This road crossing the Fagaras Mountains, the highest mountain rang...

The National Road 7C (DN7C), named Transfăgărăşan (from the prefix "trans-" + Făgăraş), is one of the most spectacular roads in Romania, linking the historical region of Muntenia with Transylvania.

This road that passes through the Fagaras Mountains, the highest mountain range in Romania, part of the Southern Carpathians, is a paved road, reaching the tunnel near Balea Lake at an altitude of 2042 m. Thus, Transfăgărăşanul is placed on the second place altitude in the ranking of alpine roads in Romania, after Transalpina (DN67C) from Parâng Mountains, which climb up to 2145 m.

Starting from the south, the first segment of Transfăgărăşan passes in front of the Vidraru hydropower plant, located underground in the Cetăţuia massif. From here, near Poenari, the road climbs through serpentines and viaducts, passing through three shorter tunnels, and reaches Vidraru Dam, which, with its 307 m, links the Pleasa and Vidraru Mountains. Passing the dam, the road continues to the left along the Vidraru Lake to its tail. Further on, the road starts climbing along the valley of the Capra River until it reaches the alpine hole near Capra Chalet; after a series of serpentines, passing through the Capra Waterfall, it reaches the southern entrance of the Capra-Balea tunnel, which passes under the ridge of the Fagaras Mountains between the summits of Iezerul Caprei (2414 m) and Paltinul (2398 m). This tunnel is the longest road tunnel in Romania, with a length of 887 m, with a height of 4.4 m, a width of 6 m and a sidewalk with a width of 1 m, being electrically and naturally ventilated.

In the northern part of the road, Transfăgărăşanul passes through the natural reserve Alpin Gulf and Lake Balea, next to the Balea glacier lake, followed by a steep descent in the serpentine, crossing the glacier, over a length of 13 km. Then the road passes by the Balea waterfall, a 68-meter waterfall, the largest of its kind in Romania, at an altitude of about 1230 m.M., then reaching the Balea Cascade Chalet. From there to the intersection with DN1 (European road E68), near the village of Cârţişoara, there are 21 km.

The Transfagarasan passes over 830 footpaths, 27 viaducts; for its construction it was necessary to deploy several million tons of rock; for this, 6520 tonnes of dynamite were used, of which 20 tonnes only to the Capra-Balea tunnel, and many other building materials.

The high mountain range of DN7C is open to road traffic every year only from June 30 to November 1, as the road is snowed in winter and its snow is impractical; this adds to the risk of stones and avalanches.

In winter, the road is officially opened on the southern slope to the Piscul Negru complex (kilometer 104 - Argeş County) (although the snow removing equipment goes up to the Capra Tourist Complex - kilometer 108, where those willing to venture have only one strip available but they are exposed to the fines of the mountain gendarmes, which are based on the Rescue Rescue Rescue 2000), and on the north to Balea-Cascada Chalet (131 km - Sibiu County) (here the road is blocked during the entire period of the official closure with parapets of New Jersey concrete, it is impossible to cross even in the conditions of snow melting, it should be taken into account that during the winter many stones fall in the "Gate of Encounter" area - 1600, before entering the Balea Glacier). ] At the same time, the gates of the Bâlea-Capra tunnel close during the winter, during the official closing of the road (it is possible to cross the tunnel if the mouths of the tunnel are not covered by the ...snow through the two pedestrian doors provided).

In the summer, restrictions include the dark (22: 00-6: 00), because the route is dangerous, with many turns and curves in the hairpin, without reflective elements, and the risk of falling particularly large. The recommended speed limit is 40 km / h.

In winter, when Transfăgărăşanul is closed to traffic, Balea Lake can be reached by cable car from "Bâlea Cascadă".

Transfagarasan | The road DN7C - Transfăgărăşan is a traffic road from Romania, starting in Bascov, Arges county near Piteşti, towards Curtea de Arges and ending at the intersection with DN1 road between Sibiu and Brasov, near Cârţişoara commune, with a length of 151 km, crossing the north-south axis Făgăraş Mountains.