Poiana Stânii

Poiana Stânii (in full Poiana Stânii Regale, "the meadow of the royal sheepfold") is a broad mountain meadow at about 1,270 m on the Prahova side of the Bucegi Mountains, above the resort of Sinaia. Forest surrounds it, and above the trees you can see Mount Furnica, the Peleș valley, the edge of the Piatra Arsă plateau, Jepii Mici and Jepii Mari, and Caraiman with the Heroes' Cross — this is how the Munții Noștri hiking atlas describes the view.

The meadow is named after the royal sheepfold (a stână is a shepherds' summer station) that stood here in the time of King Carol I. The TV channel Observator writes that the meadow and the nearby rocks were favourite places for the walks and "country parties" Romanian monarchs gave for distinguished guests, and that the meadow itself is a hay meadow of 17 hectares declared a botanical reserve. Today the Stâna Regală building at the edge of the meadow recalls the sheepfold and is a handy landmark on every map.

What to see and do

• The meadow itself — an even grassy slope with the Bucegi walls above it; in autumn the forest around turns russet and red.
• The Franz Joseph Rocks (Stâncile Franz Joseph) — a viewpoint at 1,299 m, five minutes through the forest. According to the Munții Noștri atlas it was laid out in 1896, when Carol I brought the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph here; a bronze bas-relief on the rock still commemorates the visit. You see the Prahova valley, Sinaia, Bușteni, Predeal and the Baiului Mountains.
• The Royal Path (Poteca Regală) — the alley from Peleș Castle, traced soon after the castle opened in 1883; in 1889 it was paved and given balustrades.
• The Sfânta Ana rock with a rock-cut hermit's cell — a short detour from the access road.

How to get there

The easiest way is the Royal Path from Peleș Castle in Sinaia: blue stripe, 1.7 km, 1–2 hours at an easy pace; the atlas recommends this walk for any age and in any season. The second option is route no. 38 (blue stripe) along the access road that leaves the Sinaia – Cota 1400 road at 1,020 m: 3.3 km, about an hour, 315 m of ascent, also suitable for bicycles. From the Poiana Țapului railway halt route no. 3 (yellow dot) climbs 3.7 km in 1 h 30 min to 2 h 15 min with 472 m of ascent, past the rocks "Săgeata și scutul" and "Stânca cu Clopoței".

Above the meadow the blue stripe climbs steeply through the forest along the Piatra Arsă spur to the Bucegi Plateau — a real mountain ascent, not a stroll.

Season, rules and safety

The meadow is visited all year round, but on the climb from the meadow to Piatra Arsă the atlas warns of avalanche risk. The meadow is a hayfield and a reserve: keep to the path, do not trample the grass before mowing and do not light fires.

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

The Bucegi Plateau with the Babele and Sphinx rocks, and the peaks Caraiman and Vârful cu Dor above Sinaia.

Photos: Whitepixels, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.