Transalpina, the Alba County section

The Transalpina (DN 67C) links the town of Novaci, in Gorj County, with Sebeș, in Alba County, over about 148 km, crossing Gorj, Vâlcea, Sibiu and Alba counties. In Alba County the road climbs from Sebeș along the Sebeș valley, through the communes of Săsciori and Șugag, passes Lake Oașa and reaches the border with Vâlcea County near the Tărtărău Pass. According to some sources, a first road was built by the Roman legions during the wars with the Dacians; before it was modernised, a shepherds' path followed the route. King Carol II had the road rebuilt between 1934 and 1939 for moving troops and artillery, and after its inauguration in 1939 it was called the "Royal Road" or "King's Road". Modernisation and asphalting began in 2009. The highest point of the Transalpina, the Urdele Pass (2,145 m), and the ridge section are not in Alba County but in Gorj and Vâlcea. The Alba section runs through spruce forests and along Lake Oașa, where the eastern shore has single-lane viaducts. The road is closed in winter; opening dates are announced every year. Did you know that after its inauguration in 1939 the road was called the "Royal Road" or "King's Road", after King Carol II, who had rebuilt it?