During summer days, if the weather is fine, the spectacular Transfagarasan mountain road will lead us from Bucharest and the Royal Town of Curtea de Arges to the famous 12th century Transylvanian burgs Sibiu and Sighisoara, and to the network of Saxon villages.

Crossing the ”Alps of Transylvania” as the Fagaras mountains are sometimes called (the highest peak is 2,544 m), this scenic mountain road climbs up to 2,042 m (6,699 ft) near Balea Lake.

Transfagarasan was a strategic road planned by Nicolae Ceausescu after the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. At that time, Romania refused to join the invasion of Czechoslovakia conducted by the other Communist countries from Warsaw Pact.

Fearing reprisals from his USSR comrades, the Communist dictator planned new, rapid access of the military from Bucharest to the heart of Transylvania. Nowadays we discover and enjoy this costly 90 km (56 miles) road.

Read also:
• The Royal Town – Curtea de Arges
• Egan Bernal’s Transylvanian Secrets

In 2009, Jeremy Clarkson of British TV show Top Gear experienced this road  calling it ”the best road in the world”.

• On TRANSFAGARASAN Mountain Road to the HEART of TRANSYLVANIA – 4 days (3 overnights), from EUR 420