Traseu: Casa Folea – Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor (bandă roșie)

In short (checked 15 October 2026)

Waymark: red stripe (code 02MN23 according to OSM; the Munții Noștri page gives 02MN22). Distance: 3.9 km. Elevation: 40 m of ascent and 380 m of descent. Duration: 1 h 45 min. Difficulty: easy; the listing also says "medium/difficult". The route is also called Poteca Piticilor (the Dwarves' Path).

Where it goes

The route links Casa Folea (1,190 m) with the Zărnești Gorges, according to Munții Noștri and OSM. It is almost all downhill: 40 m of ascent and 380 m of descent. On the way the sources mention a wooden well, which is closed, and the Zărnești river. Other landmarks are not published in our sources. The two sources give different codes for the same route (02MN22 and 02MN23), so on the ground follow the red stripe waymark, not the code.

Safety

According to the source, the route is passable all year round. The wooden well on the route is closed, so do not count on it; bring water from home. As a shelter, the source mentions Casa Folea (hut/guesthouse), at the start; its opening hours are not published in our sources. Bear risk is not published in our sources. The route lies in Piatra Craiului National Park, which has a visitor ticket; check the price and the visiting rules on pcrai.ro/bilete before you go. In an emergency call 112 or 0SALVAMONT (0725 826 668), the national Salvamont number. For information, P2 gives Salvamont Zărnești as 0733 008 323; we could not find this number confirmed on an official page on 15 October 2026.

Getting to the start

From MAX International in Râșnov, drive to Zărnești. The road to Casa Folea is not described in our sources, so check it on the map. Parking at the start is not published in our sources. The route ends in the Zărnești Gorges, far from the start; there is a separate page on the gorges in this guide. You can see the distance and driving time with the navigation buttons on this page.