The route
Sibiu-Turnu Roşu-Sebeşu de Jos-Sebeşu de Sus-Avrig- Porumbacu de Jos – Porumbacu de Sus - Cârţişoara- Bâlea Cascadă -Bâlea Lac-Arpaşu de Sus-Arpaşu de Jos-Cârţa
Turnu Roşu: a good starting point for conquering the peaks of the Făgăraş Mountains. Nature reserve of Eocene limestone formed millions of years ago.
Avrig: the former summer residence of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal (18th century) with a baroque garden and orangery. Visit the weaving and glass painting workshops, the glass factory, the ethnographic museum, the orthodox church (18th century) and the fortified church (15th century).
Cârţişoara: The village is well-known due to the fascinating story of Badea Cârţan who in the 19th century travelled to Rome by foot to see Trajan’s Column. It hosts two orthodox churches painted by the Grecu painters’ family.
Situated on the Transfăgărăşan route at 1234 m of altitude, Bâlea Waterfall is the most spectacular water fall of the Romanian Carpathians.
Bâlea Lake: glacial lake situated at 2034 m of altitude. Together with the Bâlea alpine tundra the lake forms a nature reserve - an exceptional site due to the diversity of flora and fauna encountered here. This is the starting point of mountain tracks to the highest summits of the Romanian Carpathians - Negoiu Summit - 2535 m and Moldoveanu Summit - 2544 m. In winter tourists practice extreme skiing and snowboarding here. Each year a skating ring, a hotel and an ice church are built on the lake.
Arpaşu de Sus: orthodox church painted by the Grecu brothers, well known for its “imperial doors” in the centre of the iconostasis.
Arpaşu de Jos: orthodox church painted by the Grecu brothers with an interesting image of the “Last Supper”.
Cârţa: former Cistercian abbey built in the 13th century with an imposing architecture: capitals, vaults, windows and consoles and a western portal dating from the 15th century. Nowadays the church is used by the local evangelical community.