Good morning from Făgăraș.

For a change, driving wasn’t the focus of the day’s plan – hiking was. The trail through Vârghiş Gorge winds deep into the Carpathian wilderness, featuring several bridges (mostly somewhat wobbly suspension bridges) and caves to explore.
As usual, we saddled up the car early in the morning and arrived at the parking lot around 11 a.m., where only a ranger and one other vehicle were parked. The ranger gave us a brief introduction to the trail and collected a small parking fee (10 Lei, roughly 2€).

Even the long, narrow road through the mountains towards the gorge was pure nature. The weather was excellent, the sun was shining, it was dry and pleasantly warm.

This hike really tests you—especially if, like me (Regine), you’re not a fan of shaky and slippery situations. Had I known what awaited us beforehand, I’d have been pretty nervous—but instead, I cheerfully followed Marco’s lead (note from Marco: I deliberately didn’t tell her! 😅). First, we walked along a cozy trail beside a small stream, then crossed a large meadow to reach the start of the main trail. There we faced the first bridge—not exactly confidence-inspiring, but true to our motto: Adventure! 😃

The river winds quietly in some places and babbles louder in others as it flows through the gorge, with the trail crossing from one side to the other. You’re surrounded by pure, untouched nature—the kind you won’t find back home. Some parts of the trail would never be allowed in Germany. Here, nature sets the path, not humans, which means you have to switch riverbanks several times and even climb over rocks or along cliff faces at certain points. But that’s exactly what makes the trail special—you feel like a little conqueror of nature, truly becoming part of it. It’s unbelievably peaceful, and breathing it all in brings calm to the soul.
We weren’t completely alone, though—we met other hikers and enjoyed wonderful conversations with friendly Romanians who spoke good German.
As I said, I’m not a fan of suspension bridges, but the real challenge awaited me at the end of the gorge, where the path became steep and was secured only by a small pipe railing right along the rock face. Whew—that definitely tested my nerves. At the top, we found ourselves in a large meadow with a seating area shaded by an umbrella and a trailer that usually sells snacks and drinks. Exhausted, we took a break—by now it was 3 p.m.—and were immediately greeted by the obligatory farm dogs: two big, shaggy fellows who looked imposing but were very gentle.

From here, you can either arrange for a car pickup, continue on foot to the next village, or take the same path back through the gorge. Of course, we chose the last option. Fueled by a fresh adrenaline rush, I dared to make my way back down the steep slope. The rest of the trail was then a breeze—still just as beautiful and peaceful.
Marco explored all but one of the caves on his own. One smaller cave extended a bit into the mountain, was home to plenty of many-legged residents, and offered a fantastic view into the greenery. In the others, we even found bats.

Delightfully exhausted and very satisfied, we returned to the car after just over seven hours and, as usual, set off in search of accommodation and something to eat.

Conclusion: Despite all my nerves about the bridges and the final stretch along the cliff face, I would walk this trail again and again. (Note from Marco: I’ll hold you to that! 😁)