You can read the most beautiful hike of the year 2019 presented in 4 separate articles

First day

2019.08.22

On a Thursday in August, despite the not-so-favorable weather forecasts, we set off for the Retezat Mountains.

Our team consisted of 6 members. 

• Sarmizegetusa

Our first destination was Sarmizegetusa, located in Hunedoara County. Sarmizegetusa Regia was the seat of Decebal. The Dacian capital and one of the most important military, religious and political centers of the Dacian people before the battles with the Roman Empire. After the victory of the Romans, next to the ruins of Sarmizegetusa Regia, Trajan built the capital of Dacia province, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, which was the site of today’s Sarmizegetusa settlement and its ruins are still visible today.
If you visit this region of the country, it is definitely worth visiting this historic site, which is visited by many tourists every year.

• Church of St. Nicholas in Demsus

Following the historical path, we visited the Church of St. Nicholas in Demsus, which is the oldest Orthodox church still in use in Romania and one of the most special ecclesiastical monuments in Transylvania. Since 1991 it has been on the list of monuments proposed to enter the UNESCO patrimony.

Then we headed to the mountains, leaving Nucșoara and continuing the way to Cârnic, where we put the car down, and picked up our backpacks and continued on foot, to the Pietrele chalet, our destination for today.

Following the blue lane we passed the Lolaia waterfall, which we were forced to miss due to lack of time and continued our trail.

The road from Cârnic to the chalet was only 5 km, but it was not boring at all. During this distance, we had to ascend 550 meters with our big backpacks, plus the rain started to fall. We took out our raincoats, but if anyone who has already hiked with a big backpack up the hill in a raincoat knows that this is suitable for a sauna and that after a while you will get as wet inside as outside.

USEFUL INFO: Always have a raincoat with you! Even if you go on a day trip or if the weather seems good. You never know when the weather will change, especially in the higher mountains.

• Pietrele Chalet

Near the chalet also are many other buildings, collectively referred to as the Pietrele Tourist Complex. The chalet is located at an altitude of 1480 meters. It is located in Zone II of the Retezat National Park, which corresponds to the central part of the Park. It has played a key role for tourists hiking in the mountains since 1936. There are 6 hiking trails starting from the chalet.
The accommodation does not have hot water and electricity is only available between 20:00 and 22:00, but thiscan change. Don’t expect luxury, but you can sleep in a normal room. The bathroom, if everyone takes care of cleanliness, is fine. They are cleaned every day. Accommodation must always be booked in advance. The current telephone number and prices can be found on many websites on the Internet.

Food and drink can also be bought at the chalet.

USEFUL INFO: There is a spring with drinking water near the Pietrele Chalet.

Luckily we arrived at the chalet. Soaked, we occupied our rooms and had dinner, which is the best when you eat together with your friends under the clear sky after a rain. Before sleeping, we prepared our backpack for the next day, when we wanted to make a hike to the Retezat peak, the peak that also gave the name of the massif. You can read the hike in the next article. 

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