# When does the Transfăgărășan open, what are the driving hours, and is the Bâlea Lake tunnel accessible in winter? > The Transfăgărășan reopened on 12 June 2026 and is open 07:00-21:00 only. Winter closure, the Bâlea tunnel and the calendar trap to avoid. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/transfagarasan-road-open-dates-driving-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-06-21 The **Transfăgărășan** (DN7C) reopened for the 2026 season on **12 June at 12:00**, later than usual because of snow-clearing in the avalanche zones. While open, the high alpine section is drivable **only between 07:00 and 21:00** — it closes to all traffic overnight, from 21:01 to 06:59. It does not have a fixed winter closing date: it stays open as long as weather allows, often into late October or early November. ## The opening date is not fixed, and that is the trap The Transfăgărășan is a high alpine road crossing the Făgăraș mountains, with the **Bâlea Lake tunnel** at roughly **2,042 m**. The section between **Bâlea Cascadă** in Sibiu county and **Piscul Negru** in Argeș county is closed by snow for much of the year and reopened only when the road authority, CNAIR, finishes clearing it. In 2026 that was **12 June**. In other years it has been earlier or later depending on snowfall and avalanche risk. Do not plan a trip around a date you read in a blog — check the current status in the days before you drive. The autumn close is equally unpredictable. The road stays open into October or November while conditions allow, and the 2025 closure happened around 20 October. Past mid-October, check daily bulletins and expect the possibility of snow tires being required or the road being shut without much notice. ## Driving hours: 07:00 to 21:00 Even in the middle of summer, the high section is **not open 24 hours**. It is drivable from **07:00 to 21:00** and closed overnight for safety. That matters more than it seems. Sunset in the Făgăraș is early relative to the valleys, the road is narrow with tight hairpins and no lighting, and the overnight closure is enforced with barriers. If you are driving from Sibiu to Curtea de Argeș, do it as a daytime run rather than an evening one. Fuel up before you start. Services on the high section are limited to what clusters around Bâlea Lake, and they are seasonal. ## The Bâlea tunnel in winter The tunnel itself is a structure that pierces the mountain, and it is often described as if you could drive to it in winter. You cannot. When the high section closes, the approaches from **Bâlea Cascadă** on the north side and **Piscul Negru** on the south are both blocked by deep snow and closed with barriers. If you want to see Bâlea Lake in winter, the route is the **cable car** from the lower station near Bâlea Cascadă, which runs year-round and takes you up to the lake independently of the road. In summer, the tunnel is simply part of the drive — unlit, narrow, and a strange experience after the switchbacks. Headlights on. ## What the drive is actually like We came at this road from the west, having stayed in Sibiu for two nights in October 2022, and the practical approach is from **Sibiu** south via Boița and the Olt valley, then up to Bâlea Cascadă. The northern approach is the famous part: a sequence of long viaducts and hairpins climbing to the lake. It is spectacular and it is slow, because everyone stops. Pull over in the signed laybys rather than stopping in the road — that is the single most common cause of the jams up here. **Bears.** There are brown bears along the road, and the authorities warn about them every season. Do not approach or feed them: feeding is prohibited by law (Law no. 407/2006, as amended) and fines run from **10,000 to 30,000 lei**. A bear that has been fed loses its fear of people, which is how it ends up being relocated or destroyed. Stay in the car, keep food out of sight, and do not stop for photographs at close range. Expect weather to change with altitude, even in July. Cloud can sit on the ridge and reduce visibility to nothing in minutes, and there is no mobile signal in stretches. Carry a jacket and water regardless of the forecast in Sibiu. The southern descent toward Curtea de Argeș is longer and less dramatic, and it puts you within reach of the Argeș valley monasteries. If you are doing the road one way, north to south sets up that second day well. ## Frequently asked questions ### When does the Transfăgărășan open? In 2026 it reopened on 12 June at 12:00. The date varies each year with snow clearing, so check the road authority's current status before travelling. ### What hours can you drive the Transfăgărășan? 07:00 to 21:00. The high alpine section is closed to all traffic overnight from 21:01 to 06:59, even in summer. ### Can you reach Bâlea Lake when the road is closed? Yes, by the cable car from the lower station near Bâlea Cascadă, which runs year-round. The tunnel itself is not reachable by road in winter. ### When does the Transfăgărășan close for winter? There is no fixed date. It stays open while weather allows, often into late October or early November, and closes earlier if snow comes. ## Official sources - [CNAIR: national road company, road status](https://www.cnair.ro/) - [Romanian Police: Infotrafic](https://www.politiaromana.ro/ro/infotrafic)