The snow is deep at an altitude of 1,700 meters (5,577 feet) in the Carpathian Mountains. There is no sign of a hiking path, but Radu Zaharie knows his way around here. The sun is shining and the moment is perfect. “We now have a clear view to the north. To the north-west we can see the Depression of Sibiu, and way off you can see the eastern Carpathians. On really good days, especially in the winter, when we have these really cold days, there is a chance to see the entire Carpathian Mountain range all the way to the Ukraine, a vista of over 600 kilometers,” he explains.

“If you think of crossing the Carpathians, then some for instance want a ridge walk in the Fagaras Mountains, which means hiking from hut to hut in the Piatra Craiului Mountains National Park. But then there are also packages designed for those guests who say they want a little more comfort. Rather than spending the night in a mountain-ridge hut on a plank bed, they prefer a nice guest house with a steam bath. And where they can watch wild animals, like bears, and more.”

Encountering bears while on a hike is a distinct possibility, but tourists should not be afraid of them, says our expert: “For brown bears, humans are of no interest whatsoever. Humans would have to do a lot of silly things for a bear to pose a threat to them. Remember we are talking about European brown bears. These are not to be confused with Grizzly bears.”

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A walk in the Piatra Craiului National Park, also in The Carpathians, is a more gentle, rural experience. It’s here that Jude Law and Nicole Kidman filmed Cold Mountain, the park doubling up for Virginia and North Carolina. If anywhere warrants the term “bucolic” then this was it.

Scythes, as opposed to machinery, are often used to cut the hay and therefore wildflowers are able to grow in abundance. The multi-colored meadows and pyramid-like haystacks, unique to Romania, all add to the pastoral scene.

One reason for hiking in Romania is the opportunity to hike from hut to hut as opposed to camping. Another is that Romania is very cheap compared to western Europe. Go to Romania to see an unspoiled part of Europe and to challenge yourself with some serious trekking.

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