Driving the Transfăgărășan Highway in Romania

The hairpin turns of the Transfăgărășan Highway

The first time I saw a huge bear sitting quietly beside the road on the Transfăgărășan Highway, I genuinely wondered if I was hallucinating.

I was running on fumes. My flight from Cairo had left at 4 a.m., which meant I had been awake most of the night. Then came the rental car saga—a small-scale nightmare involving missing offices and unanswered calls that left me questioning whether I’d actually be driving anywhere at all.

Eventually, I got the car.

But before I could really be on my way, I had to make a stop in Bucharest to retrieve my drone. I’d mailed it ahead from Prague—our pre-Egypt stop—because Egypt doesn’t mess around when it comes to drones. They’re strictly forbidden, and your luggage gets scanned for them as you exit the country. I wanted aerial shots of Romania’s fortified churches, so sending the drone to a friend of my wife’s in Bucharest had seemed like the safest bet.

By the time I had both the car and the drone, it was already later than I’d hoped. But I was finally on the road. The plan was to head northwest out of Bucharest and into the Carpathians—climb the winding, alpine curves of the Transfăgărășan Highway en route to Sibiu, where I’d spend the night. Tired or not, I was in Romania, the mountains were calling, and things were finally starting to unfold.

What Is the Transfăgărășan Highway?

The Transfăgărășan Highway (officially DN7C) cuts through the southern Carpathian Mountains, connecting the regions of Muntenia and Transylvania. It runs roughly 90 kilometers from Bascov, just north of Pitești, to Cârțișoara, south of Sibiu. At its highest point—Bâlea Lake, sitting at 2,042 meters above sea level—it twists through sharp hairpin turns, long tunnels, and sweeping alpine views that make it one of the most visually stunning drives in Europe.

The road was built in the early 1970s under Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romania’s former dictator. It wasn’t just a feat of engineering—it was also a military project, designed to allow troop movement across the mountains in case of Soviet invasion. The cost was enormous, both in money and human lives. Hundreds of workers were injured or killed during its rushed and brutal construction.

Today, the highway is open only in summer and early fall—typically from late June to October, depending on snowfall—and has become something of a pilgrimage site for road trippers, photographers, motorcyclists, and fans of Top Gear, which once dubbed it “the best driving road in the world.”

It's dramatic. It's crowded. It's absolutely worth the detour. Driving the Transfăgărășan Highway will add about three hours to the trip from Bucharest to Sibiu (plus however much time you stop to gawk/hike/take pictures). But, if you like mountain scenery, the drive itself is one of Romania’s must-see attractions.

Hairpins, and Traffic, and Bears! Oh my!

The first truly tricky part of the drive came a little over two hours out of Bucharest. I was climbing into the forested foothills of the Transfăgărășan Pass—solo, in a stick shift, on a road that curled and twisted like it had nowhere else to be.

No problem. I used to own a manual car and know how to drive one. But the thing about steep mountain roads is that you’re always doing something—shifting gears with one hand, steering around hairpins with the other, trying not to stall or miss a curve or burn out your clutch on a steep uphill crawl. You get into a rhythm. Until you don’t.

This is the best shot of a roadside bear I got.

Because suddenly—a bear.

Just sitting there. Right off the shoulder. Big. Brown. Minding its own business. Maybe munching on berries. Or trash. I don’t know. Two minutes later, there was another. Then another. And then another!

The place was crawling with bears!

I really wanted a video. But with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the stick, I didn’t have a third left for holding my phone. I have more than one clip where I start recording in a moment of hope, spot a bear, then feel the engine start to labor, sigh, and drop the phone into the passenger seat so I can downshift.

Of course, stopping in the middle of a blind corner wasn’t exactly an option. You can’t just slam on the brakes on a mountain road and hope the car behind you is feeling alert and generous. So I made do.

Set up. Start recording. Spot bear. Hope (this time it will work!). Drop phone. Downshift. Miss bear. Repeat.

Eventually, I climbed out of the tree line and into open alpine country, where the bears stayed behind and the landscape opened up—green valleys, rocky cliffs, winding roads strung like ribbon flowing up the valleys.

I figured I’d made it. That from here on out it would be smooth sailing and postcard views.

Then I hit the tunnel.

It’s only about 200 meters long. It took 25 minutes to get through.

Traffic was backed up, moving an inch at a time. No views. No momentum. Just me and a long line of drivers honking at each other like that might help. The only good thing I can say about the traffic jam is that, for once, I wasn’t trying to film bears while managing a clutch.

Just trying to get through a tunnel. In Romania. Like you do.

Above the Transfăgărășan Pass

On the north side of the pass, just after exiting the tunnel, there’s a broad parking area surrounded by jagged peaks and hiking trails. If you have time, this is a great spot to get out and stretch your legs—or head off on one of the alpine hikes that start nearby.

But I was on a mission.

I wanted to reach Sibiu before exhaustion set in and my driving turned from “cautious and alert” to “marginally legal.” And the parking lot was absolutely packed—it felt like half of Romania had decided this was the day for a mountaintop ramble.

So I pushed on, winding down the north side of the mountain pass. The curves were no less dramatic in this direction, and I spotted one of the many small pull-offs where you can park without blocking traffic. That’s where I pulled out the drone.

Most of my focus was on capturing those impossibly tight hairpin turns, spiraling down through rock and alpine grass. I tried not to think too hard about the fact that I had just seen a dozen bears not far from here—and that I was now standing alone beside a quiet mountain road, completely focused on a screen and not, say, the 200-kilo brown bear possibly tiptoeing up behind me.

It was fine. No bears. Good footage. Just enough paranoia to keep the adrenaline flowing.

With the drone safely back in its case, I returned to the car and continued the descent—back into the trees, down into the lowlands, and finally onward to Sibiu. It had been a long day, but the Transfăgărășan had lived up to the hype. Just... maybe next time, I’ll stop for a proper hike. Or at least get a video that doesn’t end with me dropping my phone into the seat.

Safety Tips, Precautions, and Suggestions

The Transfăgărășan Highway is one of the most spectacular roads in Europe—but it’s still a mountain road in Romania, with all the quirks, risks, and surprises that come with that. A little planning and caution will go a long way in making sure your experience is memorable in the good way.

Get an Early Start

If there’s one tip you follow, make it this one: start early (although the road does not open to traffic before 7am). You’ll avoid the worst of the crowds (the hairpins can get clogged with tour buses and weekend traffic by late morning), and the light is much better early in the day—especially if you're hoping to do any photography. Bonus: fewer cars means fewer people watching you fumble with your drone controller or try to photograph a bear without stalling your engine.

Check That It’s Open

The road is seasonal, usually open from late June to late October, depending on snowfall. Always check current conditions before you go. Don’t rely on Google Maps—it doesn’t always register seasonal closures. The official Romanian road authority (CNAIR) or local tourism sites should have updated info.

The road opens at 7am, and closes at 9pm.

Gas Up Before You Climb

There are no gas stations on the Transfăgărășan itself. Fill your tank at a town before you start the ascent. You don’t want to be coasting downhill on fumes because you underestimated how long the climb would take.

Bring Layers

Weather in the Carpathians is moody. It might be 85°F (29°C) in the lowlands and 45°F (7°C) at Bâlea Lake. Fog rolls in fast, and wind at the top can be sharp. Bring a jacket even if it’s hot when you leave.

Watch for Bears

This isn’t a joke. Romanian brown bears are real, large, and often roadside. Don’t approach them. Don’t feed them. Don’t try to take a selfie next to one. If you want to admire them, do it from the safety of your car. Further, be careful in your driving. Don’t become a menace on the road because you want to get the perfect shot of the roadside bear.

Know When to Pull Over—and When Not To

There are many places to stop and admire the views, but don't stop in the middle of a blind curve, no matter how good the view or how photogenic the bear. Use designated pull-offs and make sure you’re fully out of the traffic lane before getting out of the car.

Take Your Time

This isn’t a road to rush. Tight turns, steep grades, and distracted tourists make for a low-speed, high-concentration kind of drive. That’s part of the appeal. If you’re in a hurry, take the A1 motorway. This one’s for soaking it all in.

Driving the Transfăgărășan is an adventure, but it doesn’t need to be a risky one. Go early, go slow, and go prepared—and the only wild thing you’ll encounter might just be the scenery. Or a bear. But ideally from a safe distance.

Final Thoughts

The Transfăgărășan Highway isn’t just a scenic detour—it’s a winding, unpredictable slice of Romania that delivers far more than mountain views. It gives you misty forests, sudden bears, too many switchbacks to count, and moments where you can’t tell if you’re annoyed or amazed. Probably both.

It’s not the fastest way to get from Bucharest to Sibiu. It’s not even the most efficient way to see the mountains. But it’s the kind of place that sticks with you—in spite of the delays, the traffic, the questionable decisions, and the dropped phones.

Because travel isn’t always about smooth roads and easy driving. Sometimes it’s about finding beauty in the messy, memorable middle of it all.