A hiking journal from the Romanian Carpathians
Ridges, glacial lakes, high roads and wooden villages, written up after the walk while the boots are still drying by the door.
I'm Ilinca. I live in Brașov and spend as many weekends as I can in the mountains that curve around the middle of Romania. This is where I write up those trips: what the walk was really like, what surprised me, and what I'd tell a friend before they went.
It isn't a guidebook. Each note starts with a small trail card that gives a rough idea of distance, effort and the best season. The rest is the story of the day. Before any trip into the high mountains, check current conditions with the local mountain rescue (Salvamont) and the park offices. They know far more than I do.
The most recent trips from the 2026 season, newest first.
Maramureș
An autumn week of easy walking between villages, wooden churches with needle-thin spires, carved gates and haystacks in the morning mist.
Făgăraș
The famous hairpins over the Făgăraș on a quiet September weekday, a short walk above Bâlea Lake, and a few firm words about feeding bears.
Retezat
Slow days among granite boulders and cold blue lakes, a night of lightning over Bucura, and sunrise on the highest peak of the range.
The Carpathians sweep through Romania in a great arc. Four of this year's notes come from the southern part of that arc, and one from the far north.
A couple of pages I keep sending to friends who are planning their first trip.
Season by season, honest about late snow, summer storms and mountain roads that close for winter.
The list I actually use for two to four days on the trail, sleeping in huts or a tent.
Who writes it, why it exists, and why it has no ads, no tracking and no affiliate links.
