Zoophobia - the fear of wild animals

The fear of wild animals is known as zoophobia. It is a common phobia that can be caused by a variety of factors, such as past traumatic experiences, genetic predisposition, or cultural influences. Symptoms of zoophobia may include anxiety, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and avoidance of places where wild

Piatra Craiului Featured

Brâna Caprelor - Brâul Ciorânga. Piatra Craiului, difficult hike

The Brâna Caprelor route begins at an elevation of 1510 meters near Diana Refuge and climbs through difficult and steep terrain to the ridge of the Piatra Craiului Mountains [https://hikingbeast.com/northern-piatra-craiului-ridge/]. We hiked the Brâna Caprelor trail in June 2022, taking the following circuit from Plaiul Foii: Plaiul

Bulgaria

A 2-day trip to Raisko Praskalo, the tallest waterfall in Bulgaria

An amazing 2-day hike through Stara Planina in challenging conditions. With a height of 124.5 meters, Raisko Praskalo is the tallest waterfall in Bulgaria. It is located in the Central Balkan National Park, right under the Botev Peak (2376 m) – the highest peak in the Balkan Mountains. At the

Romania

Bucegi Mountains – the closest mountains to Bucharest

Why you should visit Bucegi Mountains The Bucegi mountains are ideal for day hikes, trail running, scrambling, and alpine climbing. They offer breathtaking views and a wide range of trails suitable for both beginners and experienced hikers. There are a few huts where you can sleep or eat a hot

Romania

The fastest way to Cabana Malaiesti

The fastest way to get to Cabana Malaiesti from Bucharest is from the town of Busteni. In short, it’s a 5-6 hours hike from the train station in Busteni. You can save 1 hour by driving (or by taking a taxi) directly to the start of the trail at

Romania

Brana Caprelor – spectacular hike to Omu Peak from Cabana Malaiesti

Brana Caprelor (The Goats’ Ledge) is a narrow, rocky path suspended like a balcony along the vertical wall of the mountain of Bucsoiu. This is a beautiful but difficult trail, not recommended to the ones afraid of heights. It is 5 km long with a total of over 1000 meters

Romania

Bran Castle to Magura village – hiking in Romania

The beautiful hiking trails near Bran Castle Bran Castle is located between Bucegi Mountains [https://hikingbeast.com/bucegi-mountains/] and Piatra Craiului Mountains, in the picturesque Rucăr-Bran Pass. If you want to find yourself traveling back in time, wandering through authentic Romanian villages surrounded by mountains, here is the place to

Romania

Negoiu Peak and Custura Saratii – Fagaras Mountains, Romania

Negoiu Peak (2535m) – second highest peak in Romania Negoiu Peak (Varful Negoiu – 2535m) is the second highest peak in Romania. The trail from Cabana Poiana Neamtului to Cabana Negoiu is a 5 hour hike that is not technically challenging. From Cabana Negoiu you can reach Varful Negoiu in about 3.

Romania

Moldoveanu Peak via Cabana Valea Sambetei

Moldoveanu Peak (2544 m) is part of the Fagaras Mountains, Southern Carpathians, and is the highest peak in Romania. Climbing Moldoveanu Peak via Cabana Valea Sambetei during summer does not pose major difficulties, however the total length and elevation gain make it a strenuous hike. We recommend to split the

Romania

Morarului Valley – a spectacular and wild trail towards the summit of Bucegi

The trail through Morarului Valley is an unmarked, spectacular and wild path towards Omu Peak (Varful Omu – 2507m) – the highest peak in Bucegi Mountains, Romania The hike starts at Gura Diham (987 m) and takes about 4.5 hours to reach Omu Peak. This unmarked trail ascends a steep alpine

Romania

La Lanțuri – scrambling in Piatra Craiului

La Lanțuri is a technical and spectacular trail that will take you in about 5 hours from Plaiul Foii to Vârful La Om – the summit of the Piatra Craiului Mountains. “La Lanțuri” is Romanian for “At the chains”. The trail got its name from the many steep and exposed portions

Romania

Romania: easy hike near Brasov: From Zarnesti to Cabana Curmatura, Piatra Craiului Mountains

The trail towards Cabana Curmatura starts near the town of Zărnesti, near a spring known as Fântâna lui Botorog (Botorog’s Fountain). It is a 2.5 hours hike, suitable for beginners. Sunset view at Cabana Curamtura, Piatra Craiului Mountains, RomaniaQuick info about Botorog’s Fountain to Curmatura Chalet trail

Romania

Tiganesti ridge – the best panoramic views in Bucegi Mountains, Romania

From Tiganesti ridge (Culmea Tiganesti) you will get some of the best panoramic views over the glacial valleys in Bucegi Mountains, the entire eastern side of Piatra Craiului Massif and the whole Rucar-Bran Pass. This trail is a 3 hour moderate hike that descends from Omu Peak (2505 m) to

Romania

Romania: Beautiful winter trail in Baiului Mountains

Ascend from Azuga to Urechea Peak (1705 m)  on this 3 hours long moderate hiking trail and you will be rewarded with beautiful views over the Bucegi Mountains. During clear winter days, it seems you are in a fairy tale. You will start near Azuga at around 900 m altitude

Romania

Retezat Mountains, Romania – glacial lakes, moraines and high peaks

Many consider Retezat to be the most beautiful mountains in Romania. We wanted to see for ourselves so we left Bucharest for a 3 day trip in Retezat mountains. It was the beginning of November, which is off season for Retezat. Even if the days are shorter, the weather is

Romania

Ciucas Mountains, Romania: one-day winter hike

The Ciucas Mountains are close to Brasov and Bucharest and are great for easy to moderate day hikes, all year round. The highest peak in Ciucas Mountains is Ciucas Peak (1954 m), followed by Gropşoarele (1883 m), Tigăile Mari (1844 m) and Zăganu (1817 m). In the beginning of February,

Greece

3 wonderful hikes in Santorini

We spent 3 days doing some long walks across the island of Santorini, while keeping the rest for relaxation, casually strolling from Fira to Imerovigli admiring the views from the rim of the caldera. The island of Santorini was formed by repeated volcanic eruptions. Around 3600 years ago, a great

Romania

Hiking in Romania

With a third of the country’s surface covered by mountains, Romania offers some extremely beautiful hiking trails. The Carpathians Bucegi MountainsThe mountains in Romania are part of the Carpathian mountain range system, the second-longest in Europe, after the Scandinavian Mountains. More than 50% of the entire 1500 km length

Romania

Bucegi Mountains, Romania: Ascending to Omu Peak in winter

Omu Peak is the summit of Bucegi. From Omu Peak you will have some nice panoramic views of all the mountains and valleys around. Also, the ascend from Cabana Malaiesti to Omu Peak via the Malaiesti Valley is beautiful as well. The Bucegi mountains in winter The summit of Bucegi

Germany

Hiking near the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany

This one-day hike in Bavaria starts and ends at Füssen train station. It is a 30 km walk, half of it on flat dirt paths and the other half on rugged, steeper, mountainous terrain. The whole loop should take around 12 hours at a comfortable, but alert pace. The time

Romania

Piatra Mare: day-hike near Brasov, Romania

Piatra Mare Mountains are located 10 km south from the city of Brasov. The fact they are not very tall mountains makes their highest peaks accessible all year round. The summit of Piatra Mare Mountains is at Varful Piatra Mare (1844 m). The hiking trails up to Cabana Piatra Mare

Romania

A long hike in foul weather

The weather had been bad for the whole week and we knew it was going to get even worse the day we’d hike. It may sound strange, but rain, wind, fog, and freezing cold were just what we were looking for. It was mid April and we wanted to

Romania

Romania: Leaota Mountains day-hike

In April, most likely it will be cold, windy and inhospitable on the summit, however the nice views along the way and the reasonable steep path will make it a pleasant journey. Walking in the mountains of Romania in April is fun and rewarding. While planning your hike, you may

Romania

Romania: 3-day winter hike in Retezat Mountains

Retezat are spectacular mountains, with many peaks over 2000 meters high that remain covered in snow from December until the second half of May and sometimes even longer. The Retezat Mountains The Retezat Mountains are located in the western part of Romania, close to the towns of Sibiu and Deva.

Romania

Romania: Hiking near the Bran Castle and the village of Moieciu de Sus

f you’re looking for an easy to moderate day-hike near the Bran Castle, we recommend taking this beautiful circuit hike that goes around the village of Moieciu de Sus and high into the Bucegi Mountains. Moieciu de Sus is a resort village situated in the Rucar-Bran Pass, at the