Bâlea Lake
Romaniaadventure

Transfăgărășan

Ceaușescu's military road through the Făgăraș Mountains, and Top Gear's runner-up to Stelvio

Distance
98 mi
157 km
Driving
3 hr 30 min
excl. stops
Suggested
2 days
balanced split
Stops
5
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 5 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Bâlea Lake · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Opens the planner with every stop loaded. Free, no card needed.

Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

Most of it is one road: the DN7C carries 72% of the distance.

This is a mountain drive. It reaches about 2,252 m near Avrig and climbs around 2,113 m in total, so check the high roads are open before you set off.

The bigger places on the way are Avrig and Corbeni, handy for fuel and food between the stops.

Part of the drive follows the Transfăgărășan Highway, up to 2,042 m.

  • DN7C72%
  • DN117%
  • DN79%

How high it goes

~2,252 m near AvrigSibiuCurtea de Argeș · 153 km
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 2,113 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Mountain pass · On the route

Transfăgărășan Highway

Summit
2,042 m summit

Before you go

Best time to drive it

July to September

The high section over Bâlea Lake is usually open only from 1 July to 31 October, and can shut earlier if snow comes in.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Driving in Romania

Every stop on the Transfăgărășan

  1. Sibiu

    Start

  2. Bâlea Cascada

    +75 km from the last stop

  3. Bâlea Lake (summit)

    +2 km from the last stop

  4. Poenari Citadel

    +46 km from the last stop

  5. Curtea de Argeș

    +30 km from the last stop

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 5 more

  • Vidraru Dam

    landmark

    A towering 166m arch dam at the southern foot of the Transfăgărășan, topped by the Prometheus statue.

  • Sibiu Piata Mare

    landmark

    Main square of Sibiu's Saxon old town, surrounded by guild houses and connected to the Bridge of Lies and Council Tower.

  • Bâlea Tunnel (Transfăgărășan)

    tunnel

    At 2,040 m the highest road tunnel in Romania, cutting through the ridge at the top of the Transfăgărășan.

  • Bâlea Waterfall

    waterfall

    Romania's largest cascade waterfall, dropping 60 m below the Bâlea lake on the northern ramp of the Transfăgărășan.

  • Transfagarasan (DN7C)

    famous road

    Ceausescu's road over the Fagaras mountains to 2,042m at Balea Lac, with stacked hairpins, a tunnel and a waterfall. Open only in summer.

Common questions about the Transfăgărășan

How long does the Transfăgărășan take?

The driving itself is about 3 hr 30 min across 98 miles (157 km). Most people spread it over 2 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the Transfăgărășan?

98 miles, or 157 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the Transfăgărășan?

July to September. The high section over Bâlea Lake is usually open only from 1 July to 31 October, and can shut earlier if snow comes in.

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