I leave Sibiu behind and head west to get to Transalpina. Taking this route, I will cross the Carpathian Mountains, but this time to the south. My plan is to get to Craiova, where I will spend the night. This will be my last night outside of my country, as the next morning I will start off early in order to reach Palaios Panteleimonas in north Greece.
(Information: Ferry boat Bechet – Oreahovo)

Transalpina DN67C

Transalpina, or the DN67C crosses Mount Parang in the Carpathian Mountains, making it the highest paved road in Romania. It is said that the road was built by King Charles the 2nd and rebuilt during World War II by German troops. Locals call it The Road King. Rumors say that Nicolae Ceausescu, due to his narcissism, created Trasfagarasan just to surpass the Transalpina road. The highest point of Transalpina is located at Urdele Pass, where the altitude reaches 2.145m. However, this road is also closed during the winter. Transalpina in my personal opinion is, if not the best, one of the best roads I have been on.

Rânca

Rânca and is a newly built resort at an altitude of 1,600 on the top of Mount Păpuşa. There are many hotels, restaurants and shops, and it’s peak season is winter as there are 5 ski slopes.

Craiova

Craiova is the sixth largest city in Romania, with a population of 243.765 inhabitants. The city center has beautiful buildings and a pedestrian street with charming cafes, restaurants and bars. Here I booked a single room in Hostel Sport which wasn’t the best hotel on my road trip. Although it was 10 minutes by foot from the city center and it was very cheap.

Enlarge map to see sights of interest in Craiova: