Piatra Craiului Mountains
Encyclopedia
Southern Carpathians
The Southern Carpathians or the Transylvanian Alps are a group of mountain ranges which divide central and southern Romania, on one side, and Serbia, on the other side. They cover part of the Carpathian Mountains that is located between the Prahova River in the east and the Timiș and Cerna Rivers...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. In Romanian "Piatra Craiului" means "Rock of the King".
The Piatra Craiului mountains form a narrow and saw-like ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
, which is about 25 km long. The highest elevation in the massif is the "Vârful La Om" with 2238 m.
The ridge is regarded as one of the most beautiful sights in the Carpathians. The two-day north–south ridge trail is both challenging and rewarding. Starting at either Plaiul Foii in the north-west or Curmătura in the north-east, walkers climb up to the ridge before following a somewhat precarious path along the narrow spine. The descent at the southern end leads into a karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
landscape of deep gorges and pitted slopes where water penetrating the rock has carved a series of caves.
Location
The massif is bordered in the west by the Dâmbovița Valley which separates it from the PăpuşaPapusa
The Retezat Mountains are some of the highest massifs in Romania, being part of the Southern Carpathians. One of the important peaks is Păpuşa , with a height of ....
massif; in the north-west the river Bârsa
Barsa
Barsa is a famous encyclopedia from Latin America. It is widely known in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Mexico. It has printed versions in Portuguese and Spanish with 9 volumes each and 2,842 pages. Barsa also has a multimedia version....
and Curmătura Foii separates it from the Făgăraș Mountains
Fagaras Mountains
Făgăraș Mountains , are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viștea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
and in the east the "Rucăr-Bran Passage
Rucăr-Bran Passage
The Rucăr-Bran passage is one of the most spectacular natural views in Romania. It links the counties of Braşov and Argeş, with view of the Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians....
" delimits it from the Bucegi and Leaotă
Leaota Mountains
The Leaota Mountains are located in central Romania, north of the city Târgovişte. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains, and have as neighbours the Bucegi Mountains to the east and Piatra Craiului to the west....
mountains. The southern border is the confluence of the valleys of Dâmbovița
Dâmbovita River
Dâmbovița is a river in Romania. It has its sources in the Făgăraş Mountains, on the Curmătura Oticu. The upper reach of the rivers, upstream of the confluence with the Boarcăşu River is also known as Izvorul Oticului River or Oticu River....
and Dâmbovicioara
Dâmbovicioara River
The Dâmbovicioara River is a tributary of the Dâmboviţa River in Romania. It is formed at the junction of headwaters: Valea Brusturetului and Padina Dâncioarei-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti...
rivers, in the "Podul Damboviţei" depression.
Nature protection
The whole range is included in the national park Parcul Naţional Piatra Craiului (Piatra Craiului National Park).The first protection of this area started in 1938 when 4.4 km² were declared as a "Nature Reserve". The Law 5/2000 enlarged this area to 148 km². In 2003 the external limits and internal zoning were created. Since 1999 a park administration has existed and since 2005 a management plan has been in place.
In the national park area about 300 fungi species, 220 lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
species, 100 different moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es, 1100 species of superior plants (a third of the number of all plant species found in Romania), 50 Carpathians endemic species and also two endemic species for Piatra Craiului can be found.
There are also 2 endemic species of spiders, 270 butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
species, amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s and reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, 110 birds species (50 listed in the Bern Convention
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention , came into force on June 1, 1982....
and 6 in the Bonn Convention
Bonn Convention
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range...
), 17 bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s species, chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
and other large herbivores and also many large carnivores (wolves, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s, lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
) living in the national park.
Access
ZărneştiZarnesti
Zărnești is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, Romania, with a population of 26,520. It administers one village, Tohanu Nou.It is located near the Piatra Craiului Mountains, which are part of the Southern Carpathians mountains range...
is the most important town for visiting the national park. It is also an ideal starting point for approaches in the northern part of the massif. This town lies at a distance of 28 km from the city of Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, by road, bus or railway. From Zărneşti, an 11 km long road makes the connection with the comfortable chalet "Plaiul Foii", which is a good starting point for climbing the ridge.
Also, from Zărneşti a forest road starts from the south-western part of the town, leading through the Zărneşti Gorges (Prăpăstiile) and further up to the ridge.
In Zărneşti the office of the administration of the National Park can be found. A new visitor center has been built 1 km west of the town.
The traditional villages Măgura, Peştera, Ciocanu, and Şirnea are interesting starting points for the routes on the eastern slope and for getting in touch with the traditional Romanian way of life.