Romania · Făgăraș Mountains · Premium route guide
Transfăgărășan (DN7C)
118 kilometres, a summit tunnel at 2,042 m, and the road Top Gear called "the best in the world". Full route on the map, a GPX for your GPS, and the motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted at either end.
- Distance
- 118 km
- Peak elevation
- 2,054 m
- Elevation gain
- 2,450 m
- Best months
- Jul–Sep
The route
The DN7C runs south–north from Bascov (near Curtea de Argeș) past the Vidraru dam, up the wall of switchbacks on the south face, through the Bâlea Tunnel at 2,042 m, and down the classic hairpin ramp to Cârțișoara. Pins are motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted.
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Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route — how to load this into your GPS
What you're downloading is a GPX track — a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It's not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zūmo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner → new trip from track) if you want turn-by-turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive — it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it doesn't re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour — Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these don't read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX-capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line — pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~408 m at the base to 2054 m at the top — 2,450 m of total climbing across the route.
This is a long day. 118 km of mountain road, plus the run in from your base — plan an early start and don't try to add anything else the same afternoon. The north ramp above Bâlea Cascada is the money shot, but the south side (Vidraru → tunnel) is arguably a better ride: quieter, longer, and with the huge blue lake for company.
The road, honestly
The reputation is real, but so is the reality. The Transfăgărășan is high, cold, and short — it's only open roughly July through October, and "open" often means "one lane, cattle on the tarmac, and a queue at the tunnel". If you catch it on a clear Tuesday in August it's one of the great roads of Europe. On a wet Saturday it's a car park with switchbacks.
The tunnel at the top is narrow, unlit for its middle section, and shared with tourist coaches. Take it slow, keep your visor up, and don't overtake in it. Everyone rides through cautiously — you should too.
South side or north side base?
Sibiu (north-west) is the traveller's choice — a UNESCO old town, great food, and you're on the north ramp within an hour. Curtea de Argeș (south) is smaller, cheaper, and puts you at the Vidraru lake in 40 minutes. Ride the whole thing both ways if you can — the light hits the switchbacks differently at each end of the day.
Weather, fuel and what to pack
The tunnel sits above 2,000 m and the road climbs through cloud most afternoons. Even in high summer expect single-digit temperatures at the top, and afternoon thunderstorms are the norm — ride the top section in the morning, not after lunch.
Fuel: fill up in Curtea de Argeș (south) or in Cârțișoara / Sibiu (north). There is no fuel on the mountain itself. Cell coverage is patchy above Vidraru — download offline maps.
What to see along the way
- Vidraru Dam — 165 m arch dam, viewing platform at the top. Coming from the south, it's the moment the ride stops feeling like a transit and starts feeling like the Transfăgărășan.
- Poenari Castle — The real Dracula castle. 1,480 steps up. Skip it in bike gear; note it and come back another day.
- Bâlea Lake (2,034 m) — Glacial lake at the top, cable-car station, and the busiest hour of your day. Photo, coffee, keep moving.
- Bâlea Cascada — Waterfall at the base of the north ramp. The classic drone shot of the switchbacks is taken from just above here.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Transfăgărășan (DN7C)
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Sibiu / Curtea de Argeș — change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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Rider-verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route — no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
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