Transfagarasan DN7C - Argeș Section

The Transfăgărășan, officially known as DN7C, is one of the most sought-after mountain roads in Romania, crossing the Munții Făgăraș over a total distance of 151 km on a south-north axis, connecting Muntenia with Transilvania. Construction of the road was initiated in 1970 on the orders of Nicolae Ceaușescu and completed in 1974, mobilising approximately 6,000 military personnel and civilians. During the works, around 6,000 tonnes of dynamite were used to blast through the granite and metamorphic massif of the Făgăraș. The section in Argeș county, approximately 70 km long, begins in Curtea de Argeș and includes the road's main points of interest. Barajul Vidraru, built on the Argeș river between 1960 and 1966, is the largest arch dam in Romania, with a height of 166.6 m and a crest length of 305 m. The reservoir formed behind the dam has a surface area of 893 hectares, a length of 10.3 km and a volume of 465 million cubic metres. On the dam itself stands the Monumentul Electricității — a statue of Prometheus, created by sculptor Constantin Popovici. Near the lake lies Cetatea Poenari, attributed to the voivode Vlad al III-lea (Vlad Țepeș), accessible after climbing 1,480 steps. The Capra-Bâlea tunnel, 884 m long, crosses the main ridge of the Carpații Meridionali at an altitude of 2,040 m, marking the boundary between Argeș and Sibiu counties. The road is closed to traffic during periods of heavy snowfall, typically between October and June, depending on weather conditions. Access is from Curtea de Argeș via DN7C, with parking available at several points along the route.