Transfagaras highway is one of the most beautiful routes in Europe

It all started in 1968, during a coup in neighboring Czechoslovakia. Then the current president of Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu, fearing the same fate for his country, decided to protect himself, his government and Romania from possible outside influence and ordered the construction of a military road through the Fagaras pass ...

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1. But, despite all efforts, it did not end with success for Nicolae. The coup was nevertheless organized, but a little later - in 1989. In the end, Ceausescu was shot, and we can admire the result of his strategic initiative to this day.

2. This route, like all roads, has its own coding - DN7C. It passes through Wallachia and the famous "homeland of vampires" Transylvania, originating in the south of the city of Pitesti and merging with another automobile artery to the north.

3. The road has already celebrated its 40th anniversary, but its greatest surge in popularity came after an enthusiastic review by the Top Gear team in 2009, when participants in the TV show tested expensive sports cars here.

4. In its southern part, the route runs through the mountains, having narrow through tunnels, as a result of hasty construction on the orders of the country's top leadership.

5. They hurried with the construction - 260 km of the route were laid in just 4 years (from 1970 to 1974). They spared neither the forces of the military, whose hands it was created (as a result of which several dozen people died), nor dynamite, of which several thousand tons were spent.

6. On the way there is a hydroelectric power station with a decent reservoir and a small observation deck.

7. Further from the reservoir to the pass itself, there are practically no species worthy of attention, for the most part the road is a serpentine going through the forest.

8. The most interesting thing begins already at the entrance to the pass, for 30 km a thin winding strip of asphalt winds along the slopes of the Carpathians.

9. The track is open 2-3 months a year, usually from July to mid-September. In general, this indicator is very conditional and depends primarily on the weather and the will of local authorities. All the rest of the time, snow avalanches block the asphalt, blocking the entrance to the top, on which there are a number of observation platforms from which the best views open.

10. During the period when the track is closed to cars, there is a way to visit the summit by taking the cable car. But, in my opinion, the sensations are not the same, and the view in winter is not so impressive.

11. Even if you are lucky enough to be on the observation deck, it is far from certain that you will be able to admire the view of one of the most beautiful tracks in Europe. The weather may decide differently - for example, there is fog here quite often. But we were doubly lucky - an open track in combination with a clear sunny day.

12. Viewing platforms were chosen by donkeys. When the tourists have not yet had time to turn off the engine, having parked on the side of the road, the “observers” on duty are already coming up for “payment” in the form of various goodies.

The donkeys here have no complexes, so nothing prevents them from looking into the interior of the car through an open window to inspect for the presence of an “edible payment”. With their impudence, they evoke affection of adults and insane delight of children. But in fact, they are very friendly and funny and do not mind posing in front of the camera.

13. At the top of the pass there is a parking lot, a hotel and a tourist area, which consists of several roadside cafes and a couple of dozens of shopping kiosks located along the route. The theme of the stalls is divided into two categories: various goodies and memorable souvenirs. Of the goodies - various types of sausage and smoked cheeses.

The "Romanian approach" is immediately visible - not only is all the products stored without a refrigerator, but the merchants did not even consider it necessary to cover them. All edible goods on the shelves are in the public domain, and the exhaust gases of passing cars, apparently, according to locals, add their own special taste.

14. Having examined the track from a height, it's time to get behind the wheel and test the technical characteristics of the car. Of course, you should not enter turns with a squeal of rubber, because. the lanes are so narrow that some drivers fold their side mirrors. Yes, and there are no bumpers, it remains only to carefully monitor the road and enjoy the surrounding landscapes (clickable).

Photo and text: Vitaly Brekhin