Valea Dâljii Cycling Route

DESCRIPTION

Trail: Retezat National Park Visitor Centre – Nucșoara – Nucșoara bridge – Ohaba Sibișel – Sibișel – Dâljii Valley – Ostrov Dam – Unciuc – Sânpetru – Sibișel – Ohaba-Sibișel – Nucșoara – Retezat National Park Visitor Centre

Start from the Retezat National Park Visitor Centre. If you are staying nearby, you can easily reach the centre by bike. From here, continue to Nucşoara village, and then to the viaduct over Nucșoara Valley. After the viaduct you have to climb a bit more on the asphalt road and then turn right onto trail marked with blue triangle that climbs up to Colţ Fortress. Up to the fortress the road is quite difficult, so we do not recommend you trying to reach it by bike. After you have entered on the hiking trail you will identify a grassy path that follows the isohypse and then descends steeply to the valley. From here follow one of the many dirt roads that run along the river until you get in Ohaba-Sibisel where you first encounter a whirlpool (on the right) and then a water mill (on the left). Keep going until you get in Sibisel where the route turns left at the end of the village, behind the last houses. Cross the stream over the footbridge and continue on the dirt road that it is more used nowadays by animals. The dirt road quickly turns into a path, it crosses the pastures and it reaches the hill ridge. From here the route descends through the forest to Dâljii Valley. As soon as you exit the forest you will see the village in the valley. You reach the main road that is asphalted and then first turn left, and then right onto another asphalted road and the next intersection.

From here you keep going straight ahead, and then you exit the village and climb on the well-defined dirt road until you reach the top, and then climb down to the concrete road that connects Unciuc to Râu de Mori. Once you reach the concrete road turn right and go to Sânpetru. Here you can visit the local medieval church. Right at the church you will meet the tourist board of the thematic trail Dinosaur Valley that goes to Sibişel. Going to Ohaba-Sibişel you will enjoy the amazing view of the famous peaks of Retezat:Peleaga, Păpușa, Bucura 1, Bucura 2 and Retezat. You cross the footbridge at the end of the asphalt road and then the trail follows a dirt road along the last houses in the village. Turn left at the first intersection and then cross Nucşoara stream (use the boulders, there is no bridge here), continuing in ascent for about 150m until you reach the asphalt road leading to Nucşoara village (there is a project to asphalt the road between Ohaba-Sibisel and Nucșoara). When you reach the main road in the centre of Nucşoara village turn left and follow the asphalt road to the Visitor Centre.

DETAILS

Length: 33 km
Difficulty: medium
Trail type: cycling tourism
Time: 5 h
Surface: asphalt road, concrete road, gravel road, dirt road