By Dennis
From Sighisoara we peddled 93km to Cartisoara, which is and situated at the base of the Transfagarasan mountain pass, and is Dracula’s birthplace.
The Transfagarasan mountain pass through the Carpathian mountains is something that has been on our minds since the beginning of this trip as it marks a milestone in our journey. The road has many hairpin turns and rises to an altitude of 2,050 meters over a steady uphill climb of 35km, before descending for another 55km.
The Transfagarasan was constructed between 1970 and 1974 during the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu as a response to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union. Ceausescu wanted to ensure quick military access across the mountains in case of an invasion by the Soviets.
The road is usually closed from late October until late June because of snow, but when open is popular with motorcyclists, cars, and the odd crazy cyclist or two.
At the pension in Cartisoara we met a Polish couple who were driving over the Transfagarasan the next day and gratefully agreed to take our panniers to the top of the mountain and leave them at the only hotel, the Cabana Capra. We were most appreciative as this would make a big difference in the climb, not having to pack 35 pounds of gear up 35km of road.
Tallinn to Istanbul by Bike 
Wow…..amazing amount of hair pin turns on that road! Beautiful view from the top though! Way to petal guys!
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What a great road! I’m enjoying the ground level view of places and people. Great photos and stories.
Steve
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I counted 11 hair pin turns. How many were there going down?? What a great blog, thanks guys. BTY Don we are leaving some ivy for you.
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Wow, what a day! That must surely be the highlight of the ride so far. What a great adventure, Dracula and all. Don’t speed going downhill, its harder to brake!
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Impressive! That must have been so exhausting…
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Commendations, gentlemen! I rode the Transfagarasan a few years ago on motorcycle and that was plenty sporty –even with a motor. Kudos to you for doing it by leg power…
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You guys are amazing 😉. I can barely walk to our mail box.
Good on you both.
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Bravo 👏 👏👏 you two!! Brilliant move having your panniers escorted over the top by car; a very, very slightly supported tour. That road is wicked!!
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