Fagaras Mountains

The Fagaras Mountains stretch for 75 km (47 miles), south of the road from Brasov to Sibiu. They are a part of the Carpathian Mountains and there are some 40 glacial lakes. The highest one is Lake Mioarele, which sits on an altitude of 2282 m (7484 feet). You can travel across the Fagaras Mountains via the Trans-Fagarasan Highway, which crosses them from north to south. The highway runs through the mountain pass at the Balea Valley, making it one of Europe's highest roads. The Balea tunnel is 845 m (2771 feet) long and connects the areas, separated by 2535 m (8314 feet) high Mount Negoiu and Mount Moldoveanu, which is 2543 m (8341 feet) high.

The Fagaras Mountains are excellent for hiking and there are numerous trails. You might also see some of the region's wildlife. The only problem is getting to the region, as most trailheads lie 8 to 15 km (5 - 9 miles) from the railway stations on the Brasov-Sibiu line. The best place to go is Victoria, from where most trails are quite easily accessible. You can get to Victoria by getting a train to Ucea, 7 km (4 miles) to the north. You will have to do a lot of walking, as the region has very poor bus services. It is best to go there by car, in which case you can also visit Poienari Castle. The castle was built for Vlad Tepes and can be reached by climbing 1480 steps from the hydroelectric power plant below.