If you’re like me and you enjoy cities with a mix of nightlife and easy access to beautiful hikes, you’ll probably fall in love with Brasov.
Old Town Brasov is nestled in a small valley below Mount Tampa. Given its location on the doorstep of Romania’s tallest mountain range, there’s plenty of great hikes in and around Brasov. A couple hiking trails in Brasov start right from the city, a couple are a short 15–20-minute drive away, and a couple longer, day trip hikes are within 60-90 minutes.
Brasov’s Best Hikes
Here’s a list of the best hiking routes around Brasov.
Seven Ladders Canyon
My favorite hike in Brasov was Seven Ladders Canyon. Just 20 minutes from Old Town Brasov, this hiking spot involves weaving through small canyons with gushing waterfalls with the help of seven ladders.
If you’re a beginner or intermediate hiker, don’t let the ladder aspect intimidate you. When I went, there were summer camps with children who looked to be 6-8 years-old doing the hike. I will say, I was impressed that these kids had the nerve to do this hike, but as long as you like a little challenge, you’ll surely be able to complete this 4-mile loop without breaking too much of a sweat.
The hike costs $5 USD per person and opens at 10:00 a.m. I’d recommend getting there right when they open to beat the crowd, particularly if you’re going during peak season or on a weekend when it can get crowded. To get there, just grab an Uber from Brasov. Ours costed only $10 each way.
You can find the Seven Ladders Canyon hike on AllTrails here.
Length: 4.8 miles
Time: 2.5-3 hours
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
Piatra Mare
At the same spot where Seven Ladders Canyon begins, you’ll find the trail to Piatra Mare (“Big Stone”).
The first two miles of this hike will have you on the same path as the Seven Ladders Canyon hike, so you’ll get to navigate around the beautiful waterfalls and canyons. This part is relatively easy.
Once past the canyons, your steep, 3,000-foot climb to Piatra Mare will begin.
The scenery the rest of the way is stunning. You’ll be rewarded with unmatched views of wide valleys and alpine forest.
This is a much more challenging and time-consuming hike than Seven Ladders Canyon, but doable for anybody in good shape. You’ll have to dedicate most of your day to this hike near Brasov, but if you really enjoy hiking, it will be well worth it.
Length: 10 miles
Time: 7 hours
Difficulty: Medium
Piatra Craiului National Park
If you’re OK with an overnight hiking trip or at the least a full day of hiking, consider making the 1 hr 30-minute journey to Piatra Craiului National Park.
There are plenty of wonderful hikes here, most of them ranging from fairly difficult to difficult since they involve hiking some of the country’s tallest peaks.
You can take a gander on AllTrails to pick a hike at Piatra Craiului that looks good to you. You can also reach out to one of the hiking tour operators in Brasov to arrange a guided day-hike or overnight excursion.
Mount Tampa Hike (to the Brasov Sign)
The most popular trek is the hike to the Brasov sign, a landmark of the city. Both locals and visitors frequent the trail up Mount Tampa from early morning until sunset and it’s well-known as one of the best things to do in Brasov.
While this hike is super popular, don’t let the touristy aspect of it fool you. This is actually a fairly steep ascent that requires you to be in decent shape. It’s not dangerous or an expert-hike by any means, but it’s definitely more than a leisurely walk!
You can find the Mount Tampa hike on AllTrails here.
Length: 3.1 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Medium
Poiana Brasov to Cabana Postavaru
Poiana Brasov is the adventure hub of Brasov. In the winter months, it’s the city ski resort. In summer, it transforms into an adventure center for all kinds of activities, from hiking to mountain biking to ziplining to paragliding. There are a few hikes you can start from the base, with several of the ski slopes acting as hiking trails. This trail to Cabana Postavaru is nice for those looking for a good workout with fairly limited time. Keep an eye out for bears, as many hikers, have noted seeing plenty of brown bears on this trail.
It’s a really convenient base for several great hikes. It only takes about 25 minutes to reach Poiana Brasov by car from the city center, so even if you don’t have a car or don’t feel like taking the bus, you can grab an Uber for about $10 each way.
Length: 2.5 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
Day Trip to Sinaia
Sinaia is one of the most popular day trips from Brasov. Not only is this town located in a stunning setting at the base of jagged mountain peaks, but it’s also home to Peles Castle, a really popular tourist attraction and one of Romania’s most beautiful castles.
With so much to offer, Sinaia can get crowded during the summer months. But many visitors only go for the views and for Peles Castle, so hiking in Sinaia is totally manageable. And there is no shortage of wonderful hikes to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a fairly quick out-and-back hike or a day trip hike from Brasov, you’ll have your pick of the bunch in and around Sinaia.
Getting to Sinaia isn’t too difficult, though it will be more time consuming than any of the previously mentioned hikes. It’s about 45 minutes by car on a good day, though traffic can be brutal. Though I found driving in Romania quite easy, I wouldn’t recommend this route because of how congested it gets. It’s a two-lane highway that connects Bucharest to Brasov, so it’s frequently trafficked.
Instead, I’d recommend taking the train to Sinaia. The train is always on-time, only takes 50 minutes, and is a very pleasant and scenic ride. Once you arrive, you can either walk or take or short taxi to your preferred trailhead.
Caraiman Peak in Nearby Busteni
Also on the way from Brasov to Bucharest is the town of Busteni. Like Sinaia, you can get to Busteni easily by train, as it’s only about 35 minutes from Brasov.
Like Sinaia, Busteni is perched at the foot of some mammoth peaks, including Caraiman Peak.
A common option is to take the cable car up to Cabana Babele and start from there. But if you want to start from the base of the mountain, you are in for a full day of hiking. The area is beautiful, though, so if you are an experienced hiker, it’s well-worth the trek. Just note that it’s a near-5,000-foot elevation gain, so you’ll be in for a strenuous hike.
You can find the hike from Busteni to Cabana Babele to Caraiman Peak on AllTrails here.
Length: 8 miles
Time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Black Tower (Turnul Negru) and White Tower (Turnul Alb)
It’s much more of a walk than a hike, but the stroll up to Brasov’s Black Tower (Turnul Negru) and White Tower (Turnul Alb) is a must
You’ll walk up a long set of stairs to reach the base of the towers. Then, you’ll find a couple of trails connecting the two at the top. It only takes about five minutes to walk between them.
You’re not going to remember the extremely short and easy walk up, but you will remember the postcard-worthy view of Old Town and Mount Tampa from both towers. Looking down upon all of the medieval buildings with the lush, green mountain behind is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in all of Romania.
Length: 0.1 miles
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Very Easy
Brasov Hiking Tours
While I did all my hiking in Brasov without a guide or tour, there are plenty of Brasov hiking tours to choose from.
eTours.ro is a very well-respected tour company that offers guided hikes. Day Trips Brasov is another that has exemplary online reviews. Both specifically mention hiking day trips from Brasov as offered activities.
My 2-week trip to Romania included three guided tours: a street food tour, a mountain biking trip and a guided tour to the countryside. And while unrelated to hiking, all three guides were phenomenal, and the tours were very well-organized. Tourism companies are very professional and well-managed in Romania, so there’s very little chance a hiking tour will be anything other than rewarding.
In-Summary: Hiking in Brasov
Brasov’s location makes it a prime spot for hikers. Within 45 minutes, you can be hiking around and up to some of Romania’s tallest peaks. Where we stayed in Brasov was literally five minutes to the Mount Tampa trailhead.
And it’s not just one area where hikers flock to. Between the towns of Busteni and Sinaia, Piatra Craiului National Park, Poiana Brasov, and Mount Tampa right in the city, you have plenty of places to choose from depending on how much time you want to devote to hiking.
