Zărneștilor Gorges

The starting point is the town of Zărnești in Brasov county. From the city center to the entrance to the gorge, about 4-5 km by road to the southwest, to the Fyantina-lui-Bottoru tract; part of it can be driven by car or bicycle and leave the vehicle at the entrance. There is a train and a bus from Brasov to Zerneshti, then on foot or by taxi.

This is an almost level path along the bottom of a narrow limestone gorge about 4 km long, enclosed by walls up to 200 m high. The road is wide and without elevation gain, so it is easy to walk along it, in places the walls converge so that the sky remains a strip overhead. This is the most accessible gorge in the Pjatra-Crajului massif.

Difficulty is minimal - flat ground is suitable even for families with children, no special equipment is required. Allow approximately 2-3 hours for the passage of the gorge and back. If you go further up the Pjatra-Crajului ridge from here, it is already a full-fledged mountain day for 6-8 hours.

The gorge is the western gateway to the Piatra Kraiului National Park, a narrow limestone ridge in the Southern Carpathians with peaks over 2,000 m. The trail along the bottom of the gorge serves as an approach to popular mountain routes to the ridge and mountain shelters. There is an entrance fee to the national park, so bring cash for your ticket.

It is best from May to October, when the trail is dry and the water in the stream is low; climbers flock here in the summer, because the walls of the gorge are one of the best climbing routes in Romania. On rainy days, the bottom can be wet and slippery, so take shoes with a grippy tread. This is brown bear territory, so don't leave food and stick to the trail.