Chiril – Pârâul Chiril – Cabana Rarău

What the walking is like

The climb from the Bistrița side, on the Transrarău: through the village, then up the Toancii valley, with marked shortcuts. Halfway, Poiana Tăieturii, a resting place; from here, on the right, to the Rarău hermitage (Sihăstria), with its miracle-working icon. The road skirts Bâtca Runculețului and Piatra Șoimului and comes out at the hut.

What we'd tell you at the gate

• Can be driven end to end (14 km).
• Stop at the Rarău hermitage, at 1,400 m.

Not to miss on the way

• 1

  The Rarău hermitage (Sihăstria) has ties to the time of Petru Rareș and was moved to its present site at the end of the 18th century. It stands at almost 1,400 m among the spruces, with an icon that draws people from all over Moldavia.

• 2

  Here the bell rings against the forest. Enter in silence, leave in silence; this is no place for flash photos.

• 3

  Since July 2025 Piatra Șoimului (1,577 m) has had Romania's first skywalk: a platform with a toughened-glass floor, shaped like a falcon's nest, hanging 600 m above the valley. Maximum 12–15 people on it; the panoramic binoculars are free.

• 4

  The Pietrele Doamnei stand at 1,634 m and are reef limestone: the corals of a warm sea 140 million years ago, raised to the sky. Legend has it that Petru Rareș's wife hid her treasure here, and the mountain's name comes from Rareș.

What else you can do on the trail

• Cycling: the paved road is also ridden by bike; the Transrarău is one of Bucovina's classic climbs.
• A stop at the Rarău hermitage: you enter in silence, you leave in silence.
• Skywalk: the glass platform at Piatra Șoimului (2025), ten minutes from the hut.

What grows and what moves along the trail

The species above are those documented in the area by the protected-area administration; what you see depends on season, hour and luck.

How long it takes, honestly

A linear trail: the time is one way (A → B). If you return the same way, add about two thirds; or leave a car at the far end / take the train. The official guide says 3 hours; at 14 km and +796 m, 4 hours is realistic. The duration is the one in Suceava County's official guide (Salvamont); the kilometres and driving minutes to the trailhead are from Google Maps.

• 4 hoursone way, A to B, at your usual pace
• 2½ hoursback the same way (estimate)
• 6½ hoursout and back, with short breaks
• 5–6 hoursone way, if you stop for photos and eat on the grass
• 6–7 hoursone way, with children, grandparents or a pack full of “just in case”