Cheile Dâmbovicioarei

A road between limestone walls

The Dâmbovicioara Gorges are a defile in the karst area at the foot of Piatra Craiului, on the Argeș side of the Rucăr–Bran corridor. The county road DJ730 runs through them, climbing towards Dâmbovicioara commune, the northernmost in Argeș County. In places the limestone walls rise vertically right above the road.

What to do here

The gorges are best seen slowly: by car, stopping only where there is room, or on foot along the edge of the valley. In the Cheile Mici (Small Gorges) lies Dâmbovicioara Cave, which is visited with a ticket and has its own page in this guide. In season, a tractor-drawn train takes visitors through the gorges, a comfortable option if you have children or do not want to drive the narrow road.

Good to know

The road through the gorges is narrow with tight bends, so you need patience when you meet other cars. At the beginning of 2026, the town hall announced the modernisation of the DJ730, the access road to the gorges, so there may be sections under works. The length of the gorges differs from one source to another, so do not plan by a number of kilometres. The gorges are outdoors, so they are not a good option in the rain, and pushchair access is not published.

Opening hours and prices (checked 12 October 2026)

No hours are published. For 2026, a travel source gives an access fee to the gorges of 3 lei per person, free for people with disabilities, and a tractor-train ride of about 35 lei per person. Check the official source, Dâmbovicioara town hall, before you set off.

How to get there

From MAX International in Râșnov, head towards Bran and continue on the DN73 over Fundata towards Rucăr. At Podu Dâmboviței, turn onto the DJ730, which climbs through the Dâmbovicioara Gorges towards Dâmbovicioara commune. You can see the exact distance and time with the navigation buttons on this page.