Cibin Gorges, Cindrel Mountains

Paltiniș (1.400 m) - Dăneasa Valley (1.000 m) - Cibinului Gorges (900 m) - Gura Râului Lake (670 m)

Access

For this route we organized ourselves with cars at the start and finish point. The starting point was in Păltiniș resort, at the point marked Start on the map, where there is a curve, a bus stop of line 22 and a signpost. Free off-road parking is available here. The finishing point was at the intersection of the unmodernized road coming through the Cheile Cibinului on the Valea Mare with the one coming on the Valea Mica, where they join to form the DJ106M. Here there is a kind of unpaved roundabout off the road where you can park for free, marked on the map with End.

Between them we traveled on an unmodernized 14 km road, see the following link.

About Cindrel Mountains

Cindrel Mountains are geographically delimited as follows:

North: the Sibiului Depression and the Cibin Valley, which separates them from the Lotrului Mountains and the Transylvanian Plateau.
The is: The low peaks that separate them from the Lotru Mountains.
South: Frumoasei Valley, which is a clear natural boundary with the Șureanu Mountains.
West: the Petroșani Depression and the high area that crosses to the Parâng Mountains.

Cindrel Mountains, part of the Southern Carpathians (subgroup of the Cibin Mountains), is characterized by rounded peaks, alpine pastures and glacial lakes (Iezerul Mare and Iezerul Mic), with the highest point at Cindrel Peak (2,244 m). The area is renowned for its pastoral traditions, biodiversity and easily accessible mountain trails.

About hiking

This hike presents an easy route, which can be covered by anyone who wants to do a bit of mountain walking and admire the Cibin Gorges.

Route map

(click on objectives for extended version)

Technical box

Difficulty: easy
Duration / distance: 3 hours / 9 km
Mark: red dot
Water source: in the stream in Dăneasa Valley, between points 4 and 5
Minimum altitude: 670 meters above sea level on arrival
Maximum altitude: 1,400 meters at the start
Level difference: +0 m / -800 m

Comments: well-marked trail (pay attention to orientation in point 2), accessible all year round

1. Paltiniș (1.400 m) - Dăneasa Valley (1.000 m)

1 hour / 2 km / easy / red dot

We start from the starting point marked on the map, located in the resort of Paltiniș. We follow the forest road along a fairly steep, flat ridge. At the point marked on the map with 2 we have to leave the forest road, although this seems to be the main one! We continue through a grassy area that leads us to the forest entrance where we follow a nice lane, then a path that starts to descend steadily downhill until it reaches another forest road coming from our right (point 3). From here we have another 400 meters until we reach a wide, well-trodden road in the Dăneasa Valley (point 4)

this way is fine, not the forest road!

watch the right path here!

ready to go!

we descend steeply through the forest

the domed ridge we'll descend

a nice path through the forest

the only steep passage

it's now very easy

we change direction

2. Dăneasa Valley (1.000 m) - Cibinului Gorges (900 m) - Gura Râului Lake (670 m)

1 hour 45 minutes / 7 km / easy / red dot

From here we will keep only this road, on which the day before we took some of the cars to the terminus of today's hike. We go along the Dăneasa Valley, until it converges in the Great River Valley (point 5), which comes from the left accompanied by a large surface water supply pipe to Sibiu and along which we will go the rest of the way. From this confluence the Cibinului Gorges begin. They are not as majestic as some other gorges in the country, but a few rock walls on either side of the Great Valley we can take a picture. This road and our hike ends at the confluence of the Great Valley with the Small Valley, where the Cibin River and the Gura Râului reservoir are formed.

Dăneasa Valley

we reach the wide road in the Daneasa Valley

Sibiu's water supply pipeline

the confluence of Dăneasa and the Mare river

Cibin Gorges

mountain bells

Conclusion

In Cibin GorgesThe mountain whispers old stories, and the light flows smoothly over the rocks like a warm memory. If your heart calls for peace and beauty, follow its call and lose yourself in this moment of magic.

All the best!

Steps: