HARDRO · Sibiu · DN7C

Transfăgărășan

Romania's most famous road: 32 km and 1,700 m of climb to the Bâlea hairpins.

Cârțișoara to Bâlea Lac, the northern ramp.

Corners coloured by severity · tightest in red

31.8km
LENGTH: 192
CORNERS CALLED: 22
HAIRPINS: 6.0
CORNERS / KM: +1721m
CLIMB: 2045m
HIGH POINT: 4.9%
AVERAGE GRADIENT

The Transfăgărășan is the road Nicolae Ceaușescu had cut through the Făgăraș mountains in the early 1970s, and the one Top Gear later called the best driving road in the world. It crosses the Carpathians at just over 2,000 metres, and its northern ramp, the one on every photograph of it, stacks hairpin on hairpin up the wall below Bâlea Lac.

This stage is that northern climb, from Cârțișoara to the lake on the DN7C: 31.8 kilometres, the longest on this site. Every corner below is generated from the road's own geometry and read aloud by the app in the same notation.

The averages hide the road completely. At 4.9% and six calls per kilometre it looks like the gentlest stage here, and for twenty kilometres of forested valley it is. Then it arrives at the wall.

The severity mix is the tell: 108 calls graded 4 or 5, against 22 hairpins and only 20 corners at 1 or 2. This is a fast road that turns technical without warning, which is the case a co-driver earns their seat on: the notes tell you the character is changing before the corner does.

THE STAGE MAP

Every corner, where it actually is.

startH · hairpinOH · open hairpinSQ · square123456

THE CLIMB

Elevation profile.

484 m → 2045 m over 31.8 kmvertical scale ×4.9elevation from a terrain model, not a survey

CORNER MIX

What the road is actually made of.

5hairpin
17open hairpin
1square
51
152
273
594
495
146

THE PACENOTES

All 192 calls, in order.

Every call Tornante makes on Transfăgărășan, in order. Distances are from the stage start to the corner’s turn-in.
At	Call	Notes	Radius	Turn	Altitude
0175m	R4		47 m	42°	491 m
0305m	L1		16 m	72°	491 m
0370m	R3-		30 m	92°	492 m
0470m	L1		15 m	103°	493 m
0595m	L4		66 m	13°	494 m
0645m	R5		94 m	31°	494 m
0840m	R5		108 m	19°	487 m
0920m	L1	long	10 m	153°	485 m
1020m	L6		191 m	14°	484 m
1150m	R3		36 m	65°	485 m
1300m	L3		32 m	89°	487 m
1415m	R6		163 m	14°	489 m
1475m	R4-		42 m	70°	490 m
1605m	L square		12 m	96°	494 m
1705m	R5		109 m	48°	496 m
1890m	L5		102 m	24°	501 m
3480m	L5		119 m	28°	526 m
4135m	R5		95 m	44°	526 m
4620m	R5		127 m	21°	537 m
4770m	L5		101 m	31°	544 m
5185m	R6		186 m	13°	548 m
5660m	L6		222 m	16°	562 m
6275m	R6		189 m	16°	574 m
6540m	L5		120 m	24°	581 m
6875m	R5		99 m	15°	591 m
6980m	R5+		142 m	25°	593 m
7200m	L6		241 m	33°	598 m
7585m	R6		189 m	30°	612 m
8535m	L open hairpin		16 m	182°	651 m
8970m	R3		37 m	81°	663 m
9075m	L2+		28 m	93°	674 m
9515m	R2		26 m	108°	700 m
9615m	L3		39 m	52°	709 m
9690m	R5-		83 m	22°	715 m
9770m	L5		85 m	31°	723 m
9830m	L2		27 m	114°	729 m
10070m	R3	long	34 m	130°	735 m
10235m	R6		226 m	15°	742 m
10330m	L5		92 m	16°	751 m
10380m	R open hairpin		16 m	192°	754 m
10515m	L open hairpin		14 m	167°	756 m
10690m	R4		70 m	59°	767 m
10820m	L open hairpin		20 m	183°	781 m
11040m	R2	long	22 m	124°	792 m
11170m	L4		55 m	52°	796 m
11265m	R open hairpin		20 m	188°	800 m
11430m	L3		37 m	94°	810 m
11585m	R4-		43 m	56°	825 m
11710m	L5		129 m	42°	828 m
11870m	R4		60 m	104°	840 m
12020m	L3-		29 m	92°	843 m
12105m	L4		49 m	53°	848 m
12495m	R5		113 m	40°	883 m
12655m	L4		68 m	32°	892 m
12735m	R5		88 m	38°	895 m
12920m	R3	long	32 m	137°	901 m
13095m	L4		45 m	74°	911 m
13405m	L4		52 m	63°	928 m
13510m	R3		30 m	77°	935 m
13620m	L4		64 m	49°	943 m
13740m	L open hairpin		17 m	176°	947 m
13865m	R4+		74 m	48°	950 m
13980m	L5		85 m	31°	956 m
14105m	R5		96 m	38°	969 m
14280m	R5		93 m	51°	987 m
14510m	R open hairpin		18 m	188°	1003 m
14660m	L5-		80 m	95°	1016 m
14845m	L5-		82 m	58°	1028 m
15115m	L4		71 m	87°	1046 m
15520m	R5-		83 m	105°	1080 m
15625m	L4		62 m	57°	1076 m
15915m	R5		105 m	29°	1113 m
16010m	L4		57 m	38°	1119 m
16120m	R5		137 m	31°	1123 m
16220m	L5-		78 m	15°	1126 m
16320m	R5		100 m	42°	1122 m
16430m	L2		24 m	57°	1122 m
16500m	R4		54 m	46°	1126 m
16575m	R4		63 m	39°	1125 m
16655m	L4		57 m	83°	1119 m
16865m	R4		63 m	73°	1154 m
17035m	L3		32 m	60°	1144 m
17115m	R4+		75 m	34°	1151 m
17185m	L4-		42 m	35°	1160 m
17250m	R4		48 m	63°	1161 m
17380m	L4+		77 m	30°	1161 m
17575m	R4		62 m	33°	1173 m
17655m	L5		99 m	18°	1175 m
18250m	L5+		140 m	21°	1207 m
18515m	R4+		77 m	16°	1233 m
18560m	L open hairpin		14 m	191°	1237 m
18810m	R5		121 m	15°	1250 m
18995m	L5		93 m	18°	1253 m
19055m	R4		65 m	16°	1248 m
19100m	L4		47 m	22°	1246 m
19145m	R2		23 m	79°	1249 m
19270m	L2+	long	28 m	124°	1281 m
19380m	R3		39 m	56°	1298 m
19510m	R4		46 m	25°	1284 m
19660m	L5		88 m	35°	1299 m
19770m	R5-		82 m	30°	1310 m
19845m	R6		163 m	14°	1309 m
19930m	L4+		77 m	45°	1317 m
20065m	R5+		140 m	15°	1338 m
20355m	L3+		41 m	40°	1346 m
20470m	L4		51 m	34°	1361 m
20540m	R3-		30 m	82°	1357 m
20660m	R open hairpin		20 m	171°	1358 m
20770m	L4		48 m	50°	1369 m
20965m	R4		51 m	46°	1376 m
21050m	L4+		76 m	22°	1372 m
21115m	R5		108 m	21°	1369 m
21185m	L5		110 m	31°	1376 m
21410m	R5		132 m	16°	1384 m
21500m	L5		93 m	24°	1390 m
21585m	R5		102 m	33°	1402 m
21835m	L2		27 m	86°	1420 m
21955m	R3		37 m	71°	1440 m
22095m	R4		57 m	55°	1421 m
22200m	L4-		43 m	52°	1411 m
22350m	L2		24 m	45°	1418 m
22405m	R4		59 m	39°	1423 m
22470m	L3		37 m	82°	1435 m
22630m	R6		246 m	19°	1487 m
22825m	R3-		30 m	84°	1501 m
22975m	L4		70 m	51°	1481 m
23075m	L5		90 m	34°	1500 m
23175m	R4-		41 m	73°	1512 m
23260m	L2		24 m	56°	1516 m
23320m	R4		60 m	23°	1514 m
23470m	L4		72 m	27°	1541 m
23570m	R2		23 m	103°	1551 m
23675m	L5-		80 m	49°	1521 m
23895m	R4		71 m	25°	1531 m
23960m	L5		102 m	25°	1543 m
24425m	L6-		152 m	14°	1570 m
24720m	L4+		76 m	24°	1600 m
24795m	R4		66 m	39°	1605 m
24945m	L6-		146 m	16°	1613 m
25105m	R3	long	31 m	148°	1623 m
25240m	L open hairpin		17 m	176°	1629 m
25470m	R hairpin		13 m	182°	1642 m
25620m	L open hairpin		22 m	186°	1650 m
25775m	R5-		78 m	32°	1663 m
25860m	L4		50 m	42°	1667 m
25945m	R6		208 m	13°	1672 m
26000m	R5		118 m	26°	1676 m
26160m	R open hairpin		16 m	182°	1692 m
26265m	L4		62 m	27°	1695 m
26330m	L1	long	18 m	146°	1696 m
26705m	L5		118 m	18°	1726 m
26775m	R open hairpin		16 m	173°	1730 m
26870m	L open hairpin		17 m	182°	1734 m
27020m	L4		54 m	46°	1738 m
27100m	L4		71 m	44°	1736 m
27185m	R open hairpin		16 m	194°	1738 m
27360m	R5		101 m	31°	1750 m
27480m	R4		56 m	64°	1768 m
27585m	L hairpin		13 m	183°	1780 m
27675m	L6		188 m	14°	1782 m
27725m	L5		116 m	30°	1780 m
27855m	R hairpin		13 m	179°	1776 m
28105m	R5		88 m	25°	1806 m
28170m	L hairpin		12 m	204°	1818 m
28355m	R5		109 m	21°	1821 m
28455m	L3		38 m	40°	1821 m
28515m	R4		46 m	29°	1823 m
28635m	L4		50 m	109°	1838 m
28840m	R4		46 m	71°	1835 m
28960m	L3		36 m	111°	1857 m
29070m	R open hairpin		14 m	188°	1870 m
29175m	R4-		42 m	93°	1877 m
29340m	L3		32 m	65°	1871 m
29525m	R4		72 m	18°	1883 m
29670m	R4		54 m	92°	1892 m
29815m	L3		36 m	104°	1905 m
29920m	R3		32 m	72°	1915 m
29995m	R3		32 m	71°	1927 m
30110m	L hairpin		13 m	197°	1938 m
30215m	R4		52 m	21°	1940 m
30265m	L3		37 m	54°	1939 m
30400m	L3		36 m	48°	1935 m
30470m	R2		25 m	88°	1938 m
30550m	L4		71 m	48°	1940 m
30790m	R open hairpin		14 m	183°	1958 m
31065m	L4		64 m	30°	1972 m
31165m	R3		36 m	63°	1984 m
31255m	L4		72 m	44°	1980 m
31335m	L2		25 m	68°	1989 m
31530m	L1	long	11 m	143°	2024 m
31610m	R2		23 m	58°	2036 m
31665m	L2-		20 m	33°	2042 m

How to read these notes

A call is a direction and a grade: L or R, then 1 (tightest) to 6 (barely a bend). A + or − means the corner sits near the edge of its band. Corners too tight for the ladder are named instead: hairpin, open hairpin, square.

The Notes column carries the modifiers a co-driver would add: tightens, opens, long, don’t cut. Radius is the tightest sustained apex radius the engine measured, and Turn is the total heading change through the corner. Those are the two numbers behind the grade.

HOW IT SOUNDS

The opening of the stage, as spoken.

175m“150, right 4”
305m“60, left 1 and right 3”
470m“20, left 1”
595m“40, left 4 and right 5”
840m“130, right 5 into left 1 long”
1020m“20, left 6”

QUESTIONS

Transfăgărășan, in brief.

How long is the Transfăgărășan?

The full DN7C runs about 90 km across the mountains. This stage is the northern climb, Cârțișoara up to Bâlea Lac, which is 31.8 km and gains roughly 1,720 m, at an average of about 4.9%.

When is the Transfăgărășan open?

Only in summer. The high section between Bâlea Cascadă and the tunnel is normally closed from late autumn until around the end of June, and the dates move with the snow every year, so check before you travel.

How many hairpins does the Transfăgărășan have?

On this northern climb Tornante's engine calls 22 hairpins among 192 corners, most of them concentrated in the final stretch below Bâlea Lac.

WHERE THIS COMES FROM

Measured, not written.

Every corner on this page was generated by the same engine that runs in the app, from the road’s own geometry: Transfăgărășan (DN7C), mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors and tagged primary, asphalt. The engine is deterministic: the same road always produces the same notes, so this table is exactly what the app will say to you.

Elevation comes from an open terrain model rather than a survey, so altitudes are close but not exact. Corner grades are computed estimates, not measurements of how the road should be driven.

Drive it with the calls.

Transfăgărășan ships with the app. Start the stage and Tornante speaks each of these calls as you reach it, timed to your GPS, so your eyes stay on the road rather than on a screen.

Get Tornante

NEXT ROAD

Other called stages.

Corner density on this stage: 6.0 calls per kilometre.