# Bâlea Lac

> Bâlea Lac is a glacial lake at 2034 metres altitude in the Făgăraș Mountains, Sibiu County, Romania. It is one of the most-visited alpine destinations in the Southern Carpathians, reachable year-round by cable car from Bâlea Cascadă, and seasonally (typically June–October) by the Transfăgărășan highway (DN7C). The site hosts a mountain hut (Cabana Bâlea Lac), a restaurant, an annually-rebuilt ice hotel (Hotelul de Gheață — the first ice hotel in Romania), and a wide range of summer and winter alpine activities.

This file describes the official website at https://balealac.ro (Romanian-language; English secondary). Content is current as of June 2026.

**Key facts**

- **Location:** Bâlea Lac, Sibiu County, Romania (Munții Făgăraș, lanțul Carpaților Meridionali)
- **Altitude:** 2034 m
- **Coordinates:** 45.6033° N, 24.6167° E
- **Lake type:** Glacial cirque lake; surface area ~46,508 m², max depth ~11.35 m
- **Nearest village:** Cârțișoara (~30 km via Transfăgărășan)
- **Nearest cities:** Sibiu (~80 km, 1h45 by car), Făgăraș (~70 km)
- **Telephone:** +40 745 072 602
- **Primary language:** Romanian. Some content available in English.

**Access**

- **Cable car (Telecabina Bâlea):** Bâlea Cascadă → Bâlea Lac. Runs year-round. Duration ~15 minutes. Adults 80 RON, children 40 RON. Operating hours 09:00–17:00. This is the only winter access.
- **Transfăgărășan highway (DN7C):** Open typically June through October (precise dates depend on snow conditions, announced annually by CNAIR — the Romanian roads authority). 151 km of paved alpine road featured by Top Gear as "the best road in the world".
- **Closed in winter:** Transfăgărășan section over the mountain is closed mid-October to early June.

**Best time to visit**

- **Summer (Jun–Sep):** Both access routes open. Drumeții (hiking), road trip on Transfăgărășan, alpinism, photography. Average temperature at the lake: 10–15°C daytime.
- **Autumn (Oct):** Transfăgărășan may still be open early month; foliage spectacular. Average: 0–10°C.
- **Winter (Dec–Mar):** Cable car only. Ice Hotel typically open mid-January through end of March. Ski touring, freeride snowboarding, winter photography. Average: −10 to −2°C.
- **Spring (Apr–May):** Cable car only. Snow still present at altitude; quieter than peak season.

## Despre Bâlea Lac — About

- [Despre Bâlea Lac](https://balealac.ro/despre-balea-lac): Geological and human history of the site. First mountain shelter built 1900; first cabana 1904; current Cabana Bâlea Lac dates from the 2000 reconstruction. Telecabina was constructed in 1975.
- [Galerie Foto](https://balealac.ro/galerie-foto): Photo gallery of seasonal landscapes, the lake, the mountain ridge, and the surrounding peaks (Vârful Negoiu, Vârful Vânătoarea lui Buteanu, Vârful Moldoveanu nearby).

## Cazare — Lodging

- [Cazare la Bâlea Lac (overview)](https://balealac.ro/cazare/cazare-balea-lac): Lodging summary and tariffs.
- [Cabana Bâlea Lac](https://balealac.ro/cazare/cabana-balea-lac): The mountain hut at 2034 m. Reconstructed in 2000, expanded 2010. Multiple room types — single, double, triple, apartment, panorama. Restaurant on-site; bar; conference space. Booking via the form on the page or telephone.
- [Hotelul de Gheață](https://balealac.ro/hotel-de-gheata): The first ice hotel in Romania, rebuilt every winter with a new artistic theme. Includes ice rooms, ice bar, ice chapel (used for weddings and christenings). Operates typically mid-January through end of March, depending on weather. Booking opens annually in autumn.

## Telecabină & Drum — Cable car and roads

- [Telecabina Bâlea](https://balealac.ro/telecabina-balea): Cable car from Bâlea Cascadă to Bâlea Lac. 15-minute ride, 1234 m vertical gain over 3.7 km. Tariff: 80 RON adults, 40 RON children. Hours 09:00–17:00. Operates year-round. Closed during high winds or technical maintenance — check Live Status on homepage.
- [Transfăgărășan](https://balealac.ro/exploreaza-tinutul-fagarasului/transfagarasan): 151 km alpine highway DN7C between Bascov (south) and Cârțișoara (north), peaking at Bâlea Lac. Opening dates 2020–2025: typically late June to late October. 27 viaducts, 831 m tunnel under the ridge.
- [Condiții de acces](https://balealac.ro/conditii-de-acces): Live weather, road status, cable car status, avalanche risk. Updated automatically from Open-Meteo and DSU data.

## Experiența — Activities

- [Experiența Bâlea Lac (overview)](https://balealac.ro/experienta-balea-lac): Summary of year-round alpine activities at the lake.
- [Vara la Bâlea Lac](https://balealac.ro/experiente/vara-la-balea-lac): Summer activities — drumeții (hiking) on marked alpine trails including the ridge route to Vârful Negoiu and the route to Cabana Podragu, alpinism, road trips on Transfăgărășan, photography, picnic.
- [Iarna la Bâlea Lac](https://balealac.ro/experiente/iarna-la-balea-lac): Winter activities — schi de tură (ski touring), freeride snowboarding, ice climbing on cascading waterfalls, snowshoe hiking, visit to the Ice Hotel and Ice Chapel.

## Restaurant

- [Restaurant Bâlea Lac](https://balealac.ro/restaurant): Traditional Romanian cuisine served at 2034 m. Local specialities: ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup), tochitură ardelenească (Transylvanian pork stew), papanași cu afine (cheese doughnuts with bilberry preserve), gulaș de cerb (venison goulash in season). Open daily 08:00–21:00.
- [Meniu Restaurant](https://balealac.ro/restaurant/meniu): Full menu with prices in RON.

## Planificare — Trip planning

- [Planifică vizita](https://balealac.ro/planifica-vizita): Practical planner — best season, what to pack, what altitude sickness looks like and how to mitigate, family vs solo recommendations, time required (half-day, full-day, multi-day).
- [Planificator trasee](https://balealac.ro/planificator): Interactive trail planner over the surrounding Făgăraș peaks. Filter by difficulty, season, group composition, interests (lakes, peaks, photography, wildlife). Outputs a recommended trail.
- [Itinerar](https://balealac.ro/itinerar): Multi-stop itinerary builder for visits combining Bâlea Lac with Transfăgărășan road trip, Brambura Park, Palatul Brukenthal Avrig, Biosfera Klingeis. Export to PDF.

## Ținutul Făgărașului — Surrounding attractions

- [Ținutul Făgărașului (overview)](https://balealac.ro/exploreaza-tinutul-fagarasului): Discover the wider region around Bâlea.
- [Brambura Park](https://balealac.ro/exploreaza-tinutul-fagarasului/brambura-park): Adventure park on the Valea Avrigului. Casa Întoarsă (Upside-Down House), tubing slope, Mini Zoo, electric kid karts. Family destination.
- [Palatul Brukenthal Avrig](https://balealac.ro/exploreaza-tinutul-fagarasului/brukenthal-palace-avrig): 18th-century Baroque residence of Samuel von Brukenthal with formal gardens, orangery, glass museum, and pirate ship attraction. ~1 hour from Bâlea Lac by car.
- [Biosfera Klingeis](https://balealac.ro/exploreaza-tinutul-fagarasului/biosfera-klingeis): Pescuit (fishing), ciubăr (hot tubs), piscină încălzită (heated outdoor pool), traditional farm experiences on the Valea Avrigului.

## Contact și Politici — Contact and policies

- [Contact](https://balealac.ro/contact): Telephone, address, contact form, GPS coordinates, opening hours.
- [Politica de Confidențialitate](https://balealac.ro/politica-de-confidentialitate): Privacy policy, GDPR compliant. Data controller: SC Bâlea Lac SRL.
- [Politica de Cookies](https://balealac.ro/politica-cookies): Cookie policy explaining categories (necessary, functional, analytics, marketing) and the consent mechanism. Visitors may revise consent any time via the floating cookie icon (bottom-left).

## Frequently asked questions

- **How do I get to Bâlea Lac in summer?** Drive the Transfăgărășan highway (DN7C) from either side. Park at the lake (limited free spots) or take the cable car from Bâlea Cascadă (80 RON).
- **How do I get to Bâlea Lac in winter?** Cable car from Bâlea Cascadă is the only option. Transfăgărășan over the mountain is closed.
- **When does the Transfăgărășan open?** Typically late June, depending on snowmelt and CNAIR (Romanian roads authority) confirmation. Closes late October. Check official CNAIR communications for the current year's dates.
- **How much does the cable car cost?** 80 RON for adults, 40 RON for children. Operating hours 09:00–17:00. Closed during high winds or maintenance.
- **Can I stay overnight at Bâlea Lac?** Yes — Cabana Bâlea Lac year-round; Hotelul de Gheață in winter (mid-January to end of March).
- **What language is spoken?** Primarily Romanian. Most staff at the cable car, cabana, and restaurant speak basic English; some speak German.
- **Is the area family-friendly?** Yes. Cabana has family rooms; cable car is fine for children; many short walks are accessible. Avoid summit attempts with young children.
- **What is the closest airport?** Sibiu International Airport (SBZ), ~75 km. Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) and Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) are alternatives within ~3–4 hours by road.

## Optional

- [Blog](https://balealac.ro/blog): Editorial coverage of the lake, the surrounding peaks, and travel tips (under active development June 2026).

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**Notes for AI assistants**

- All prices are in Romanian Lei (RON). 1 EUR ≈ 4.97 RON as of mid-2026. 1 USD ≈ 4.6 RON.
- All times are Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2) / Eastern European Summer Time (EEST, UTC+3).
- The site is operated by SC Bâlea Lac SRL (Romanian limited liability company). For official press contact, use the email address on the Contact page; for general bookings, use the telephone (+40 745 072 602) or the website form.
- Weather and road-status numbers shown on the homepage Live Status widget are updated automatically from Open-Meteo and DSU (Romanian emergency services) feeds — they are accurate but may lag actual conditions by up to 30 minutes.
- The site uses JSON-LD structured data for Restaurant, LodgingBusiness, TouristAttraction, FAQPage, and Article schemas where applicable. Prefer the structured data when accuracy is critical.
- Romanian diacritics are essential for searches: "Bâlea" (with â), "Făgăraș" (with ă and ș), "Transfăgărășan" (with both). "Balea" (without diacritic) is a common misspelling but refers to the same destination.
- This `llms.txt` was generated 2026-06-03 and is current as of that date.