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Loop Trails in Romania

41 routes in Romania qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 7.5 km and 261 m (856 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 41.9 km.

That is 5 percent of the 802 routes we map in Romania. They are shorter than the local average, 7.5 km against 18.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 261 m (856 ft) against 428 m (1,404 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 20 are rated easy and 4 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

O ciudăţenie a naturii in drumul către Peştera Scărişoara.
Moderate

Circuitul Cheile Ordâncușii

Parcul Natural Apuseni · Alba

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
511 m
Typical duration
3 hr 1 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Panorama Scarita-Belioara
Expert

Maratonul Apuseni

Alba · Romania

Distance
41.9 km
/ 26.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,799 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuitul Petresei

Parcul Natural Apuseni · Alba

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
523 m
Typical duration
3 hr 16 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuitul Humpleului

Parcul Natural Apuseni · Cluj

Distance
8.5 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
187 m
Typical duration
2 hr 3 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuitul Peșterii Urșilor

Parcul Natural Apuseni · Bihor

Distance
12.5 km
/ 7.8 mi
Elevation gain
275 m
Typical duration
3 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
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Moderate

Circuitul Tăurilor

Alba · Romania

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
339 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Panorama Scarita-Belioara
Moderate

Circuit Scărița-Belioara

Alba · Romania

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
764 m
Typical duration
2 hr 56 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Circuit Cheile Borzești

Cluj · Romania

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
31 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Circuitul Cetății

Cluj · Romania

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuitul Cheilor Turzii

Cluj · Romania

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
159 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Cserevirág Tanösvény

Harghita · Romania

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Lacul Sfânta Ana

Harghita · Romania

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Circuitul Cheile OrdâncușiiParcul Natural Apuseni10.8 km511 m3 hr 1 minModerateApril to October
Maratonul ApuseniAlba41.9 km1,799 m12 hrExpertJune to October
sat Ghețar - sat Dealu Frumos - sat GhețarParcul Natural Apuseni5.2 km164 m1 hr 20 minModerateApril to October
Circuitul PetreseiParcul Natural Apuseni11.9 km523 m3 hr 16 minModerateApril to October
Circuitul HumpleuluiParcul Natural Apuseni8.5 km187 m2 hr 3 minModerateApril to October
Circuitul Peșterii UrșilorParcul Natural Apuseni12.5 km275 m3 hr 1 minModerateApril to October
Circuitul lacurilor (Bucura, Lia, Ana, Florica, Viorica, Agățat, Tău Porții, Bucurelu)Retezat National Park4.8 km107 m1 hr 10 minEasyApril to October
Complexul Turistic Fântânele - Poiana Ciunca - Complexul Turistic FântâneleParcul Natural Apuseni3.1 km67 m44 minEasyApril to October
Complexul Turistic Fântânele - Poiana Marchiș - Complexul Turistic FântâneleParcul Natural Apuseni8.3 km183 m2 hr 1 minModerateApril to October
Deviație spre Peștera UrșilorParcul Natural Apuseni0.6 km12 m8 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Circuitul Cheile Ordâncușii, Maratonul Apuseni, sat Ghețar - sat Dealu Frumos - sat Ghețar. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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