Some roads you never forget. Roads that are not just tarmac, bends and views, but real journeys inside yourself. The Transalpina, in Romania, is one of them.
When we at Motoexplora take riders to iconic places, we always do so with a precise aim: to give them experiences that stay in their hearts, not just on the odometer. And the Transalpina is exactly the kind of road that embodies this spirit.
With its 148 kilometres of twists and pure beauty, the Transalpina (DN67C) is considered the highest paved road in Romania, reaching 2,145 metres at the Urdele pass. A ribbon of tarmac crossing the Southern Carpathians like a blade cutting through the sky.
When you ride it, you really feel you are “flying” over Romania.
🏍️ A road built to amaze
The charm of the Transalpina does not come only from its breathtaking views, but also from its history. First built by shepherds moving their flocks, then improved by the Romanian kings and finally rebuilt by the Germans in the Second World War, it is a route that has seen cultures, peoples and armies pass by.
But today, at last, the motorcycle is the true queen of this road.
For us at Motoexplora, every stretch of the Transalpina is a small adventure:
- wide, fast bends,
- hairpins that make you smile under your helmet,
- suspended stretches where the tarmac seems to end in thin air,
- views that change every few kilometres.
It is a road that “speaks”, that tells something to those who know how to listen.
🌲 From the green of the forests to the silence of the peaks
You start out surrounded by thick forests, among smells of wood and resin, with cool air coming through the vents of your jacket. Little by little you climb, and the forest gives way to pastures, mountain huts and the first open views that announce what is coming.
Then, suddenly, there it is: the high mountains.
It feels like being on a balcony suspended over the world.
The clouds brush past you, the wind changes, the sky seems closer.
And when you reach the Urdele pass, the highest point, you realise you have not made this journey only with the engine: you have made it above all with your eyes, your heart, the freest part of yourself.
🛣️ Transalpina or Transfăgărășan: which to choose?
A question we are often asked on our tours: “Which is more beautiful, the Transalpina or the Transfăgărășan?”
The truth is that they are two completely different roads.
- The Transfăgărășan is scenic, famous, spectacular, full of tight bends and steep gradients.
- The Transalpina is “purer”, more natural, wider. It is a road where you can breathe the mountains and feel part of the landscape.
For us at Motoexplora, the Transalpina is the road of freedom.
The one where the journey becomes fluid, where the bike flows lightly and where every bend seems an invitation to slow down and look around.
🔧 How to ride it at its best
We take you on the Transalpina every year, and there are a few golden rules:
• Check the weather: at high altitude it changes quickly.
• Dress in layers: even in summer it can be cold above 2,000 metres.
• Fill the tank: petrol stations are few and far between along the route.
• Watch out for rough patches: although it is paved, some sections can be broken up.
• Take it easy: the Transalpina is not a race. It is contemplation and rhythm.
🌄 Why the Transalpina is a Motoexplora experience
Every time we ride this road with the group, the same thing always happens: someone is left speechless.
It is one of those places where there is no need to talk, you just look.
The magic of the Romanian mountains, the quiet of the Carpathians, the silence broken only by the sound of our bikes: it is like a ritual, a moment that brings the group together and creates memories that last a lifetime.
Motoexplora does not look for “fashionable” roads: it looks for emotions.
And the Transalpina is one of the most genuine emotions in Europe.
🏁 Conclusion: the journey that stays
When you reach the end of the Transalpina and look back, you understand that it was not just a road that brought you there.
It was the adventure, the group, Romania, the mountains.
It was that wonderful feeling of freedom that only those who travel by motorcycle can understand.
And we at Motoexplora are proud, every year, to let our travel companions live this unique experience.
The Transalpina cannot be told: it has to be ridden.
And we are ready to do it again.
