Mountain trails · Pietrosul Călimani 2,100 m · National Park

Mountain trails in the Călimani Mountains

The Călimani are mountains of another order: volcanic, wide, with a huge caldera and 2,100 m at Pietrosul. They're an hour from the house, via Vatra Dornei and Gura Haitii, and they ask for a different kind of day: leave early, carry water, respect the weather. In return you get the 12 Apostoli, the statue-rocks, and a subalpine meadow without end. Tents, not huts; Călimani National Park keeps its rules.

Neagra Șarului – 12 Apostoli Peak – Poiana Izvoarele – Șaua Negoiu – Rețitiș Peak – Iezerul Călimanului Peak – Neagra Șarului18–19 hours · +1.181 m · very high effort · technically moderate · loop · 58 min from the house · child friendly

Poiana Negrii – 12 Apostoli hermitage – 12 Apostoli Peak – Gura Haitii – Călimanul Cerbului Peak12 hours · +1.173 m · very high effort · technically moderate · traverse · 61 min from the house · child friendly

Gura Haitii – Pietrele Roșii Peak – Tămăului Peak – Vorova valley – Dornișoara7–8 hours · +761 m · very high effort · technically moderate · traverse · 66 min from the house · child friendly

Tihuța – Străcior Peak – Coada Bistriciorului – Gruiu Monument – Pietrosul Călimani Peak – Rețitiș Peak – Iezerul Călimanului Peak – Păltiniș Pass15–16 hours · +1.000 m · very high effort · technically moderate · traverse · 73 min from the house · child friendly

Dornișoara – Izvoarele Dornei – Poiana Izvoarelor junction4–4½ hours · +640 m · moderate effort · technically moderate · traverse · 80 min from the house · child friendly

Gura Haitii – Poiana Izvoarele – Coada Pietrosului4 hours · +1.200 m · very high effort · technically moderate · traverse · 66 min from the house · child friendly

Călimani mine – Șaua Nicovala2 hours · +640 m · moderate effort · technically moderate · traverse · 68 min from the house · child friendly

Gruiu Monument – Poiana Izvoarele1 hour · +100 m · low effort · technically moderate · traverse · – min from the house · child friendly

Sărișor – 12 Apostoli hermitage2–3 hours · low effort · technically easy · traverse · 60 min from the house · child friendly

Where the data comes from

Sources: route, waymarks, duration and elevation gain from the Suceava County Council guide “Mountain tourist trails”; trailhead coordinates and driving times from Google Maps (from 38 Sirenei Street); the curiosities from official sources (Suceava Forestry Directorate, Câmpulung Town Hall, local press). If you spot a mistake, write to us: we'll fix it.

What to pack for this range

tent, sleeping bag, mat: there are no huts on the way
2–3 l of water per person and a way to purify more
food for every day, a stove
worn-in boots, trekking poles, two pairs of socks
a warm layer, wind and rain jacket, gloves even in summer
map, compass/GPS, power bank, headtorch
a full first-aid kit, survival blanket, whistle
2 l of water per person; no spring at the top
boots above the ankle, worn in; trekking poles, your knees will write you a thank-you letter
warm layer + wind and rain jacket: at 1,800 m July is optional
plenty of snacks, offline map, power bank, headtorch
small first-aid kit, whistle, survival blanket (50 g, saves lives)
1.5–2 l of water per person (no, beer doesn't count)
ankle boots; trekking poles on the descents
a rain jacket and a warm layer, even in summer
snacks, offline map, power bank
a small first-aid kit and a whistle
1 l of water per person
trail shoes or light boots
a thin jacket; it's cooler up top
snacks; and a small rubbish bag: what goes up comes down

Tent, fire, mushrooms: what is allowed

Camping · With conditions
National park: tents only at the designated camping spots (Rețitiș, by the weather station; just out of Gura Haitii, towards the old quarry). The rangers will tell you exactly where.
Fire · No
Forbidden in the alpine zone and in the forest, except at spots set up by the park administration. Real fines.
Mushrooms and berries · No
No picking in the national park without the administration's consent; in the 12 Apostoli, Iezer and stone-pine reserves, none at all.

Source: Călimani National Park Regulations (Gov. Decision 1035/2011) and the Park Administration, Șaru Dornei; entry ticket 6 lei/adult.

Worth knowing about the range

1
Călimani National Park covers over 24,000 hectares and is the only protected area covering a whole massif in the county.
2
The 12 Apostoli reserve: volcanic rocks sculpted by wind and frost into the shapes of a bearded old man, a bear with its head bowed, a woman; unique in Bucovina.
3
Iezerul Călimanului is a natural dam lake, a reserve of over 300 hectares, with mountain peony and dwarf pine.
4
The former sulphur mine at Gura Haitii, closed after 1990, left a lunar landscape that is slowly recovering.
5
The Tihu waterfall, almost 8 m high, is the viewpoint on the Tihu stream.

What grows and what moves in the range

Flora

dwarf pine and juniper on the plateaus
mountain peony at Iezerul Călimanului (reserve)
blueberry and cranberry on the subalpine meadows
spruce up to 1,700 m, then alpine zone

Fauna

Carpathian red deer and chamois (reintroduced in the Călimani)
brown bear, wolf, lynx
capercaillie in the spruce stands

The other ranges

If this isn't today's mountain

Rarău–Giumalău Mountains24 trasee · Giumalău 1,857 m · Rarău 1,651 m Suhard Mountains4 trasee · Omu peak · gentle ridge · no huts Bistrița Mountains4 trasee · Budacu 1,859 m · Pietrosul Bistriței 1,791 m Ceahlău Mountains8 trasee · Ocolașul Mare 1,907 m · Toaca 1,904 m · National Park Rodna Mountains19 trasee · Pietrosu 2,303 m · National Park · 2 counties The Obcini of Bucovina6 trasee · Lucina 1,588 m · Obcina Mestecăniș

Before you set off

Three things we tell every guest

Mountain hiking gear: what you need, what you don'tThe realistic list for Rarău, Giumalău and the Obcini, by season.What to do if you meet a bear on the trailSimple rules, no panic, for the forests of Rarău–Giumalău.Day hikes with children, from CâmpulungFive trails real children have done, with real times.

Information verified on September 8, 2026. Opening times and prices change, check before you set off.

Once you're back down

Sleep twenty minutes from the trail.

The whole house is yours: wet boots by the door, packs in the hall, a late dinner. Parking in the yard and an early start, without waking anyone.

799 lei a night on Booking 599 lei / night See available dates