Poiana Diham

Poiana Diham (Romanian: Poiana Dihamului) is a wide mountain meadow in the Diham Mountains, on the northern edge of the Bucegi massif. It lies below Măgura Cenușie at 1,320–1,350 m; the Diham hut (1,320 m) stands at its edge and marks the meadow on maps. Romanian Wikipedia describes the place in exactly these words: "at the edge of a wide meadow below Măgura Cenușie".

The pastoral history of the meadow is older than the tourist one: the hut was built in 1934 on the site of cattle sheds put up in 1906. Photographs from 2000 show a herd of horses grazing the meadow, and June pictures show the grass white with flowers. The hut was an initiative of the German Ski Club of Bucharest, which had skied here since 1932 — and in winter the meadow still serves as a base for cross-country skiing, and people ski on the natural slopes in front of the hut.

What to see and do

• The view of the northern Bucegi precipices — the walls of Bucșoiu and Morarul open up from the meadow.
• The Șaua Baiului saddle — a junction of several marked paths 20–25 minutes along an unpaved road from the meadow, also with a panorama of Morarul and Bucșoiu.
• The loop around Diham summit — route no. 45 (blue cross) over the Curmătura Armăsarilor saddle to Poiana Izvoarelor and back via Șaua Baiului.
• Cross-country skiing in winter.

How to get there

The Munții Noștri atlas calls route no. 12 (blue triangle) one of the easiest in Bucegi, suitable even for children used to walking 8–9 km: from Bușteni (885 m) along the asphalt road up the Valea Cerbului to the Gura Diham hut (987 m) in 1–1.5 hours, then through forest on the south-eastern spur of Mount Diham for 40–45 minutes to the Șaua Baiului saddle and another 20–25 minutes on an unpaved road. In all 8.9 km, about 600 m of ascent, 3–3.5 hours. Paths also come up from Predeal, Azuga and Râșnov.

Season, rules and safety

The route is open all year, but in winter, the atlas warns, it has icy stretches. The meadow in bloom was photographed in June. Do not approach or feed the horses.

Bears live in the Romanian Carpathians: stay on the marked paths, never leave food by a tent or a car, and near flocks do not run from the sheepdogs — stop and walk calmly around the herd. Salvamont mountain rescue: national dispatch 0SALVAMONT — 0725 826 668 or 112; advice for hikers is on salvamontromania.ro.

Nearby

Poiana Izvoarelor on the south-eastern slope of Mount Diham, and the peaks Bucșoiu and Omu.

Photos: Gabriel (cod_gabriel) (2), CC BY 2.0, Flickr; manuela marginean (hbunny), CC BY 2.0, Flickr.