The Transfăgărășan Highway, the DN7C road, or "the Best Driving Road in the World" as proclaimed by the Top Gear commentator Jeremy Clarkson, is a thrilling 151 kilometers of steep hairpin turns, wide S-curves and sharp descents.
As the name sugests, it crosses the Făgăraș Mountains along ancient transhumance trails used by the herders throught history. The construction of the road was completed in 1974 during the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu as a response to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union, who wanted to ensure quick military access across the mountains in case of a Soviet invasion.
The road climbs to an altitude of 2,042 metres (6,699 ft), making it the second highest mountain pass in Romania and as such is closed for circulation between the months of november through july. It featuring more tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania, and passes by popular tourist attractions such as the Vidraru dam and lake, the Bâlea ake and waterfall, and the Poenari Castle, which was the actual residence of the infamous Vlad the Impaler.
The Bâlea Lake, which hosts a temporary ice hotel every winter, is available by cable car between the months of november through july when the road access is closed for tourists.
The area also hosts numerous athletic and motorsport events which usually leads to the road being closed off for a day during some weekends.
The route taken in this video follows mostly the northern part of the road which passes succesively through the Cârțișoara village, the Bâlea Waterfall, the steep and narrow hillclimb and finally the Bâlea Lake followed by the tunnel connecting the north and south sides of the mountain pass.
Google Maps link to the route: [ Ссылка ]
