Piatra Craiului National Park: Măgura & Zărnești, Romania’s Wild Heart
Misty morning in Piatra Craiului National Park
Tucked between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains, Măgura and Zărnești are where Romania’s wild soul beats slow and steady.
Here, time moves differently — mornings start in mist, afternoons end with cowbells, and somewhere in between you might meet a bear (from a respectful distance).
We came for Piatra Craiului National Park, and left with muddy boots, a full heart (and belly), and a very loyal village dog.
🇷🇴 Field Notes
Best time to visit: May–October for hiking, September–October for mist and colors (with snow on the highest peaks).
Book early: Măgura guesthouses and cabins fill up fast during summer and fall weekends.
Expect prices: €40–90 per night for guesthouses, €70–130 for private cabins. We paid less than €80/night for this awesome A-framed cabin.
Packing tip: Bring hiking shoes, a rain jacket, food and cash. You’ll find shops, restaurants and an ATM in Zărnești.
Bear tip: Talk, clap, sing — just let them know you’re around. Don’t bring smelly food and avoid dawn/night hikes.
Mistakes we made: Following Google Maps to find our cabin. Or Waze. At 9pm, in heavy rain, on a pitch-black forest trail. We should have called our accommodation directly!
What to do in Măgura & Zărnești
Posing with our mascot Mac in Piatra Craiului National Park
1. Hike in Piatra Craiului National Park
This is the reason most people come — and it’s worth every step.
The park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, known for its sharp limestone ridges, forests full of wildlife, and some of Romania’s most scenic trails.
Start at the Piatra Craiului Visitor Centre just outside Zărnești, where you can grab maps, trail info, and learn a bit about the park’s geology and wildlife (bears, wolves, and chamois still roam here).
If you keep driving about 11 km past the Visitor Centre, the road winds through open fields, cows, and wooden barns with jaw-dropping mountain views. It ends at the base of some of the park’s most popular trailheads.
The Zărnești Gorge (Prăpăstiile Zărneștiului) is a must — a dramatic canyon with vertical, foggy cliffs, mossy rock walls, and easy walking paths suitable for most visitors.
From the gorge, hikers can continue up to Cabana Curmătura, a cozy mountain hut (1,470 m) serving hot soups and an apple cake with a secret inside! (like a fortune cookie — Jake didn’t know and almost choked on it!)
Did you know?
Piatra Craiului National Park protects one of the last remaining virgin forests in Europe — home to over 1,100 species of plants and around 40% of all large carnivores in the Carpathians. That means bears, wolves, and lynx still roam here freely — often just a few valleys away from where shepherds graze their flocks, the same way they have for centuries.
Experienced hikers can keep climbing up for more challenging hikes, but we didn’t due to heavy snow. Many visitors hire a guide.
If you’re not up for the full climb, even walking part of the route gives you a sense of the park’s beauty — and the sound of woodpeckers echoing through the valley is pure therapy.
2. Visit the Liberty Bear Sanctuary (Zărnești)
This is what drew us to Romania in the first place, as I (Eli) love bears, and Jake wanted to take me to the largest bear sanctuary in the world! Indeed, just outside town lies the Liberty Bear Sanctuary, one of the most moving places we’ve ever visited.
It’s home to over 100 rescued bears, saved from zoos, circuses, and private owners, often living in horrible conditions. They now roam freely through more than 69 hectares of forest — climbing, swimming, and rediscovering what it means to be wild.
Penguin Trampoline tip:
Romania’s forests are bear country — and that’s part of the magic.
Make noise on trails, carry no smelly food, and never approach wildlife (yes, even if it’s cute).
And before you lace up those boots, book travel insurance (get 5 to 15% off with our partner HeyMondo) — because while bears rarely bother humans, Romanian mountain roads sometimes do.
We even “adopted” one (symbolically), under Penguin Trampoline’s name. His name is Viorel and he was… meditating when we visited!
Visits are guided and limited, so book ahead — it’s a highlight of any trip to Transylvania. The guide was awesome, with incredible and moving stories about the furry residents.
3. Wander Around Zărnești
Zărnești isn’t fancy — and that’s why it’s perfect.
It’s the kind of unpretentious town where everyone says bună ziua when you pass, and the rhythm slows down to something that feels right.
Stop for a walk, talk to locals, have a covrig (Romanian pretzel) or just sit at a terrace and watch the mountains change color with the light.
4. Eat at Casa Rustica
If there’s one place that deserves a detour, it’s Casa Rustica in Zărnești.
The food is honest and hearty — think sarmale (cabbage meat rolls), creamy mushroom stew, and grilled trout with polenta.
It’s family-run, incredibly affordable (the trout was less than €3!), and one of the best meals we had in Romania.
5. Embrace the slow life in Măgura
Măgura is not a checklist destination — it’s a feeling.
You hike, chill, drink tea by the fireplace, and let the view handle the rest. Village life here runs on nature’s schedule: dogs nap in the road, cows wander home by themselves, and nobody’s ever in a rush.
If you need a break from noise, this is your cure.
Where to stay near Piatra Craiului National Park
Our fabulous A-framed cabin
We stayed in an A-frame cabin in Măgura that honestly felt like a dream:
👉 A Way to Nature.
The hosts were super nice and helpful, especially when we called them at 9pm because we were lost! The cabin has a Nordic vibe to it, and the fall-themed decoration was lovely. It’s perched on a hill with panoramic mountain views, a big window for storm-watching, and a silence so deep it hums.
Each morning, fog rolled lazily through the valley as the local dog trotted over to say hello. By evening, the sound of cowbells carried softly across the hills. We found a bear scats a few meters away from the cabin!
Other great options nearby:
Cabana Curmătura – perfect for overnight hikers. Simple rooms, big views, and the outdoor shower is fun.
Pensiunea Mosorel – family-run guesthouse, ideal for early trail starts.
Pensiunea Măgura – Rustic charm with a view.
Where to eat around Zărnești
As you can see, I’m very happy at Casa Rustica
We never had bad food in Romania — food is hearty and always homemade. Here are a couple of favorites:
Casa Rustica (Zărnești) – Local favourite with authentic Romanian dishes and friendly service. Incredibly cheap and delicious!
Cabana Curmătura – Great mountain stop for lunch mid-hike. It was freezing, windy and humid when we hiked up there, and our cold wraps were less appealing that hot soup!
Pensiunea Mosorel – Traditional meals made with local produce if you stay there.
Did you know?
Romania produces more than 150 kinds of traditional cheese, many still crafted by hand in mountain huts known as stâne. The best-known is brânză de burduf — a salty sheep’s cheese aged in tree bark or sheep’s stomach. Tangy, rich, and faintly smoky, it’s the kind of cheese that tastes even better after a hike, especially with warm bread and a Carpathian view.
How to get there
Jake, happy to drop off the car on Zărnești’s free parking!
From Brasov: Zărnești is about 40 minutes by car (27 km). We drove all the way from Bucharest and it was a bit longer than expected due to bad weather, but it usually takes around 3h.
By train: There’s a direct local train from Brasov to Zărnești — cheap, slow, and scenic.
To Măgura: You’ll need a car or local taxi from Zărnești (15–20 minutes uphill). Roads are partly gravel but manageable.
Renting a car gives you flexibility to explore smaller villages and trailheads. Just go slow — curves, cows, dogs and potholes come standard.
FAQ: Visiting Magura, Zărnești & Piatra Craiului 🇷🇴
How long should you stay in Magura or Zărnești?
At least two nights. You’ll want a full day for hiking in Piatra Craiului National Park and another to explore the Bear Sanctuary and nearby villages. Three to four days if you like to travel slow, and make sure you get at least one day of good weather for hiking.
Do you need a guide to hike in Piatra Craiului?
Not for marked trails like the Zărnești Gorge (Prăpăstiile Zărneștiului) or Cabana Curmătura, which are well-signposted. But if you’re heading deeper into the park or aiming for ridge routes, a local guide is worth it — the terrain can be steep and weather changes fast.
Can you see wild bears in the park?
Sometimes — but always from a distance. Bears avoid people, and most sightings are brief. For a safe and meaningful experience, visit the Liberty Bear Sanctuary in Zărnești.
How do you get to Piatra Craiului National Park?
From Brașov, drive or take a local train to Zărnești (about 40 minutes). From there, continue by car or taxi along the DJ112G road to reach the Visitor Centre and the trailheads at Zărnești Gorge.
When is the best time to visit Piatra Craiului?
May to October for hiking. September–October brings golden forests, fog, and fewer crowds — just the way we like it. That being said, the weather can be very moody, so plan to stay a bit longer if you want to hike. Fog and drizzle are part of the eery ambiance, but heavy rain is not fun!
Get in the Romanian spirit with this playlist (beyond No ma no ma yei):
Piatra Craiului isn’t dramatic for the sake of it — it’s quietly powerful.
You wake up in fog, hike through silence, eat soup on a mountaintop, and watch the sun burn through clouds.
It’s not about ticking boxes; it’s about remembering what peace feels like.
This is Romania’s wild heart, and it’s still beating exactly as it should.
Interested in a Romanian adventure? Check out our guides:
🇷🇴 Romania Travel Guide: Castles, Carpathians & Wild Encounters — From Bucharest to the mountains, bears to baroque cities, Romania still feels wonderfully wild.
🏰 Brasov & Beyond — Castles, cobblestones, and just enough Dracula.
👁️ Sibiu: The City That Watches You — Old rooftops, fresh cheese, and easy charm (coming soon).
⛰️ The Făgăraș Mountains — The day the road disappeared and it was still perfect (coming soon).
🏙️ Bucharest — Beautiful chaos, creative energy, and endless coffee (coming soon).
🛏️ Where to Stay in Romania — Our favourite hotels, cabins, and guesthouses (coming soon).
💡 What Surprised Us About Romania — 10 things we didn’t expect (including how good the food is) (coming soon).
