Retezat National Park

Retezat National Park is a protected area in the Retezat Mountains of the Southern Carpathians in Hunedoara County, Romania, established as Romania’s first national park in 1935. It protects a compact alpine massif notable for high peaks and numerous glacial lakes.

Visitors come for alpine hiking, ridge traverses and lake visits - the park contains over 80 glacial lakes and peaks that reach above 2,400 metres. Trails link huts and mountain shelters; popular highlights include the large glacial lake Bucura and summit routes to Peleaga (2,509 m).

The park was created to conserve the Retezat range’s alpine ecosystems and has been managed for both conservation and recreation since 1935. Over the 20th century protections were strengthened and infrastructure such as marked trails and mountain huts was added to support hikers.

The park sits in southwestern Hunedoara County in the Southern Carpathians, roughly in the west-central part of Romania’s Carpathian chain. It is a high-mountain area of cirques, ridges and lakes set within dense forested valleys.

• Hiking season: Best time for hiking is mid-June to mid-September when high mountain trails are typically free of snow and mountain huts operate.
• Terrain: The park contains more than 80 glacial lakes and a compact alpine massif with steep ridges, making many short but steep day routes possible from stocked mountain huts.

What to See #

• Bucura Lake: The glacial Bucura Lake sits at high elevation and is the largest glacial lake in Romania, commonly used as a base for hikes in the central massif.
• Peleaga Peak: Peleaga Peak rises to 2,509 metres and is the highest point in the Retezat range, a frequent objective for mountain hikers and scramblers.