Part of the Carpații Occidentali (the Western Carpathians), Munții Apuseni (Apuseni Mountains) Munții Vladeasa.
Parking: Whenever we start trails from Cabana Vlădeasa, we park the car there. There’s plenty of space for cars. The road is paved up to a certain point, and then it turns into a dirt/gravel road, but you can still find a spot to park.
Trail: This time we started from Cabana Vlădeasa, headed toward Pietrele Albe following the red dot or blue cross markings. From Pietrele Albe, instead of continuing on the red dot marking, which takes you through the forest to reach higher ground, we started up the hill called La Avalanșă. From there we headed toward Vf. Vlădeasa Sud, then to Vf. Vlădeasa, and finally downhill back to Cabana Vlădeasa, where we’d left the car.
On this trail you might be joined by some dogs from the cabin. The first time we did this trail, we were accompanied by one dog we named Vlădeasa. This time we weren’t joined by any dogs, but on a next occasion we will be joined by two, Vlădeasa, whom we already knew, and a new dog we named Padiș. Those aren’t their real names, just the ones we gave them.
At Vf. Vlădeasa, where there’s a meteo station, there are two cats, we found them both times we went to the summit.
GPX: We are using Muntii Nostri for trails in Romania, and you can find the track here.
When did we do this trail? We completed it in March 2026.
Trail Facts
| Trail type | loop |
| Distance | 13.26 km |
| Duration | 6 hours with breaks |
| Elevation gain | ~ 600 m |
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate (because of the distance, nothing technical) |
| Trail marking | Red dot marker |
| Highest point | Vf. Vladeasa, [1836 m] |
| Access | Cabana Vladeasa |
| Water sources | Two on the forest path toward Pietrele Albe, and a few more between Pietrele Albe and the steep uphill through the forest if you follow the red dot |
| Hiked in | March 2026 |
Starting the loop trail: Circuitul mic al Vlădesei
The track toward Pietrele Albe is a forest road, and it still had quite a bit of snow and ice on it, so you had to be careful with your footing. We didn’t have any spikes, but it was still manageable and safe. We used our trekking poles for extra stability and tried to step on the ice as little as possible.
Most of the path toward Pietrele Albe is uphill, with small downhill stretches here and there. There are a few steeper sections, but for the most part it’s a gentle incline.
This was our first real snowy hike. We’d been a couple of times before, close to home, on the Traseul Veverițelor in Pădurea Făget near Cluj-Napoca, but that’s a themed trail suitable for all ages. So while that’s where my love for winter hikes started, it was going on a longer trail with amazing views, like Vlădeasa, in the snow, that really cemented it. I definitely want to do more winter trails going forward.
The trail continues along the forest road, occasionally opening up to meadows, clearings, and ridgelines.
After about two hours of walking, we reached Pietrele Albe. From here you can do the Pietrele Albe loop trail if you’d like. You can also continue on toward Vârful Vlădeasa from here, or head off toward other trails, like Padiș or Cascada Văii Miresei.
Since we’d started the trail later than planned, and daylight doesn’t last too late into the evening, and thinking there might be ice on the trail that climbs through the forest, we decided to go up the hill called La Avalanșă, thinking it would shorten the route.
The trail didn’t really end up shorter in terms of time, because at one point we ran into snow we kept sinking into up to our knees, sometimes with every step. But it definitely made for an unforgettable memory.
After we finished climbing the hill, we reached the plateau above, where again there were patches of snow we sank into, but also snow-free patches where we could move a bit faster.
Because of the direction we chose, we reached Vârful Vlădeasa Sud first, and only afterward Vârful Vlădeasa, where the weather station is. At Vârful Vlădeasa there are also two very sweet and affectionate cats, for whom we’d brought cat food from home, since we knew about them from our previous hike there.
From the summit you can admire Lake Drăgan (Lacul de Acumulare Drăgan). After a break at the top for food and a drink, we set off downhill toward Cabana Vlădeasa, where we’d left the car. On this part of the trail, it was clear more people had passed through, as the snow was well packed down.
Last time we did this trail, we climbed the hill alongside the old ski-lift poles. This time, we chose to go down the hill by road, all the way to the car.
And that’s how the hike ended, still with daylight left. It was a beautiful hike where we really got to enjoy the snow, even when we were sinking up to our knees or deeper.
