A Winter in the Carpathians

Winter in the Carpathians is real winter. Snow lies for months at altitude, the high passes close, and the difference between a valley village and a ridge two hours above it can be fifteen degrees.

Most visitors who come for snow go to Poiana Brasov, above the city of Brasov, because it is the easiest to reach and has the most lifts. Sinaia and the Prahova valley are the other familiar names. None of them are large by Alpine standards, and the honest way to describe the skiing is good enough to enjoy rather than a reason in itself to fly.

The more interesting winter is the one on foot. Marked trails continue through the cold months, and the mountains empty out. That comes with the same conditions as any serious winter mountain, meaning avalanche risk in the wrong place, short daylight, and huts that may or may not be staffed. Anyone going above the treeline in winter should be equipped for it and should ask locally about conditions rather than trusting a summer trail description.

The detail that catches people out is access. A cabana that is a pleasant drive in August may be reachable only on foot in February, and the road, not the building, decides your day. Ask how you get there before you ask what the room is like.

One quiet advantage of winter is the bears. Brown bears are present through the Carpathians and are a genuine consideration in summer around rubbish bins and mountain huts. In the coldest months they are denned up, which removes one thing to think about while you are thinking about everything else.