Putna · Drobeta-Turnu Severin · Brașov
How do I plan Via Transilvanica?
In short — thru-hike: map + Maior GPX and the Hiker's Guide; one section: the land page + day chapters; cycling: the Cyclist's Guide; preparation: guide + videos + app; Brașov: the Borza extension (187.9 km measured, single source); proof: the 1400km+ list. Maior measures 1,392.8 km between Putna and Drobeta; 1,600 is the official rounded network figure. Below: the detailed verdict, measured access and the 8 lands.
The quick verdict
Choose resources for your plan: the full route, one section, cycling, preparation, the Borza extension to Brașov, or the hikers who completed the route. All linked resources are official; the guides download free. Lengths marked “measured” are our calculations from dated official GPX files; VT’s central list and current official guide provide other regional figures. For Siculorum and Saxonum, the sources differ and do not explain why.
| Thru-hike | Map + Maior GPX | 1,392.8 km measured Putna→Drobeta (official: “around 1,400”), with the Hiker's Guide day chapters. From Bucharest Drobeta is nearer (341.0/280); from Cluj, Putna (270.4/359). Start north or south, as the lands page says. |
|---|---|---|
| One section | Land page + GPX | Pick the land by area and time: each has an official page, dated GPX and guide day chapters (map, elevation profile, infrastructure). Stages of a few days or a whole land — same official page. |
| Cycling | The Cyclist's Guide | A separate free guide for cyclists (RO/EN), plus the interactive map and the VT app. “By bicycle” is also an official 1400km+ list mode. |
| Preparation | Guide + videos + app | The intro chapter of general advice, the 5 prep videos (backpack, clothing, dogs, bears), the VT app (iOS+Android) and the Safety page. Difficulty is estimated so “almost anyone” can walk it. |
| Brașov / Borza | The Borza Teutonica extension | The first Maior extension: 187.9 km measured (single source) between Archita and Brașov, via Viscri, Poiana Mărului, Bran and Râșnov. Brașov is an access gate to the main route, not the Maior terminus. |
| Proof | The 1400km+ Hikers list | Walked it end to end? Form + verification by a VT team member. Four modes: on foot, horseback, bicycle, running. The “1,400km+” name fits the measured 1,392.8 of the Maior. |
Access, measured by road
Two bases, three gates. Brașov is the Borza extension gate; the Maior ends are Putna and Drobeta. OSRM times are continuous driving, no stops, no traffic.
Method: OSRM car routes on OpenStreetMap, measured on 17 September 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops, no traffic, one way.
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piața Unirii | Putna | 521.8 | 413 |
| Piața Unirii | Drobeta-Turnu Severin | 341.0 | 280 |
| Piața Unirii | Brașov | 181.8 | 165 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Putna | 270.4 | 359 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Drobeta-Turnu Severin | 376.5 | 350 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Brașov | 274.8 | 262 |
Shortest access listed: Bucharest–Brașov, 181.8 km / 165 min. Longest: Bucharest–Putna, 521.8 / 413. Nearer terminus: from Bucharest, Drobeta (341.0/280); from Cluj, Putna (270.4/359).
Map
Positions from each site's coordinates; towns for orientation. Relief: Copernicus GLO-90 model. Scale bar: 50 km.
The lands, one by one
The official resources, compared
All official; the guides are free. What each covers and which languages you get it in.
| Resource | Covers | Languages & access |
|---|---|---|
| The Hiker's Guide | general advice + the route by 8 lands and by days (map, elevation profile, infrastructure) | free RO/EN/DE/HU/ES, updated periodically |
| The Cyclist's Guide | separate guide for riding it by bicycle | free RO/EN |
| Map + GPX | interactive map (each colour = one day) + 9 dated GPX files, July–August 2026 | online + download, layers (lodging etc.) |
| The VT app | the official trail app | iOS + Android |
| Safety | the official safety page | online (content lives there only) |
| The 1400km+ list | signup for end-to-end hikers, with verification | online form, 4 modes |
Plus 5 prep videos (backpack, clothing, dogs, bears) and a newsletter. The Hiker's Guide is written by Szekely Anna with an all-women team.
Bucovina start
- 144 km (land page); Maior measures 146.3 on the same stretch.
- Starts at Putna Monastery (Ștefan cel Mare), via Sucevița, Vatra Moldoviței, the Obcine, Mestecăniș Pass; ends at Poiana Stampei.
- Road gate: Putna; from Cluj 270.4/359, from Bucharest 521.8/413.
Plan: The first land, the north end of the Maior.
Ținutul de Sus 210 + 216.8
- 210 km (land page); 216.8 measured from GPX (double-corroborated).
- Starts at Lunca Ilvei (Bistrița-Năsăud, Rodna foothills); mountains, lowland forests, gentle hills, plains; ethnic diversity.
- The Bucovina junction is at Poiana Stampei / Lunca Ilvei (confirmed geometrically).
Plan: The second land, out of the mountains toward the plains.
Terra Siculorum 150.6
- 150.6 km calculated by us with the Haversine formula from the official regional GPX dated 21 July 2026; the Maior GPX gives the same figure for that stretch. The official guide gives Siculorum as 157 km; its stage headings add up to 157 km with Variant A (17 km) or 165 km with Variant B (25 km). VT’s central list gives 170 km across 9 stages. The sources do not explain the differences.
- Câmpu Cetății → Sovata–Praid depression → Székely villages → Odorheiu Secuiesc (hearth-town) → Archita (Harghita/Mureș border).
- Gentle hills, meadows, forests; stages vary in difficulty.
Plan: The Székely land, from the mountains to Archita.
Terra Saxonum 199.8
- 199.8 km calculated by us with the Haversine formula from the official regional GPX dated 19 August 2026; the Maior GPX gives the same figure for that stretch. The 11 Saxonum stage headings in the official guide add up to 200.5 km. VT’s central list gives 210 km across 11 stages. The guide’s sum is 0.7 km above the GPX calculation; it is 9.5 km below the central figure. The sources do not explain the differences.
- Archita → Brașov county → revived Saxon villages (Mureș) → Sighișoara → Sibiu county → Micăsasa.
- Fortified churches, the bacon tower; Sighișoara is in the orase-medievale guide.
Plan: The Saxon land, with Sighișoara in the middle.
Terra Dacica 294.6
- 294.6 km measured from GPX (double-corroborated) — the longest land; the page gives no length.
- Alba and Hunedoara counties: the Mureș valley, Târnave plateau, toward Retezat; enters Caraș-Severin via Poarta de Fier a Transilvaniei.
- Small-to-medium difficulty (the only official difficulty rating read).
Plan: The longest stretch, small–medium difficulty.
Terra Banatica 241.5
- 241.5 km measured from GPX (double-corroborated); the page gives no length.
- Mountain Banat: Poarta de Fier a Transilvaniei → “Gugulan country” → national parks with secular forests → the Nera.
- Caraș-Severin: 15 ethnic minorities, peaceful coexistence (land page).
Plan: Mountains, secular forests and 15 ethnicities.
Terra Romana 143 + 143.2
- 143 km (land page: “the last 143”); 143.2 measured from GPX (double-corroborated).
- From Crușovăț (Caraș-Severin) through Mehedinți: unique climate, Dacian-Roman stories, the Mehedinți Plateau — an “epic finish”.
- Ends at Drobeta-Turnu Severin; road gate: from Bucharest 341.0/280, from Cluj 376.5/350.
Plan: The last land, the south end of the Maior.
Terra Borza Teutonica 187.9
- 187.9 km measured from GPX (single source — a Minor branch with no Maior-file counterpart).
- The first Maior extension, Archita to Brașov: Viscri → Poiana Mărului → Bran → Râșnov → Brașov.
- Brașov (Kronstadt) is an access gate to the main route; Bran/Râșnov are in the castele-de-vizitat guide.
Plan: The Minor extension: Brașov as the way in.
Regional-GPX calculations are 150.6 km for Siculorum and 199.8 km for Saxonum. The current official guide gives Siculorum as 157 km (165 km with Variant B); the Saxonum stage headings add up to 200.5 km. VT’s central list gives 170 and 210 km. R2–R7 match between the regional and Maior GPX files; Borza appears in only one file. The sources do not establish why the figures differ. Bucovina: the regional file contains extra loops (+31 km), so this page shows the published 144 km and the Maior measurement of 146.3 km separately. Sucevița: the manastiri-pictate guide. Sighișoara: the orase-medievale guide. Bran/Râșnov: the castele-de-vizitat guide. Fortified churches: the biserici-fortificate guide. Putna stays scenery, with no guide pointer (not covered by manastiri-pictate).
Practical
Money
The guides download free from the Ghid VT page. VT asks for maintenance-and-development donations and runs a membership programme. Trail tariff: none officially found — uncited.
Gates
Putna (north), Drobeta-Turnu Severin (south), Brașov (Borza). From Bucharest: Drobeta 341.0/280, Brașov 181.8/165, Putna 521.8/413. From Cluj: Putna 270.4/359, Brașov 274.8/262, Drobeta 376.5/350. Start north or south.
Method
“Measured” lengths are our Haversine calculations from dated official GPX files, rounded to 0.1 km. The current official guide adds another series: 157 km for Siculorum (165 km with Variant B), while the Saxonum stage headings add up to 200.5 km. VT’s central list gives 170 and 210 km; the GPX calculations are 150.6 and 199.8 km. The sources do not establish why the figures differ. R2–R7 match between the regional and Maior GPX files; Borza appears in only one file. Bucovina: the regional file contains extra loops (+31 km), so this page shows the published 144 km and the Maior measurement of 146.3 km separately.
Gaps
Official season: none found on the pages read — no season advice here. No lodging/food/water inventory here: they live on the official map layers and day chapters. No estimated hiking times and no guarantees everything is operational. Emergencies: the VT Safety page.
Questions
How is the trail marked?
An andesite km-borne every kilometre, signpost pillars at intersections and very dense paint marks — the Concept page. The bornes are individually sculpted and form “one of the largest open-air sculpture exhibitions in the world”.
How many km is it really — 1,400 or 1,600?
Both official figures reconcile: the Putna–Drobeta Maior measures 1,392.8 km in the GPX (“around 1,400”, says the page), and with the Borza branch (187.9 measured) the network reaches 1,580.7 — consistent with the official rounded 1,600. Borza branches at Archita; it does not extend the terminus.
Do the guides cost anything?
No: the Hiker's Guide (RO/EN/DE/HU/ES) and the Cyclist's Guide (RO/EN) download free from the Ghid VT page; the map, GPX and app are there too. VT asks for maintenance-and-development donations.
Can it be done by bicycle?
Yes — there is a separate Cyclist's Guide, and “by bicycle” is an official 1400km+ list mode alongside on foot, horseback and running.
How do I join the 1400km+ list?
Fill in the form on the Drumeți 1400km+ page after the end-to-end hike; a VT team member contacts you for verification.
When is the season?
We found no official season recommendation on the VT pages read (neither months nor weather) — so this page gives no season advice. Check the map and guide before leaving.
Sources
- VT — Lands (regional lengths and stages; Maior/Minor, 1,600, variants)
- VT — Concept (signage, bornes)
- VT — Bucovina
- VT — Ținutul de Sus
- VT — Terra Siculorum
- VT — Terra Saxonum
- VT — Terra Dacica
- VT — Terra Banatica
- VT — Terra Romana
- VT — Terra Borza Teutonica
- VT — Map + GPX
- VT — Guides (Hiker + Cyclist, free)
- VT — 1400km+ Hikers
- VT — Safety
- The manastiri-pictate guide (Sucevița)
- The orase-medievale guide (Sighișoara)
- The castele-de-vizitat guide (Bran, Râșnov)
- The biserici-fortificate guide
- VT — 5 prep videos (YouTube)
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