THE RETHESE MOUNTAINS
Located on the southwestern tip of Transylvania, Retezat is not as popular, like the Fagaras Mountains. Maybe it is due to some isolation and less extensive accommodation facilities that it attracts lovers of wilderness and untouched nature. If you are lucky, you can spot a chamois in its natural habitat, deer, a bear, lynx, capercaillie, bearded vulture and other animals.
The easiest way to get here will be, heading from the Petrosa basin, in Wallachia, west; much harder – from Hunedoara to the south.
Z Gura Zlata
The most popular hiking route begins in Gura Zlata, not far behind Sarmizegetusa. Better to make careful reservations in advance through one of the OJT offices in Deva, Hategu or Hunedoara, because hostels tend to be overcrowded here. The sections of the trail from Gura Zlata to the Pietrele hut are marked successively with red crosses, blue crosses, red dots, red stripes and blue triangles. On the way, you pass Lake Zanoaga, Taul Portii lake and Bucura Pass. You must count on the transition 10-12 hours; in winter, the trail is closed. The road continues south from Gura Zlata 12 km do jeziora Gura Apei (the mouth of the waters), where well equipped, Experienced hikers can follow the alpine trail to the Muntele Mic hut, near Caransebes, lub do Baile Herculane (2 days). Going east along the lake shore and up the Lapusnice valley, after four hours you reach Buty or the Bucura Valley.
Z Cimpu lui Neag
Of the many trails leading from Cimpu lui Neag, the most frequented one leads to the Buta shelter. The shortest route (6-7 time.), marked with red crosses, it runs uphill through the fir forest to the La Fete sheepfold. On the way, you can admire the magnificent rock formations. The red triangles show the longer route to the refuge (10-12 time.), through the wild Scocului Jiului gorge and the Piatra lui Iorgovan plateau, where you can come across chamois. The road continues south-west through the forest, through the watershed from the Jiu valley to the Cerna valley, and finally towards Baile Herculane (a good two days' walk). Another path, marked with blue triangles, it runs south to the village of Tismana, you have to set yourself up for 6 hours of hiking.
The shoe is in Little Retezat, a limestone range south of the great glacial valley of Lapusnice. The flora and fauna here is similar to the Mediterranean. However, the greatest impressions await the hikers in the crystalline chain of the Great Retezat, on the north, behind a few peaks and glacial lakes. From the south, from the Buta shelter, two routes lead here. Blue stripes marked path to the Pietrele Hut (7 time.) first it descends steeply to the Lapusnice valley, then it passes the beautiful lakes in the Bucura valley and from the mountain pass at height 2206 m n.p.m. goes down to Gentian's shelter. The trail, on the other hand, was initially marked with red stripes, and then along blue triangles it leads from Buty to the Baleia shelter, next to the Barbat springs and the Ciumfu waterfall (9 time., the trail is closed in winter).