Mountain biking in Transylvania: Sirnea

If you plan to visit Transylvaniaparticularly Brasov area and are also looking forward to discovering some wonderful mountain bike routes, we totally recommend this one. A beautiful 50 km ride will entertain you with both easy and difficult trails. Gravel, asphalt, forest roads and stunning scenery make mountain biking in Transylvania around Sirnea a great destination. Also, if you are looking for more MTB routes in Romania, also check out these songs.

Sirnea mountain bike ride

Romania is still young in terms of tourism but it is starting to attract more and more tourists. Not being such a well-known destination, you might wonder what to expect. Vast forests, lush wildlife and cheerful people are just a few ingredients on a visit to the countryside. Transylvania in particular is a place where hospitality, heritage and stunning natural beauty combine to form an ideal vacation destination. There’s lots to do and discover and we promise to come back with even more articles but for now, let’s move on to this one!

We started the trail directly from the guesthouse where we spent the night. We were blessed with beautiful clear skies and a perfect day for riding. Our route takes us through quiet meadows already covered with green grass and flowers. The big mountains shine in the background and our lungs fill with fresh air. The appearance of the landscape here somewhat resembles the iconic countryside of the Alps.

The ride is moderate, with ups and downs on an excellent dirt road between Sirnea (our starting point) and Ciocanu. From Ciocanu we descend on the main asphalt road (DJ730) to Dambovicioara. Just a note: in Dambovicioara you can stop to visit a small cave. We first headed towards the cave but as there were a lot of people we preferred to continue our walk and leave the cave for another time.

We followed the main road to Podul Dambovicioarei where we took the dirt/gravel road DJ730A. The next section, up to Fundata, is uphill and off-road. We ride through a beautiful forest area and the fresh air is welcoming. We enjoyed it so much that we accidentally made an unnecessary loop at Fundata (you’ll see it on the GPS track). Small mistake but beautiful views.

Of course, we couldn’t finish the ride without stopping for a nice cup of coffee in front of the majestic Piatra Craiului mountains.

Overall, the song is well balanced and never boring. Additionally, we didn’t encounter any problems with wild animals or sheepdogs (quite common in Romania) and that added points to this itinerary. That being said, the location is great so all you need is a good mountain bike (a hard tail will do), a sunny day and an appetite for riding!

GPS track for the Sirnea mountain bike ride

How to get to the Sirnea mountain bike ride?

From Brasov the path is relatively simple. You head towards Rasnov, where you can also visit its ancient citadel and fortress. From there, head to Bran, where you can visit Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle. The next stop is Sirnea. If you plan to do the bike trail, I suggest setting aside another full day just for the castles.

Where to sleep?

Usually we aim for budget accommodation options and this time is no exception. We chose a fairly secluded guesthouse to make sure we were close to nature, right on the slope and could enjoy a nice, quiet evening. This little guest house is called Pensiunea Crai Nou and here is the exact location on map. The place is quite modest but offers some nice and useful facilities: fully equipped kitchen (one/floor), nice backyard, place to leave your bikes and also a nice place to eat or relax outside. On top of that, the rates are really low – we paid around 35 euros/night/double room.

Good to know

• If you are traveling via Sibiu, it is worth stopping at the Astra Village Museum. There you can discover a little more about the ancient architectural heritage of Romania and find out what life was like in this region some time ago. The museum is a vast open-air walk among ancient Romanian housing systems and buildings dedicated to work. There is also a small lake, a concert area and a few places to relax in the forest. I totally recommend it.
• There are of course also other beautiful places to discover in the heart of Romania from this cultural point of view. You can visit cities like Sibiu or Brasov, stroll through the medieval fortress town of Sighisoara or visit castles and palaces like Rasnov, Bran (better known as Dracula’s Castle), Peles, Pelisor. There are definitely a lot of amazing places to explore.
• And finally, of course, all this is nothing on an empty stomach, so don’t hesitate to experiment with Romanian cuisine – you won’t regret it!

I hope you found the information useful and accurate, but remember, if you have any questions, ask them in a comment below!

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