The 27th of june, the launch of the second national challenge, the Romanian Natacha happened. Hungary had 75 climbs in its list, Romania, with more mountains in the Carpathes, has 125 climbs in its list. If you manage holidays in the region or if you are romanian members, you'll be interested by what follows.
Romania includes 9 big topographic regions : 3 mountainous (Occidental, Meridional and Oriental Carpathians – 95 climbs), 4 hilly (the Transylvanian Plateau in the middle of the Carpathians, the Subcarpathian foothills and, in the east, the Moldavian and Dobrogea Plateaus – 30 climbs) and 2 fully flat and ineffective plains.
The Meridional Carpathians are the « richest » : 3 high mountain roads at 2000 (or almost) : Transf?g?r??an (Balea), Transalpina (Urdele) and Transbucegi. A lot of resorts (Muntele Mic, Straja, Rusu, Paltinis, ...), among which the new road to Pasul Vâlcan and its 2km at 15%. For the tourism, the capital of the ancient Dacian Kingdom (Sarmizegetusa Regia), the Retezat National Park (Râu?or) or the Sohodol gorges.
In the west, the biggest climbs lie between 1000 and 1500m, between Beius and Cluj-Napoca : Buscat, Stâna de Vale and Semenic, the Beli?-Fântânele and Dr?gan lakes, Padi? plateau or the Ursoia and V?rtop passes. A few touristic climbs : Sc?ri?oara caves, two viewpoints on the Danube (Sfânta Elena and Valea Ponicovei) and V?li?oarei and Turzii gorges. You'll find the steepest sections towards Sc?ri?oara, Feredeu and C?lug?ra monasteries, and ?iria fortress.
In the Eastern Carpathians, many passes from 800 to 1500m, amongst which some unpaved (Predelus, Barcani, Stâni?oara, P?ltini?, ...). The steepest sections belong to Rarau and Soveja, the most beautiful landscapes to Bicaz and Sfânta Ana crater lake, and the best design to the Pasul Gutâi hairpins. The list also includes two resorts in Harghita, Sl?nic-Moldova spa and some lakes (Tarni?a, Colibi?a). A few climbs are used in the Tour of Szeklerland (Harghita-B?i, ?icas and Ghime?, Ca?in and Calonda passes) or in the Cycling Tour of Romania.
In the hilly regions, the promotion of the Romanian heritage has compensated for the lack of elevation, cultural heritage (monasteries and fortresses) and natural (Danube Delta, Siret valley, gorges, vineyards).
On the Transylvanian Plateau, besides the cobbled streets in the historic centre of Sighi?oara and the Nicula monastery in Gherla, a few climbs used in the Tour of Sibiu (Dealul D?ii, Peli?or and Ru?i) have been selected, as well as the Cheile (gorges) Babei towards Coroieni.
The Subcarpathians are represented by a fortress above Târgu Neam?, three monasteries (Ciolanu, Dealu and Probota at the foot of T?t?ru?i), a road from the Danube (Ghelmegioaia), Tohani vineyards (in Jugureni) or a climb of the very first Tour of Romania in 1935 (Petricica on the outskirts of Bac?u).
In the north-east, on the Moldavian Plateau, two climbs lie near to the Siret valley (Gorovei with its monastery and Petre?ti-G?iceana), Strunga is a « King of the Mountain » in the Tour of Romania and Dealul Mare is above a vineyard (Odobe?ti). Finally, close to the Danube Delta and the Black Sea, Niculi?el has a beautiful elevation (300m) and a vineyard. Cheile Dobrogei gorges are worth seeing thanks to their natural beauty and ?ipotele shows an amazing 10%, close to the Bulgarian border.
The obvious will of the Romanian authorities to develop the road network in order to increase the touristic supply allows to envisage increasing the number of paved climbs and, therefore, enriching the list.
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Here is the list without link currently
1 Muntele ?es
2 Meses
3 Dami?
4 Lacul Dr?gan
5 Stana de Vale
6 Padi?
7 Beli?-Fântânele
8 F?getul Clujului
9 Pasul Ursoaia
10 Pasul V?rtop
11 Pe?tera Sc?ri?oara
12 Buscat (Sta?iunea)
13 Cetatea ?iria
14 M?n?stirea Feredeu
15 V?soaia
16 Slatina de Mure?
17 Pasul Lazuri
18 Pasul V?li?oara
19 Pasul Buce?
20 Pasul Bucium
21 Pasul Alma?u Mare
22 Geoagiu-B?i
23 Cheile V?li?oarei
24 Cheile Turzii
25 Poarta de Fier
26 Ocna de Fier
27 Iabalcea
28 Semenic (Sta?iunea)
29 Marila
30 Poarta Oriental?
31 M?n?stirea C?lug?ra
32 Piadra Alba
33 ?tin?pari
34 Sfânta Elena
35 Valea Ponicovei
36 Coroieni
37 M?n?stirea Nicula
38 Lefaia
39 Târn?veni DN14A
40 Media?-Blâjel DN14A
41 Biserica din Deal
42 Topârcea
43 Ru?i-Slimnic DN14
44 Dealul D?ii
45 Peli?or-Richi?
46 Jina (Transalpina)
47 Sarmizegetusa Regia
48 Muntele Mic (Sta?iunea)
49 Râu?or (Parcul Na?ional )
50 Pasul Jiu Cerna
51 Cheile Sohodolului
52 Godeanu
53 Straja (Sta?iunea)
54 Pasul Vâlcan (Sta?iunea)
55 Rusu (Sta?iunea)
56 Curmatura Vidrutei
57 Pasul Urdele
58 Páltinis
59 M?n?stirea Frasinei
60 Pasul Balea
61 Poiana Bra?ov
62 M?gura
63 Pârâul Rece
64 Pasul Bran
65 Cabana Piatra Arsâ
66 Pasul Huta
67 Pasul Gutâi
68 Pasul Neteda
69 Petrova
70 Pasul ?etref
71 Pasul Prislop
72 Pasul Rotunda
73 Valea Blaznei
74 Lacul Colibi?a
75 Pasul Tihuta
76 Pasul Mestec?ni?
77 Pasul Ciumarna
78 Pasul Trei Movile
79 Pasul Rarau
80 Tarni?a
81 P?ltini? (Vatra Dornei)
82 Pasul Stâni?oara
83 Petru Vod?
84 Schitul Cerebuc
85 Pasul Creanga
86 Pasul Tulghe?
87 Pasul Bicaz
88 Pasul Bucin
89 ?icas
90 Pasul Calonda
91 Harghita-M?d?ra?
92 Harghita-B?i
93 Pasul Ghime?
94 Hatod
95 Pasul Ca?in (Pasul Nyerges)
96 Lacul Sfânta Ana
97 Pasul Uz
98 Sl?nic Moldova-P S?rat?
99 Pasul Oituz
100 Pasul Musat
101 Soveja
102 Comand?u
103 Barcani
104 Pasul Predelus
105 Pasul Bratocea
106 T?t?ru?i
107 Cetatea Neam?
108 Petricica
109 M?n?stirea Ciolanu
110 Jugureni-Marginea P?durii
111 M?n?stirea Dealu
112 Cânde?ti Deal
113 Gu?oeni
114 Ghelmegioaia
115 Bobai?a
116 Gorovei
117 Strunga
118 Dealul Mare
119 Petre?ti-G?iceana
120 Popeni-Epureni
121 Niculi?el
122 Horia
123 Sarighiol de Deal
124 Cheile Dobrogei
125 ?ipotele