The home of Dracula is dominated by wild landscapes, 66% of which is a 600 mile long mountain range known as the Carpathians. Romania may be known as the Carpathian Garden, but there is nothing tame or curated about it. The virgin forests that climb the peaks of the ridgeline are some of the largest in Europe, second only to Russia’s! The Carpathians may not have the height of, or the associated glamour of the Alps, but they are wilder and less overrun by tourists. They’re the best of both worlds, so get there before everyone else finds out! Just watch out for the bears!

Read my Storybook Castles, Cities & Towns of Romania post to explore the country’s equally magical architecture

1 | Balea Lake

Let’s start with my favourite Romanian lake! Balea Lake is the jewel atop one of the Romania’s most dramatic landscapes, The Fagaras Mountains. Otherwise known as The Transylvanian Alps. Strangely though, it’s the only wonder on this list that isn’t in a National Park. No one is quite sure why this area isn’t already protected, but the Romanian government has big plans to change this. They say the Fagaras Mountains will be the ‘New Yellowstone Park of Europe’!

Balea Lake is the prize at the very end of the Transfăgărășan Road, known as ‘The Stairway to Heaven’. A wonder in itself as it scores through the mountains creating jaw-dropping hairpin turns (Jeremy Clarkson’s favourite road). The road rises 2034m before touching the edge of the glacial lake. Continue climbing to the top and you will eventually reach the towering peak of Moldoveanu at 2544m, making it the highest peak in the entire country! I highly recommend taking the Viștea Valley route as this takes your through the valley floor, past shepherds’ huts and cascades. No valley is more beautiful than Rea Valea, which ironically means ‘Bad Valley’. To take this route start the hike at Burnei Sheepfold.

2 | Bicazului Gorges

You know a park is going to be gorgeous when even the road into it is impressive. In the case of Bicazului Gorges the drive is a narrow road leading through a gorge of 1000ft high cliffs on the way to Transylvannia! This road is second only to the Transfăgărășan Road! You can see how popular even the view from the road is (photo below) as souvenir huts have grown in to a shack community on the already narrow pass.

“Cheile Bicazului” by KLMircea is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Bicaz Gorges are great both for ridge hikes to the Altar Stone Peak and also for adventure treks or kayaking through the rivers that formed the stone giants you see before you. (If you enjoy this kind of trek, also visit Galbenei Valley in the Apuseni Mountains).

The easiest hike of the park is the one around Red Lake, where you can see petrified tree stumps rising out of the water. Like all good Romanian legends, the story behind Red Lake is tragic. Before there was a lake, there was a forest village at the bottom of the gorge. One day, an avalanche rushed down the cliff and buried the town, damning the river and formed a lake. The blood of the crushed villagers now fills the lake, hence the colour red. Whilst it obviously isn’t full of blood, the fact that there are actually trees rising out of the lake makes the story a little too real!

3 | Bicazului Gorges

Though I hated the geology segments of my degree, I really love the weird rock formations you can find in karst landscapes. Just like these in the Ciucas Mountains, pronounced Choo-Was. Amongst these strange shapes are Turnul lui Goliat (Goliath’s Tower), Babele la Sfat (Old Women Talking), Mana Dracului (Devil’s Hand), though I think the last one looks more like a foot! The best place to see them are the summits of Tigaile Mari (photo below) and Tigaile Mici.

If you really enjoy hiking through karst formations, also plan an adventure to Ceahlau National Park where you will find similar landscapes.

4 | Red Ravine

The little known Grand Canyon of Romania, locally known as Râpa Rosie. See the rose pyramids at their best in summer, when the pink of the rock contrasts with the lush green grass. From a distance it looks like a little red pocket hiding behind the town of Sebes.

5 | Cheile Nerei-Beusnit Waterfalls and Devil’s Lake

The blue gems along the mossy banks of the Nera River are some of the most beautiful natural spots in Romania. The three show stoppers are the Bigar Falls, Devil’s Lake and Ochiul Beiului.

Bigar Falls are loved by locals who fondly nicknamed them ‘the miracle of Minis Canyon’ for their unique beauty. The falls are not very high at only 8 metres, but the cascade of water flowing over the mossy bulbous rock, falling in curtains to the river below is beautiful. Of course there is a tragic story of two lovers that accompanies the falls. A young girl was locked by her parents in a cave next to the falls to keep her from her love, Bigar. The only way for the girl to be with her love was to become the waterfall and for Bigar to drown in her waters. I’m still waiting for a happy Romanian legend!

Devil’s Lake or Lacul Dracului is the largest karst lake in Romania and pulls you in with its deep blue waters as you perch at its edge. Locals will tell you not to jump in, as anyone who dares to is cursed and will not live another day. It gets creepier when you find out that the lake used to be underground before the cave collapsed and exposed it. Better yet, there is no clear bottom to the lake which breaks off into underwater tunnels beneath the surface! Personally this is too much for me, as someone who needs to know what is beneath them when they swim!

(Look for the people in the photo below to realise how big this lake is!)

Petr Vodička liscensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Are you ready for another Romanian legend of tragic lovers? Ochiul Beiului, which mean’s ‘Bey’s Eye’ (Bey is an Oriental prince) is a beautiful fairy-blue pool hidden in Nera’s woodlands, but once again it is the center of a grim story. A young prince from a foreign land came to Nera and fell in love with a local girl. Hearing of this, the prince’s father had the girl killed. The prince found his lovers’ body in the woods and his tears formed a lake around her.

The little bridge – Romania – Landscape photography by Giuseppe Milo is licensed under CC BY 2.0

6 | Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park

There are two popular gorges in Cernei National Park, the largest being Tâmnei Gorge. It’s an impressive almost tunnel of a gorge, leading through the black pine mountains to an open plain above, through stone gates. The valley rolls open up into a green bowl, cupping sporadically growing trees. This peaceful mountain top is known as Crovul Mare. You’ll need that peace after the relentlessly steep hike of a 700m elevation to reach it!

Secondly, though the Corocoaia Gorges are far smaller than I would like, they are a short but sweet treat. The impressive rock face curls over itself, forming a natural toboggan track alongside the river. Shame it’s not a hike, but it’s a beautiful place to explore and laze in the shade on a hot summer day.

The Cernei Valley has been an attraction since Roman times, not as a national park, but as a thermal spring. Photographers among you might want to wander over the bridge to the abandoned Baile Herculane Neptune Bathhouse. This beautiful decaying building was once the grandest of all the spas in town, but the red marble pools are now empty and the paint is falling from the ceiling. But that can’t hide Neptune Bath’s former beauty. If you want to explore other URBEX locations in town there is another abandoned bath house, Apollo, as well as a casino. All have stunning Baroque or Art Nouveau decor begging to be saved. Unfortunately, the popular baths are now the communist resort tower blocks down the road.

“Baile_Herculane-3” by EhudElia is licensed under CC BY 2.0

7 | Retezat Park

Also known as ‘The Land of Blue Eyes’, this hikers’ paradise is home to over 80 glacial lakes held captive in the rugged valleys of Retezat’s peaks. The largest of the blue eyes is Bucura, though it can look like a large puddle from above on Peleaga Peak. Many choose to make this an overnight hike and set up their tents in the stone shelters surrounding the lake, but beware of the wild ponies who walk freely through the landscape and don’t see any problem in sitting on your tent!

“File:Bucura and Ana.jpg” by Horia Varlan is licensed under CC BY 2.0

If you do camp the night, use the morning to make the ridge line hike between Bucura and Tapului Lake. This trail will guide you across the dominating peaks of Peleaga and Papusa. From Papusa you will see the collection of smaller glacial lakes pooling in the valleys hundreds of metres below. This hike is not for the feint of heart, as it will take you through some shockingly barren landscapes that remind you just how wild Romania still is.

“2012-08 Retezat Mountains (04)” by Sergiu Luckyan is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

8 | Horses’ Waterfall

The Horses’ Waterfall is the highest in all of Romania and possibly the most beautiful. The 90m cascade separates in to 9 separate tiers of plunge pools, one flowing in to the next before reaching Lazer Lake at the foot of the cliff. You can’t truly conceive of how high it is untill you are standing under it, getting a refreshing splash in the face. Come in the spring to see its full power, as the new snow melt pushes its way down the cascade.

Unfortunately, the legend behind the name isn’t lovely. It’s said that during a storm a herd of horses were cornered by a ferocious Transylvanian bear at the top of the falls and out of fear they jumped into the misty abyss below and died. Worst Disney story ever! It seems most Romanian legends end in death. If you fancy reversing the legend, join one of the canyoning expeditions making their way up the falls.

Tip: Another stepped waterfall to check out while you’re in Romania is Duruitoarea in Ceahlau National Park.

“Horses’ Falls” by CameliaTWU is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

9 | Buzau Mud Volcanoes

Of all the muddy volcanoes in the world (about 1000) very few can be found in Europe, and those that can are usually under the sea! This makes these volcanoes not just unique to Romania but to the European continent. The reserve looks like a lunar landscape, as the mud is constantly erupting and recovering the surface. The strange landscape has been used by many Romanian rock groups in their music videos as an eerie back drop. Personally, I find the gurgling volcanoes spewing up mud bubbles strangely satisfying to watch, even entertaining. Apparently, the locals don’t agree and refer to them as ‘The Gates of Hell’!

“File:Volcanes de lodo, Buzau, Rumanía, 2016-05-29, DD 33.jpg” by Diego Delsois licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

10 | Bucegi Mountains

The best place to explore the Bucegi Mountains is from the mountain town of Busteni cradled in a valley deep in the wild Carpathians. From your chalet window you can see the Hero’s Cross (WWI memorial) breaking through the mist on a precipice above the town. The hike to this cross, the highest summited cross in the world, gives you incredible viewpoints of the Bucegi ravines. This high-altitude wilderness is often used as a training ground for the Romanian army!

Known for their untamable wilderness, you will often come across mountain huts used as shelter for anyone who finds themselves up there. You can even find a beautiful cave monastery guarding an extensive cave complex. Ialomicioara Monastery was built by the son of Vlad The Impaler, who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

11 | Seven Ladders Canyon

For any of you who fancy yourself as Indianna Jones wih the balance and athleticism of a mountain goat, then The 7 Ladders Hike in Tamina Canyon is definitely for you. The rickety staircases and suspended walkways leading you over gorges and up through the canyon, eventually open on to the peak of Piatra Mare (Big Rock). One of the ladders climbs the side of a 15m waterfall, so be careful not to slip! Maybe give yourself a few seconds to get used to sunlight again before taking photos.

On the way back, there is the option to zipline between trees back to your car! I have never seen a zipline like this where you connect via multiple tree balconies, let alone the attendant just sends you off after a quick demonstration.

Tip: If you want a longer canyon hike with more demanding via ferratas and stairs, make a day trip through beautifully wild Stan Gorge. You can start from the Transfăgărășan Road and finish at the impressive Vidraru Dam.