Ride the Transfăgărăsan Epic

Now you can cycle the Transfagarasan highway… Firmly scribed into the tablets of fabled mountain passes of the world, when Ceausescu ordered the construction of a road to connect North Romania with the South he had no idea that what he was about to create was arguably the greatest mountain pass road in the world…and that’s not just us saying that either… (Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear 2013)

Completed in the mid-seventies after four years of construction, 6000 tons of dynamite and climbing to over 2000m in altitude, this was never going to be any ordinary road, but then the designers also threw in endless hairpins, breathtaking gradients and cambered curves to rival the best anywhere in the world. Reputedly a folly and strategically pointless, this mythical 90km of asphalt is now Romania’s best known tourist attraction after Count Vlad’s Castle – have we mentioned we go there too… don’t forget your garlic…

We can expect warm, sunny weather, however we should expect slight temperature drop and cool conditions on the mountains (800m+) and possible erratic rain showers in the valleys and on the lowlands – Remember to bring layers – not heavy coverings.

This is a road bike tour, however road surfaces are variable in this region! Your bike should be well maintained and in good running order with suitable ‘road gears’ and brakes but especially strong durable ‘touring’ tyres with good tread.