The Twist and Turns of Transfagarasan Road, Romania
The Transfagarasan mountain road or national road 7C is the
second-highest paved road in Romania, and considered by some to be the
most dramatic in Europe. Built as a strategic military route, the 90 km
of twists and turns run north to south across the tallest sections of
the Southern Carpathians, between the highest peak in the country,
Moldoveanu, and the second highest, Negoiu. The Transfagarasan starts at
Bascov, near Piteçti. It follows the valley of the river Argea and
after mounting to the highest point, it descends to Cartisoara in the
Olt valley, where the road ends.
The road climbs to an altitude
2,034 meters and has sharp hairpin turns that are both a challenge and
source of excitement for hikers, cyclists, drivers and motorcycle
enthusiasts alike. The most spectacular route is from the North where
it’s the most winding dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves,
and sharp descents. The road is usually closed from late October until
late June because of snow. Depending on the weather, it may remain open
until as late as November. Travellers can find food and lodging at
several hotels or chalets (cabane) along the way.
Among
the attractions along the southern section of the road, near the
village of Arefu, is the Poienari fortress. The castle served as the
residence of Vlad III the Impaler, the prince who inspired Bram Stoker’s
Dracula character. The northern section is used as a part of yearly
cyclist competitions Tour of Romania. The difficulty of this section is
considered to be very similar to Hors Categorie climbs in the Tour de
France.
The Transfagarasan was constructed
between 1970 and 1974 by the military forces. It came as a response to
the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union. Nicolae
Ceaușescu, the president of Romania, wanted to ensure quick military
access across the mountains in the event the Soviets attempted a similar
move into Romania. Consequently, the road was built at a high cost both
financially and from a human standpoint—roughly 6 million kilograms of
dynamite were used on the northern face, and the official records
mention that about 40 soldiers lost their lives in building accidents.
