The Transfăgărășan.

It rained overnight and when we started out this morning the weather was overcast but beautiful. As we ascended the mountains it got cooler. Down to only 18C and windy. It was so nice to almost feel cold after all the hot weather we've had.

When we and the Richards started planning a Romanian roadtrip they added the wooden churches as a must do. Driving the Transfăgărășan was ours. Today was the day!

The Transfăgărășan is the road between the mountains of Fagaras and connects the two historical provinces of Muntenia and Transylvania. We started our trip about 30km north of Bascov at Curtea de Argeș and drove south to north. Originally we had planned to drive in the opposite direction but this suited our overall roadtrip better so changed things around.

The road was built in the early 1970s as a strategic military route by the regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, the former communist leader of Romania. It was designed to provide quick access over the mountains in the event of a Soviet invasion. Today, it is known for its stunning scenery and challenging driving conditions, attracting tourists and driving enthusiasts from around the world. (Plans had been around from before 1960 but it didn't go ahead because of the lack of funds.) I think it was the show Top Gear that really helped many in the world to learn of the road. It is known as one of the great road trips of the world.

After yesterday's incredibly beautiful scenery we wondered if today's trip would be a let down. It was far from it. It was really an amazing drive. SO glad we did it! We can touch that off our bucket list ✅. We even got to see a brown bear on the side of the road. 🐻

As we descended again we went from open ground to dense forests to flatter land. The temperature rise as we descended. At the top of our descent we were 2024 metres above sea level.Read more