Hiking in Romania is a beautiful experience. Actually, we love it so much that most of our private guided tours in Romania include at least a short guided hike in the mountains. Before coming to Romania for a hiking trip, here’s some information about peaks, rules, tips and tricks:
Safety first
If you are a passionate hiker, you probably already know these things. If not, maybe you will find this helpful. First of all, it’s always safe and useful to have with you: personal medicine and first aid kit (our guides also have it for our guests), the right gear for the season and something extra, head lamp, space blanket, emergency whistle. Secondly, you should always check the forecast, make sure you are fit for the trail and that there is enough time for it.
Check out more hiking tips here: Backpacking Essentials: 41 Hiking Tips For Beginners
Hiking in Romania is not that easy
You might think that the Carpathians are not the highest mountains in the world so they are accessible. Actually, it’s not that easy and it is safe to be prepared for the planned hike. Talk to your guide beforehand or do some research to make sure you will be able to do the trail you have in mind.
Do not drink water from the lakes
Most of the glacial lakes in Romania are so clear and clean that it seems like it is good drinking water. But it is not. So never drink water from the lakes and not from any river. Try to find small springs or make sure that at least 50 meters uphill of a river is clean. Otherwise, carry a bottle of drinking water with you. Anyway, our guides will always advise accordingly.
You cannot camp in Romania unless…
Camping in Romania is only permitted in special areas. If you want to camp in the wilderness or wherever you want, it is not permitted. Unless… the night has come and you have no other option than camp right there where you are and you leave in the morning. So in the end camping is permitted anywhere only as a survival thing.
You cannot start a campfire in Romania unless…
The same rule above applies to campfire. But you always have to be very careful with that in order not to start a bigger fire than you want. Safety first!
“Lovely” shepherd dogs
After Easter and until the end of October, you will see many sheep herds up in the mountains in Romania while hiking. And where there’s a sheep herd, there’s a shepherd dog. Actually, there are up to 12 dogs and they are doing a great job protecting their sheep. They will run to you, they will bark and they will show their sharp and big teeth. They will look very dangerous and they really are but they will not actually bite unless you provoke them. So keep your calm and keep going. If you see the shepherd, ask him to call his dogs. Also, most of the shepherds are not very talkative.
The bears
There are plenty of bears in Romania, in the mountain areas. To clarify, the biggest population of bears in Europe is in Romania. Therefore, if you feel that you are hiking in a wild area where bears might roam, try talking loudly or singing a song. If a bear will hear you, they would go on their way. If camping, NEVER keep food or anything smelly in your tent, put them at least 50 meters away from you during the night. Also, a campfire will let the animals know you are there and they will avoid you.
Do not leave anything behind
Take a garbage bag with you and use it for your own litter. Do not leave any trash behind. Keep the mountains clean.
Did you know?
- The Carpathian Mountains go through 6 countries: Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland but most of the range is in Romania where it occupies more than half of the country’s surface.
- The highest peak in the whole Carpathian range is in Slovakia (2600meters) but all the second highest ones are in Romania: Moldoveanu Peak (2544 meters), Negoiu (2535 meters) and Vistea (2527 meters)
See more photos from Romania on our Instagram page.