Mountain trails · Rarău–Giumalău Mountains
A linear trail: you start in one place and finish in another. Either walk back the same way, leave a car at the far end or use the train/a transfer; we'll tell you at the gate what works.
Daylight · Rusca · today,
The times are for the starting point. Between ridges the light goes earlier than the clock says, so turn back a good hour before sunset.
Weather · Rusca · today,
The forecast is for where you set off. Up on the ridge, count on a few degrees less and on wind you cannot see from below.
What the walking is like
The most comfortable way to Cabana Giumalău: from the village of Rusca, on the DN17B, a forest road up the Rusca valley to the forestry post (1,000 m), then up the Giumalău valley, a gentle climb to 1,400 m. Only the last part asks for effort; as you leave the forest, the hut is a few hundred metres away.
Mountain trail
Elevation profile
Rusca is the village where the Bistrița starts to narrow towards the gorge; the forest road you climb was a logging road, today it's good for bikes too.
Cabana Giumalău sits at 1,600 m, has power from a generator and a wind turbine, but serves no meals: here you carry the food up yourself.
Giumalău stands at 1,857 m and is the highest peak around; from the top, on a clear day, you count six ranges: Rarău, the Obcini, Rodna, Călimani, Bistrița, Ceahlău. The subalpine meadow on the ridge is thick with blueberries in August.
Flora
Fauna
The species above are those documented in the area by the protected-area administration; what you see depends on season, hour and luck.
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 duration is the one in Suceava County's official guide (Salvamont); the kilometres and driving minutes to the trailhead are from Google Maps.
Sleep at the foot of the mountain
La Cuib is 60 minutes by car from the start of this trail: a fully equipped kitchen that is yours from first light, a place to dry boots, a garden for the evening. Three nights, the whole house, 1.797 lei.
We checked all of this in .
If you liked this one
We checked all of this in .
Once you're back down
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.
Via Transilvanica