AUTUMN WALK THROUGH THE VILLAGES OF MAGURA AND PESTERA IN BRASOV COUNTY, ROMANIA
Magura and Pestera are two mountain villages, located at over 1000 m altitude, located between two National Parks. They are the ideal places to be visited in any season, both for a walk or a hike, as well as for a relaxing weekend, admiring the landscapes and breathing the mountain air. Piatra Craiului National Park is a few steps away, being my favorite place for hiking and reconnecting with nature.
If you choose to spend a single day here, it is good to know that it is possible to see both villages in just a few hours, so you don't necessarily need separate days. In this article you will also find a hiking idea, with a detailed route, which will mark the most beautiful and picturesque places in the area.
HOW TO GET TO PESTERA AND MAGURA?
Magura and Pestera are two localities that are close in terms of distance and are relatively easily accessible, if you do not choose the option of going up the unpaved serpentines from Zarnesti, i.e. the DJ112G road. Therefore, you should avoid that road, if you don't want a headache.
The easiest way to get there is from the E574/DN73 road, the road that connects Pitesti to Brasov. Leaving the said road and continuing on DC58, you will reach Pestera, until the partially unpaved road DJ112G begins, which is somehow shared with DC58.
PESTERA VILLAGE
It is one of the villages that mark the characteristics of a mountain town, of the rasfir type. It is considered that the oldest and unchanged localities are usually the mountain villages. Since ancient times, people preferred the highest places, because they were considered safer, from the point of view of survival. The village of Pestera started to change a lot in the last 5-6 years, when the asphalt appeared and with it the construction of villas and holiday homes. Besides, this can be noticed by anyone. There is a notable difference between the paved and the unpaved Pestera Village. Although knowing that it is very difficult for the locals, especially when it rains, with a little selfishness, I say that I prefer the unpaved and more authentic village.
After we cross the main street, barely from place to place, among the wide pastures and hills, one can see a house or a barn, and most of them seem uninhabited. The road, with the exception of the main one, which connects to Moieciu, is unpaved, so traffic is mostly pedestrian. It is the perfect place for bike rides or easy hikes.
The village of Pestera is the ideal place to start hiking to Piatra Craiului, you will find below in this article some route ideas.
MAGURA VILLAGE
The village of Magura is a bit better preserved than Pestera and less touristic. The road is completely unpaved and this gives it that simplicity that we are looking for most of the time, far from the noise of cars and the hustle and bustle specific to other more populated places.
If you would like to invest in such a place, it is good to know that there were many houses and plots of land for sale in the village. Being such an isolated place, without many opportunities to find a job, many of the residents chose to leave for more developed areas, leaving their homes behind. So that most of the inhabitants, as in the case of many such places in Romania, are pensioners.
We visited this village on a Sunday and could see most of the villagers at church. I also listened to the service here and there, because it was played on loudspeakers that echoed throughout the village. For us, it was an interesting experience to see all the residents dressed up. Most of them were very old and were carrying large bags, received from the church. They didn't seem to have any physical difficulty climbing the steep hills of the village, despite their age and the weights they were carrying. Probably the simple life, specific to the place, helps them to stay in shape.
The main source of income in Magura and Pestera villages is shepherding. Thus, a festival called "Ravasiul oilor" was born in the area, which marks the end of the pastoral year and the descent of the sheep from the mountain, back to the villages. Also, every year, on the night of the 25th, towards the 26th of October, the "Focul lui Sumedru" festival takes place. The villagers use the ash from the wood burned in the huge fire to use it as garden fertilizer. Both festivals are also popular in other areas of the country, not only here, and are specific to the localities at the foot of the mountains. For example, such festivals also take place in Novaci, Polovragi or Horezu from Gorj and Valcea counties.
WHERE ARE YOU STAYING IN THE PESTERA-MAGURA AREA?
La Maison des Rêves - Bran - accommodation unit with spacious rooms, barbecue and terrace.
Guest House Piatra Craiului - Bran- accommodation unit that has both double and triple rooms. The garden is spacious, with a lot of green space.
Zen Nest Tiny House - Sirnea - it is a bungalow-style house, modernly decorated, equipped with everything you need, including the kitchen.
StockEstate Moieciu - it is a house that can accommodate up to 14 people. The villa is fully reserved and has an infinity pool, terrace and barbecue.
Pensiunea Magura- is an accommodation unit that offers, depending on the request, both accommodation in double or twin rooms, as well as in an apartment. This guesthouse has very good reviews regarding the food.
La Odai - Pestera - it is a glamping accommodation unit, with a private kitchenette, a place for a barbecue and a garden.
Hotel Turnul- Moieciu de Jos - has spacious double or twin rooms with access to the sauna.
Casa cu Salcâmi - Moieciu de Jos - it is an accommodation unit that can be rented in its entirety and can accommodate up to 8 people. It has a kitchen, barbecue and terrace.
HIKING TRAIL: PESTERA VILLAGE TO MAGURA VILLAGE
The most beautiful way to enjoy such picturesque places is to walk, so we didn't dwell too much on our thoughts and looked for hiking that can be done in the area. So we chose to follow the circuit route that starts at Casa Folea. If you don't want to limit yourself only to the 2-3 hours of the route, you can deviate a little and include the village of Magura in the itinerary, it's worth every extra step.
Returning to the route, I had as a starting point the place where the asphalt ends. If you set Casa Folea on Google Maps, the navigator will guide you to the exact location. I do not recommend that you dare to climb the unpaved road by car, because the turning point is lower and you will have to climb to reach the parking place.
The route continues behind the Folea House, going up to the right, on the road between the forest and the village. It is also an indicator that tell us to follow the red cross marking and the red tape, markings that do not exist at all on the route. I don't know if it never existed or if it disappeared in the meantime. Regardless of the route, with or without markings, I'm sure you won't get lost if you follow the road.
After about an hour of walking and admiring the valley of the village, with its scattered houses, we reach an intersection with another road. The signs indicate the change of direction, so the route continues to the right, going down a little. At this point there is also an indicator to the Pestera Village. After about 5 minutes of going down, the road goes to the left, and from there the climb back to Pestera and implicitly the place where the route starts. Even on this part of the route, the landscape is not less beautiful, nature offers spectacular frames.
If you want to add an extra hour or two to the route, you can detour to Magura Village. We considered that the route is too short, so we decided to enjoy more the landscapes and what the place has to offer.
As orientation points, to deviate from the route, you just have to follow the main road, and once you reach the church in Magura, either return to the route, or make a stop to eat at the Restaurant next to the church, " La Magura" before following the return route.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
The Moieciu-Bran-Rasnov area is a very touristic area and ideal both for visiting various tourist attractions and for hiking.
Tourist attractions in the area:
Bat Cave (Pestera Liliecilor);
Transylvania Amphitheater ;
La Chisatoare Waterfall;
The Alpine Coaster from Cheile Gradistei;
Ranov Fortress;
Valea Cetatii Cave;
Hiking trails in the area:
Casa Folea trail - Prapastiile Zarnestiului, marked with red line;
Trail Casa Folea - Saua Joaca - Refugiul Grind - Verf La Om - marked with a red cross, red line, red dot;
Casa Folea - Curmatura Cabin trail - marked with a yellow triangle, takes approximately 3-4 hours;
Bran - Saua Magurei trail - marked with a red line and takes about 3 hours.
CONCLUSION ABOUT MAGURA AND PESTERA:
We chose to visit these places, as if taken from story books, in October, but it is an area that can be visited all year round. I would like to return to these wonderful places in the winter as well, after a heavy snowfall, to enjoy the landscapes.
Although it is an extremely touristic area, this has not influenced very much the authenticity of the villages in the area. The place has not become commercial yet and I hope from the bottom of my heart that it will remain the same in the years to come.
Read also about the route to the Devil's Mill Waterfall, the route on the Piatra Craiului Ridge, the Balea Waterfall or the Bicajel's Gorges.
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