Although the valley is surrounded by other beautiful hiking and backpacking areas, the Parāng Mountains on the east end of the valley and Retezat National Park on the west end provide the most developed trail networks and beautiful scenery. The Vālcan Mountains, which form the valley's southern border, also offer substantial hiking and backpacking areas. We provide a brief description of each and how to reach them.

Parang

The Parang mountains offer spectacular alpine hiking opportunities to the visitor. Though smaller in area than Retezat National Park, Parang is more accessible and boasts Romania's third highest peak, Parangul Mare.

The best point of entry into the Parang mountains from Petrosani is the Parang Telescaun (chairlift). The top of the telescaun serves as a major trailhead to the Parang mountains.

Another major point of entry, though slightly farther from Petrosani, is Cabana Groapa Seaca. Located 18 km outside of Petrosani, the cabana provides hikers a beautiful, and relatively non-crowded hiking experience and is also closely situated to several trail heads.

Map of Parang Mountains - Open it as separate window

Retezat

The Retezat Mountains also offer many opportunities for hiking and backpacking. Retezat National Park itself is one of Europe's premier parcels of pristine forest. Created in 1935, it is the first national park in Romania and boasts glacier lakes and towering peaks. It is a must-see for visitors to the area.

There are several points of entry into the Retezat National Park from both the north and south sides. Cabana Pietrele (accessed via Ohaba de Sub Piatra) and Cabana Baleia (accessed via Pui) serve as the major northern points of entry into the park.

Cabana Baleia also serves as a point of entry into the overall Retezat mountain chain, and not strictly the park itself. The southern area is best accessed via Cabana Buta, past Cimpu Lui Neag. 4-wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended. By foot, hikers can reach Cabana Buta from Campu lui Neag in approximately 7-8 hours.

Map of Retezat Mountains - Open it as separate window

Valcan

The Valcan mountains form the southern border of the Jiu Valley. Unlike the Parang and Retezat mountains, the Valcans are more gently sloped and slightly more populated by small farms. The view from these mountains is no less spectacular and several trails run along their length. These mountains are accessible directly from Uricani, Lupeni, and Vulcan. From Lupeni, visitors can take a telescaun (chairlift) nearly to the top of Straja Peak.

Map of Valcan Mountains - Open it as separate window