The Transfăgărășan in winter: what’s closed, how far you can drive and how to reach Bâlea Lake
From November until early summer, the high part of the Transfăgărășan is closed. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see: from Curtea de Argeș you can still reach Poenari and Vidraru, and in winter you go up to Bâlea Lake by cable car, from the Sibiu side.
What’s closed, and since when
In winter the mountain section closes, between Piscu Negru (km 104) on the Argeș side and Bâlea Cascadă (km 131) on the Sibiu side. It is officially closed from 1 November to 30 June, but the dates move with the weather. In 2026 the roads authority (CNAIR) closed it as early as 27 October, from 18:00, because of snow and fog, and said reopening or closing for the whole winter would depend on the weather. Last summer it had opened on 12 June.
The rest of the road stays open: from Curtea de Argeș you can drive up to Vidraru and Piscu Negru, and from the Sibiu side, from Cârțișoara up to Bâlea Cascadă.
What you can see in winter from Curtea de Argeș
- Poenari Fortress, about 23 km away. The hours published when it reopened in 2025 are daily 10:00–18:00, last climb at 17:00. They can change in winter and access has been stopped at times because of bears, so check first.
- Vidraru Dam, about 28 km away: the 166-metre arch dam and the lake. You can carry on along the lake as far as Piscu Negru.
- Curtea de Argeș Monastery, in town, with winter hours of 9:00–17:00. The church is being restored until April 2028.
Winter tyres are compulsory in Romania when the road is covered with snow, ice or frost, and the road to Vidraru climbs through forest, where snow lingers longer.
Bâlea Lake in winter: by cable car only, from the north
In winter the road from Cârțișoara goes up as far as Bâlea Cascadă. From there, Bâlea Lake can only be reached by cable car. In May 2026 it ran 9:00–17:00, with at least 10 people per trip, and an adult return ticket cost 160 lei. It stops in blizzards, and hours and prices can change, so check balealac.ro before you set off.
The Ice Hotel at Bâlea Lake
Every winter a hotel made of ice blocks is built next to Bâlea Lake. Work only starts once there is enough snow, and it has usually opened around Christmas. In warm winters it has been delayed or built smaller. In early November 2026 no date had been announced for the 2026–2027 season.
From Curtea de Argeș to Bâlea Cascadă in winter
You can’t cross the mountains in winter, so you drive around them: along the Olt Valley to Sibiu (about 115 km), then the DN1 to Cârțișoara (51 km) and up to Bâlea Cascadă (about 20 km). That’s about 186 km in all, roughly three hours each way. If you want both Bâlea Lake and Vidraru, do them on different days.
Where to stay
For Poenari, Vidraru and the Monastery, Casa Sima is a good base: we’re 600 m from the Monastery, with parking in the courtyard, and the rooms are warm in winter. A guest wrote on Booking.com in January 2026 that it was “very warm in winter” (translated from Romanian). For the days off at the end of November, see our plan for the 1 December long weekend.