An intense hike with a breathtaking view, followed by a relaxing walk along the walls of the only Cistercian Abbey in Eastern Europe. We will unwind in the evening, in the Gardens of the Brukenthal Summer Palace.
Short Description
Overview
Duration: 8 hours
Bus Ride: 135 min
Hiking: 180 min
Difficulty Level: medium
Level difference: 90m/-900m
Included
– Transport in a comfortable bus
– Tour Guide for the Whole day
– Guided tour at Cârţa and Brukenthal Summer Palace
– Entrance fee Cârţa and Brukenthal Summer Palace
– Brunch at Cârţa
How to book
Group Bookings will be available starting 1st of June 2020.
Individual Bookings will be available starting 1st of August 2020. Please find more details here.
Route
1. Travel by bus to Balea Lake
2. Hike along Bâlea Lake – Valea Bâlii – Bâlea Waterfall
3. The Cistercian Abbey and Museum at Cârţa visit
4. Brunch at Cârţa
5. Travel by bus to Avrig
6. Brukenthal Summer Palace and Gardens visit
7. Travel by bus to Sibiu
* our hiking track from Bâlea Lake – Valea Bâlii – Bâlea Waterfall is not displayed on this Google Map. Only the stops accessible by car are displayed. Please view our Interactive Hiking Map for the whole hiking track.
Long Description
Get ready for a breathtaking experience, as we ride up the Transfăgărășan and to Bâlea Lake. The Transfăgărășan Road is a paved mountain road crossing the southern section of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, known for its spectacular panoramic view. In 2011, the Transfăgărășan was declared “the best road in the world”, by Top Gear. It took 20 tons of dynamite to forge the path of the Transfăgărășan, and now as it sits between Curtea de Arges and Cartișoara as the most majestic piece of road in the known world.
The Transfăgărășan
Our hiking route descends from Bâlea Lake through the streams of Transfăgărășan and passing near Bâlii Valley. Halfway you can admire the Bâlea Waterfall in all its splendor, then the trail descends on a path through the forest. It is a relatively easy route, with level differences of approx. 900 m, during 3 hours of hiking. The effort will be rewarded by the wonderful view over the Glacier Valley, the Buteanu Ridge, and the Bâlea Glacier Lake.
Bâlii Valley
The Cistercian Abbey at Cârța is the only Cistercian Abbey that has been preserved in Romania, being also the most eastern Cistercian construction in Europe. The monastery was built by Cistercian monks from France-Citeaux (Burgundy) at the beginning of the 13th century. It is the first monastery that combines Romanesque style with early Gothic.
The Cistercian Abbey, Cârţa
The Summer Palace of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal (1721-1803), governor of Transylvania, was built between 1780 and 1785 following the model of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The baroque building is U-shaped, with a central body and 2 side wings. From the Palace you descend into the Gardens arranged in the Olt meadow. The surface of over 20 hectares was arranged according to the model of the French gardens, with artesian fountains, a splendid staircase and several side alleys, vases, benches, stone statues, and an orangery, where tulips, almonds, walnuts, melons, and pineapples were cultivated.
Samuel von Brukenthal Summer Palace and Gardens – © romanian pixel