Piatra Mare

Piatra Mare (Romanian Vârful Piatra Mare, “the Great Stone”, German Hohenstein, Hungarian Nagykőhavas) is the highest summit of the small massif of the same name south-east of Brașov, at 1,843 m (some sources give 1,844 m). The massif belongs to the Bârsei Mountains – part of the Curvature Carpathians – and lies on the boundary of the Eastern and Southern Carpathians, close to the resort of Predeal. The peak's prominence is 523 m.

The massif is very small: about 5 km from west to east and 10 km from north to south. To the north it is bounded by the Bârsei (Brașov) depression with the town of Săcele, to the east by the Gârcin valley with the steep eastern escarpment of Piatra Mare, beyond which lie the rounded Gârbova Mountains. To the south the boundary follows the upper Timișul Sec and the picturesque Timișu de Sus depression, and to the west the Timiș valley separates Piatra Mare from the Postăvarul massif. The main ridge runs north to south; well-articulated side spurs branch off to the west, while to the east the mountain falls steeply and uniformly.

How to get there / trails

The massif is easy to reach by the DN1 and DN1A roads and by the main Bucharest – Brașov railway. According to Romanian Wikipedia, trails start at the Dâmbul Morii hut in Timișu de Jos, in Săcele, Timișu de Sus and Predeal. From Dâmbul Morii a trail marked with a red stripe leads to the summit via the so-called “Family Road” (Drumul Familial). In the centre of the massif, at 1,628 m, stands the Piatra Mare mountain hut – a handy landmark on the way to the top.

The massif's best-known sight, the Seven Ladders Canyon (Canionul Șapte Scări), also starts near Dâmbul Morii: the Șapte Scări brook has cut it into Jurassic limestone, forming seven waterfalls along which metal ladders and footbridges have been fixed.

What you can see from the summit

The summit is treeless, so, according to German and English Wikipedia, it offers an unobstructed panorama in all directions. Below lies the village of Timișu de Jos, to the west neighbouring Postăvarul, and to the south-west the eastern walls of the Bucegi: Romanian Wikipedia notes that the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman and the relay tower on Coștila can be seen from the Piatra Mare ridge.

Nature and history

The massif is built mainly of limestone and Carpathian flysch. Besides the Seven Ladders Canyon it has the Ice Cave (Peștera de Gheață) and the gorge with the Tamina waterfall in the Pietrei Mici valley. The uninhabited ridge is partly used as pasture, and the slopes are mostly covered by coniferous forest managed for timber. The massif is part of the Natura 2000 network as the “Piatra Mare” site.

Piatra Mare is one of the favourite mountains of the people of Brașov: the city lies only 11.5 km from the summit, and the resorts of Predeal and Poiana Brașov are very close.

Safety, season and rules

The trails to the summit are technically easy, but mountain weather changes quickly: before you set out, check the forecast for the next 24 hours and take windproof and warm clothing, a torch and a charged phone. In the Seven Ladders Canyon the ladders and footbridges can be slippery, especially after rain, and in winter they may ice up.

Bears are common in the forests around Brașov. Salvamont advises staying on marked paths, walking in a group and talking, not hiking in the evening or at night, keeping dogs on a leash, not leaving food in or near your tent and moving away at once from a bear cub, because the mother is almost always nearby. In an emergency call the national dispatch 0SALVAMONT – 0725 826 668 or 112; advice on animal encounters is on the Salvamont România website.

Photos: Cioboata Andrei, CC BY 3.0; Xulescu g, CC BY-SA 4.0; Novichok, CC BY-SA 3.0; Emi Cristea, Public domain; Andrei Stroe, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.