. If you are not entirely comfortable bringing your own bike, you can choose to rent one. We would choose Light Cycling Transylvania, They have a nice selection of both race bikes and (e-)MTBs. To get a good PreRide Coffee, you go to La Cafei in Sibiu.