Fundata is the highest commune in Romania, and from the main road you see the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului at the same time.
About the place
Fundata lies in the middle of the Rucăr–Bran corridor, on the DN73 (E574), on the border with Argeș county, and is recorded from 1732. People still live from raising sheep and cows, alongside tourism. In August 1916 Fundata was the first village taken by the Romanian army as it entered Transylvania; a monument in the village remembers Colonel Gheorghe Poenaru-Bordea, who fell then. The village has an old wooden church and a stone one.
Every year, around St Elijah's Day (20 July), it hosts Nedeia Munților, a festival with folk music and dance and cheese and meat from the sheepfolds, revived in 1969. Snow lies for 132 days a year on average, according to the Fundata weather station, and in 2013 the biathlon events of the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival were held here.
Good to know
- Stop only where you can pull off the road: from the pass you see the Bucegi to the east and Piatra Craiului to the west.
- In winter the DN73 through Fundata can have snow and fog; check road conditions before you go.
- Further on, towards Argeș, are the Dâmbovicioara Cave and Gorge (on arges.info); to the west, a side road leads to Șirnea.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.