Beautiful pictures from the Transfagarasan taken on June 25, 2025, already making us look forward to June 2026 🥰 Here together with more wonderful images (Balea Waterfall, the Transfagarasan, and the onward journey towards Curtea de Arges).

https://welcome-to-romania.com | https://urlaub-in-rumänien.de

Our heartfelt thanks for sending these pictures and for granting permission to use them.

A small selection of cities, places, and destinations that you should definitely visit at least once on a trip through Romania (Part 4 of 500 🥰).

Here: Bâlea Lake and the Transfăgărășan mountain road

https://welcome-to-romania.com | https://willkommen-in-rumänien.de

At the highest point of the Transfagarasan, in the Carpathians of Romania, lies Lake Balea, which can be reached via the Transfagarasan road 🥰

The road is a magical route in and through the Fagaras Mountains. It connects the two historical regions of Wallachia and Transylvania in a breathtaking mountain landscape.

Opening within the next days/weeks, unfortunately we do not know an exact date!

Photos: July 2023

Beautiful winter pictures of the Transfagarasan, Alba Iulia, Balea Lake, and more at the turn of the year 2025 / 2026.

https://urlaub-in-rumänien.de | https://welcome-to-romania.com

We thank Mr. Sebastian Mallach for sending these impressive pictures 😊👍

No plans yet for Christmas and/or New Year's Eve? Spend your time at Brukenthal Palace in Avrig, Sibiu County.

Enjoy the festive atmosphere, celebrate with friends, and take advantage of the many excursion options in the region (e.g.: Balea Lake, Brambura Family Park with ice rink, Christmas market in Sibiu / Hermannstadt, and much more ...)

All information / offers can be found at:
https://palatulbrukenthalavrig.ro | https://brukenthal-palace-avrig.com (German, English)

Spend a (short) winter holiday at Brukenthal Palace in Avrig. Enjoy your time in the palace’s historic café, visit the on-site glass museum, and take your family to Brambura Family Park (also in Avrig), which will offer an ice rink starting December 13th.

https://palatulbrukenthalavrig.ro | https://brambura-park.ro

Avrig is centrally located for a trip to the Christmas market in Sibiu / Hermannstadt and/or to Schässburg / Sighisoara. Visit Balea Lake in winter (accessible by cable car), the Kerz Monastery, and the Fagaras fortress/museum. Even places like Bran Castle ("Dracula's Home") and Brasov / Kronstadt can easily be reached and visited on a day trip.

Brambura Park | Upside down... or maybe not!? Sometimes everything is upside down in life, and here at Brambura Park in Avrig (German: Freck), that's the norm. An experience for children, families, and every visitor.

High up in the Fagaras Mountains lies Balea Lake, the highest point of the Transfagarasan mountain road and the place where the Hotel of Ice is built every winter.

https://hotelofice.ro | https://welcome-to-romania.com

Pictures from one of the last "hotel seasons" from previous years.

Pictures of the Transfagarasan (taken from the cable car leading to Balea Lake) from June of a previous year and from a wonderful place 🥰

It is a magical road in and through the Fagaras Mountains. The Transfagarasan road connects the two historical regions of Wallachia and Transylvania in a breathtaking mountain landscape.

We thank Thorsten Wisnewski for granting permission to use this/these picture(s).

Do you know the Ice Hotel at Balea Lake? Not yet... then it’s time for a trip this coming winter 🥰

https://www.hotelofice.ro

The hotel is rebuilt every year (planned opening December 23, 2025) and simply melts away again in early summer 😅. Due to its location (at 2,034 meters, Fagaras Mountains, Sibiu County), cold and long winters are guaranteed, and besides the wonderful winter landscape, it is another highlight of this region.

Balea Lake can be reached by cable car / gondola (3.7 km, Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The starting point for the cable car is Balea Waterfall (Cabana Balea Cascada). The hotel usually opens in mid / late December and has a season of about 4 months (depending on the weather and winter conditions).

Pictures from one of the last "hotel seasons" from previous years.

Do you know the Ice Hotel at Balea Lake? Not yet... then it’s time for a trip this coming winter 🥰

https://www.hotelofice.ro

The hotel is rebuilt every year (planned opening December 23, 2025) and simply melts away again in early summer 😅. Due to its location (at 2,034 meters, Fagaras Mountains, Sibiu County), cold and long winters are guaranteed, and besides the wonderful winter landscape, it is another highlight of this region.

Balea Lake can be reached by cable car / gondola (3.7 km, Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The starting point for the cable car is Balea Waterfall (Cabana Balea Cascada). The hotel usually opens in mid / late December and has a season of about 4 months (depending on the weather and winter conditions).

Pictures from one of the last "hotel seasons" from previous years.

A magical road in and through the Fagaras Mountains. The Transfagarasan road connects the two historical regions of Wallachia and Transylvania in a breathtaking mountain landscape.

https://willkommen-in-rumänien.de | https://rotravel24.com

... while at Balea Lake / the Transfagarasan, the first snow has already fallen ⛄️⛄️ ... Romania 😍😍🇷🇴

We thank Sulina fabuloasa for granting permission to use this picture.

Pictures from a trip on (National Road 7C, turnoff after Sibiu towards Brașov) and over the Transfăgărășan, Bâlea Lake, Vidraru Dam, and the Olt River.

Here: Ascent and descent on the Transfăgărășan

We thank Mr. Roland Schmid for sending us the pictures from his trip, which he took in August 2023. Thank you, Roland 🥰

Pictures from a trip on (National Road 7C, turnoff after Sibiu towards Brașov) and over the Transfăgărășan, Bâlea Lake, Vidraru Dam, and the Olt River.

Here: Ascent and descent on the Transfăgărășan

We thank Mr. Roland Schmid for sending us the pictures from his trip, which he took in August 2023. Thank you, Roland 🥰

Pictures from a trip to (national road 7C, exit behind Sibiu towards Brasov) and through Transfăgărășan, Balea Lake, Vidraru reservoir and Olt river.

Here: Approaching and climbing the Transfăgărășan

In the middle of one of the most beautiful mountain regions of the Carpathians lies the Cabana (hut / mountain hotel) Balea Lac, right next to the glacial lake of the same name.

Accessible directly via the legendary Transfagarasan road (in winter via a cable car) and situated at an altitude of 2,034 metres, the hotel offers accommodation to international standards.

Can also be visited in winter with an ‘ice hotel’ > https://www.hotelofice.ro/

Pictures of the Transfăgărășan to start preparing and planning for the next travel season or summer vacation.

Many offers for your Romania trip, including package tours, experiences, hotels, and more: https://rotravel24.com

One of the pictures also shows the cable car, which can be used in winter to reach Lake Bâlea (from the Bâlea Waterfall).

Do you know the Ice Hotel at Balea Lake? Not yet? Then it’s time for a trip this winter 🥰

https://www.hotelofice.ro

The hotel is rebuilt annually and melts away in early summer 😅. Located at 2,034 meters in the Făgăraș Mountains, Sibiu County, it offers a unique winter experience. Accessible via cable car from Balea Waterfall (Cabana Bâlea Cascadă), the hotel typically opens mid-December for a 4-month season, depending on the weather. Highlights include the snowy landscape and winter attractions.

Photos from last season, mid-February 2023.

Bâlea Lake (also called Bulea Lake) is a glacial lake in the Romanian Carpathians.

It is located in the Făgăraș Mountains along the Transfăgărășan Highway (Transfăgărășan), between the mountains Negoiu and Moldoveanu, the two highest peaks in the Romanian Carpathians. The lake is about 80 km from Sibiu, 70 km from Făgăraș, and 85 km from Curtea de Argeș.

https://xn--willkommen-in-rumnien-m2b.de/ | https://welcome-to-romania.com

We thank Vlad the Impaler - Dracula for allowing us to use this image (early February 2022).

In some cities, it’s only six weeks until the first Christmas markets begin. Snow has already arrived (Lake Bâlea, Transfăgărășan, Transalpina), and we hope for a peaceful and reflective time to come, despite all the unsettling events currently affecting our world.

Below are the upcoming dates for a selection of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Romania, with images from previous years (please click on the image).

Craiova | Nov. 15, 2024 - Jan. 5, 2025
Sibiu | Nov. 15, 2024 - Jan. 5, 2025
Cluj-Napoca | Nov. 22, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025
Timișoara | Nov. 24, 2024 - Jan. 6, 2025
Oradea | Nov. 29, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025
Brașov | Nov. 30, 2024 - Jan. 7, 2025
Bucharest | Nov. 29, 2024 - Dec. 26, 2024
Piatra Neamț | Dec. 1, 2024 - Jan. 8, 2025

https://urlaub-in-rumänien.de/en/uir/christmas-markets-romania/

Transfăgărășan, Făgăraș Mountains and Balea Lake.

Please note: Photos without snow are from previous dates. There is currently snow at Balea Lake and on the Transfăgărășan and the road is expected to be closed by mid/late June. However, Lake Balea can also be visited in winter by cable car.

In the middle of one of the most beautiful mountain regions of the Carpathians lies the Cabana (hut / mountain hotel) Balea Lac, right next to the glacial lake of the same name.

Accessible directly via the legendary Transfagarasan road (in winter via a cable car) and situated at an altitude of 2,034 metres, the hotel offers accommodation to international standards.

Can also be visited in winter with an ‘ice hotel’ > https://www.hotelofice.ro/

Visit our Internet presentation in the ‘Discover’ section, enter any search term (e.g. Balea, Sibiu, Brasov, gorge, Bukovina, ...) and you will be shown lots and lots of information (picture: search term Balea).

https://xn--urlaub-in-rumnien-2qb.de/de/stories/
in German, English and Romanian

Search in our database in 1000s of social media posts about Romania for your desired destination or your interests such as ‘monastery’, ‘history’, ‘castle’ and more ...

We thank Mrs Monika Simon for this Video

Balea is a glacial lake in the Romanian Carpathians. It is located in the Făgăraș Mountains, on the Transfăgărășan high road, between the Negoiu and Moldoveanu Mountains.

The lake is located in Sibiu county and is just under 80 kilometres from the city of Sibiu and about 70 kilometres from the town of Făgăraș (Fogarasch or Fugreschmarkt).