Walk : Transylvania, Crossing the Bucegi route map

Description	The Bucegi (pronounced ‘boo-cheyj’) form part of the great Carpathian range and are the nearest mountains to Bucharest. They are popular with Romanians, being easily accessible and with many marked trails and ‘cabanas’ (refuges). Bears and wolves roam here, but you are more likely to meet stray dogs.
Duration	2 or 3 days
Suggested Itinerary	From the railway station at Sinaia, follow waymarked routes north and west to cross the massif to the village of Bran (home of Dracula’s castle), staying at mountain cabanas on the way.
Airport	Bucharest
Accommodation at start	Hotels in Bucharest (links) or many choices in Sinaia (links here and here).
Transport to start	Bucharest to Brasov trains stop at Sinaia. Times here; enter ‘Bucuresti Nord’ and look for trains marked R (Rapid) or IC (InterCity).
Route	From Sinaia, climb up northwest past Peles Castle and Foisor to pick up blue and white marked trail to a dramatic viewpoint at Stancile Franz Josef, on to Cabana Piona Stanei (food) and to Cabana Piatra Arsa (1950m, food). From here you can make for one of four cabanas for the night (see map): Pestera (also a hotel), Babele, Caraiman, Omu. The latter at 2502m is at the summit of the Bucegi; if you stay at one of the others, head for Omu next day (preferably via Pestera to visit the monastery in the cave). From Omu, there are various marked tracks down to Bran, taking about half-a-day. You don’t need to pre-book at the cabanas, but be warned that many (such as Omu) don’t have running water or electricity.
Waymarking and terrain	All tracks are waymarked with symbols marked on the maps; the walking is generally easy going on grassy or rocky paths.
Transport from end	Buses Bran to Brasov (45mins, roughly hourly), trains Brasov to Bucharest (2-3 hours)
Accommodation at end	Plenty of hotels in the lovely old city of Brasov
Maps	Dimap / Erfatur sheet at scale 1:70,000 sub-titled in English ‘Five Mountains from the Carpathian Bend’ has the cabanas and waymarked trails, with English descriptions and street plans of Sinaia and Brasov on the reverse. Bel Alpin sheet at scale 1:53,000 ‘Bucegi’ has greater detail and has route descriptions in English on the reverse. The Mountains of Romania by James Roberts (Cicerone) is a very useful guide.
Comments	Sinaia Crossing the Bucegi Brasov : view from top of cable car and the town square

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