Ceahlău National Park

What makes it special

The park protects the whole Ceahlău massif, and you climb through beech woods and mossy clearings onto open meadow under limestone cliffs. The two summits are almost level: Ocolașul Mare at 1,907 m, inside a scientific reserve, and Toaca at 1,904 m, the summit you can walk to.

On the high ground you pass rock towers that carry names, among them Panaghia, the Eagle of Trajan and Baba Dochia, a lone white rock. In the park's legend, Dochia fled through the forest toward the mountain of the god Zamolxes and was turned to stone, and that rock is her.

Lower down, the Duruitoarea waterfall drops over two rock steps. Its name comes from the loud, steady roar it makes when the water runs high, and the park protects it as a natural monument.

Above the trees the meadows hold orchids, Nigritella and the lady's slipper among them. Near the top stands the Ceahlău monastery, where pilgrims climb for the liturgy of the Transfiguration on 6 August each year.

Visiting

Pick your base first, because the two classic routes start on opposite sides of the massif. From Durău in the north, the blue-cross trail reaches the Duruitoarea waterfall in about two hours and Cabana Dochia, the hut below the summit plateau, in four and a half to five. From Izvorul Muntelui in the south, the red-stripe path is shorter and climbs to the hut in about three hours.

Pay the visiting fee as you enter, then keep to the marked trails, which is the park's rule. At the hut, rest, then go on to Toaca, a further 45 minutes, finishing on 519 metal stairs. Coming down, you can take the path beside the stairs instead.

Sleep at the hut if you want the summit at sunrise. It has dorm beds for large groups of hikers, so book a bed by phone before you go.

Tips

Carry cash, because the hut does not take cards, and a headlamp for the early start and the late finish. Leave your trekking poles at the door: they are not allowed inside. Wear proper walking boots, since the path beside the waterfall is very steep at first, and after rain the forest slopes turn to slippery mud and roots.

If the summit is too much for one day, walk only to the Duruitoarea waterfall or Cabana Fântânele and turn back there. In winter, go only with experience, proper kit and ideally a guide, and check the weather before you set out.