The best ski resorts in Romania, Oradea

by marius_f review

► added on 13th of May, 2009

Carpathian Mountains offer many places for ski, but for touring ski and extreme ski as well. Here are some of the most important ski stations that I can warmly recommend.

Straja is located in Vulcan Mountains (Meridional or Southern Carpathians), it is more like a village resort with great winter sports potential. Winter snow usually lasts until April in the area. You can get there by train traveling on the Timisoara – Simeria – Craiova route until Lupeni, where you have to switch to the chair lift. It can be reached by car as well driving along the DN66 from Petroseni to Lupeni.

Borsa (850 m alt.) resort is situated in Rodnei Mountains (Oriental or Eastern Carpathians) in Maramures County, a unique and beautiful area that has preserved its traditions and folklore. The slopes get to a 1200 – 1500 m elevation with a 50 m high natural ski jumping hill, which is unique in Europe. Early December snow here also lasts until April. You can get there taking the DN17 or DN18 road or by train until Viseu de Sus where you have to switch to the bus.

Stations in Prahova Valley, such as Poiana Brasov, Busteni, Predeal etc. are very crowded and quite expensive. There are other stations less known which are very beautiful and not that cluttered; some of these are Cavnic and Vatra Dornei in the Oriental or Eastern Carpathians. There are nice pensions everywhere, with always kind hosts and tasty traditional food.

You can practice touring ski and extreme ski in many mountains. For the first category the Apuseni, Parang, Retezat and Tarcu mountains are perfect; with 1800 – 2500 m heights these offer wild landscapes and nature in its entire splendor. Equipment and physical and technical training is very important for those who want to participate in such tours, weather can always change, winter the temperature can fall deep under 0° C and the wind might blow with 100km/h. The best setting for extreme ski is in Bucegi Mountains. Alpine valleys from here are really wild, you can ski until May or sometimes even June in the deep and shadowed valleys. There is a danger of avalanche in the middle of the winter so spring is the best season.

Fagaras Mountains, often called the Transylvanian Alps, offers possibilities for touring and extreme ski and even Heliski.