Carpathian adventure week: 7 days
The full mountain loop: castles, ridgelines, hairpin roads and medieval citadels, packed into one week. You will need a car, decent shoes, and a taste for driving days that end above the clouds.
Day 1: Sinaia
Arrive in Sinaia and walk off the drive at Peleș Castle, the royal summer residence in the forest. Sleep here; tomorrow the road starts climbing.
Day 2: Bușteni
Cantacuzino Castle has the best terrace view of the Bucegi wall, and Bușteni is the trailhead town for the plateau above it. If the cable car queue is short, take it; if not, hike a forest trail instead.
Day 3: Bears and Bran
Morning at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zărnești (guided tours only, book ahead), then Bran Castle in the afternoon when the tour buses thin out. The Dracula story is marketing; the castle is real.
Day 4: Brașov from above
Hike or ride the cable car up Tâmpa for the classic view over the red roofs, then drop into Council Square for a late lunch. Sleep in Brașov.
Day 5: The Transfăgărășan
The main event. Cross the Făgăraș ridge on the Transfăgărășan and stop at Bâlea Lake, 2,034 meters up, where the ridgelines stack to the horizon. The road opens roughly July to October; check conditions before you commit the day.
Day 6: Sibiu
Descend to Sibiu and let Piața Mare slow you down: grand baroque square, the Brukenthal museum, dinner in a vaulted cellar. Your legs have earned a city day.
Day 7: Sighișoara
Finish in Sighișoara Citadel, the best-preserved medieval citadel in Europe still lived in today. Climb the clock tower for one last panorama, then point the car home.
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