Mount Tâmpa and the Cable Car

Is it worth it?

Yes, especially on your first day. Mount Tâmpa is the wooded ridge that rises straight out of the Old Town. From the upper station you can see how the whole city fits together: the walled Old Town and the Black Church directly below, Șchei in the valley to the west, the newer town spreading out towards the Bârsa plain, and the Postăvarul and Piatra Mare ridges behind you. Nothing else in the centre gives you that overview so quickly.

Up there you’ll also find the last stones of the medieval Brassovia fortress.

It’s a good fit for:

• Short stays: ride up and down in about an hour, then carry on round the Old Town.
• Walkers: the trails are short and well trodden, and they start a few minutes from Piața Sfatului. If you don’t fancy a steady climb, ride up and walk down.
• Families and wheelchair users: the cable car takes pushchairs, and there’s step-free access with a ramp and a lift (details below).

Skip it on days of low cloud, when the top sits in fog and there’s little to see. After heavy snow or ice, the steep parts of the trails are hard going too. And if the queue is long and you’re short of time, the White and Black towers on the other side of the Old Town give you a decent view instead.

The cable car: prices, hours and queues

The Telecabina Tâmpa is run by Ana Teleferic, part of ANA Holding, the company that also runs the lifts in Poiana Brașov. The line and the Panoramic restaurant at the top were fully modernised, and both reopened on 19 October 2025.

Prices, from the operator’s website (checked 10 October 2026):

Ticket	Adult	Child 6–12
Up and down	45 lei	30 lei
Up only	30 lei	20 lei
Down only	30 lei	20 lei

• Children under 6 ride free when they travel with a family member.
• Passengers with locomotor disabilities ride free.
• Organised groups of more than 25 people get 20% off, but you have to ask the operator for approval in advance.
• You can buy tickets online at telecabina-tampa.ro.

Hours, from the operator’s useful-info page:

Day	Hours
Monday	12:30–22:00
Tuesday–Thursday	10:30–22:00
Friday–Saturday	10:30–22:30
Sunday	10:30–22:00

Mondays start later, so don’t plan a morning ride then. The operator doesn’t publish a fixed maintenance closure each year, so if your plans hinge on the ride, check its site before you go.

The ride itself: the line is 573 m long and climbs 320 m to the upper station at 960 m. Each cabin holds 25 people, and the trip takes about two minutes. At busy times the average wait is about 30 minutes.

Accessibility: the stations have a ramp and their own lift, and the viewing area and restaurant at the top are adapted for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Walking up: the trails

All the main trails start in the park along Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu, at the foot of Tâmpa by the Drapers’ Bastion (Bastionul Postăvarilor). The trail figures below come from the Munții Noștri trail atlas, whose sheets are dated April 2026.

Trail	Marking	Distance	Climb	Time up	Character
Serpentine Road (Drumul Serpentinelor)	Red triangle	3.0 km	380 m	1 h 15 – 1 h 30	25 long switchbacks on a forest path; the easiest way up
Gabony Steps (Treptele lui Gabony)	Yellow triangle	–	about 400 m	about 1 h	Steep concrete steps, then a ridge path past the Tâmpa meadow
Knights’ Road (Drumul Cavalerilor)	Variant of the blue stripe	short link	–	about 15 min from the Serpentine junction to the saddle	Old access road to the medieval fortress

Serpentine Road (red triangle)

Most people go up this way. The path leaves the park promenade at a signpost and climbs through the forest in 25 long switchbacks. It passes under the cable car line several times, and in those clearings the Old Town opens up below you. You come out on the ridge north-east of the summit, right by the upper station and the restaurant.

From there, a short climb west takes you to the summit, which the trail atlas puts at 955 m.

The path is earth and stone, and easy to follow. Salvamont (the mountain rescue service) and the reserve’s ranger have complained that walkers cut across the bends. In June 2024 TVR Info reported that this has worn the path down to 40–50 cm wide in places. So please stick to the switchbacks.

Gabony Steps (yellow triangle)

The Gabony Steps start from the same place, then branch off near a stone bench. The concrete steps date from 1930–1931, and they’re steep: the trail atlas gives a gradient of 34.7%. That makes this the harder way up, and the better one if you want to feel you’ve earned the view.

Above the steps, the path follows the ridge past the Tâmpa meadow, a protected flower reserve, and reaches the upper station from the east. The full marked route carries on over the summit and down to Valea Cetății, 4.7 km and 2 h – 2 h 45 in total. In a snowy winter the steps are hard work.

Knights’ Road and the blue-stripe trail

The Knights’ Road (Drumul Cavalerilor) was the medieval way up to the Brassovia fortress. It branches off the Serpentine Road at a stone bench and joins the blue-stripe trail at Șaua Tâmpei, the saddle south of the summit. The blue-stripe trail itself (Drumul Albastru) goes on past the saddle towards Culmea Crucuru on the Postăvarul massif. That’s 6.7 km and 2 h 45 – 3 h 30 from the park, so it’s a proper hike rather than a stroll.

Source: Unsplash

At the top: viewpoints, the BRAȘOV sign and Brassovia

• The upper station and the Panoramic restaurant sit on the ridge at about 960 m, looking straight down on the Old Town. There’s more on the Panoramic restaurant below.
• The summit is a few minutes’ walk west along a forest track. By the survey marker there’s a stretch of old wall, plus information panels about the fortress and the reserve.
• The BRAȘOV letters, modelled on the Hollywood sign, stand on the slope just below the summit. An unmarked path leads down to them from the summit track. The ground drops away steeply below the letters, so stay on the path and behind any barriers.
• Brassovia fortress stood on the plateau below the summit until the mid-15th century. On John Hunyadi’s orders it was pulled down by about 1455, and only fragments of wall remain.

Restaurant Panoramic at the top

The Restaurant Panoramic has stood next to the upper station since 1975, and it reopened with the modernised cable car in October 2025. It’s the only place on Tâmpa to eat or drink. Everything below comes from the restaurant’s own website, checked on 10 October 2026.

• The restaurant: an à la carte dining room with 150 seats, looking out over the Old Town and Piața Sfatului. Chef Doru Bar’s menu mixes Romanian and international dishes, from beef and fish to desserts, with vegetarian options. If you follow another diet, tell the waiter (restaurant, FAQ). You can see the menu online.
• Restaurant hours: Monday 14:00–22:00, Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 12:00–22:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00–22:30.
• The café and terrace: coffee, soft drinks and light snacks, every day 10:30–18:00 (Monday from 12:30). It’s the obvious stop after the walk up (café and terrace).
• Booking: it’s best to book at weekends, in the tourist season and for dinner at sunset. Call or WhatsApp 0372 667 711, email rezervari@panoramicbrasov.ro, or book online.
• Getting there: by cable car or on foot along the trails, as cars can’t drive up. The cable car ticket isn’t included in your bill. The cable car runs as late as the restaurant stays open (22:00, or 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays), so you can ride down after dinner.
• Families: children are welcome, and the station and restaurant are adapted for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

The restaurant also hosts weddings and private events, and puts on a ticketed New Year’s Eve dinner. For more places to eat in town, see where to eat in Brașov.

Rules in the reserve

Tâmpa is protected land. It’s a nature reserve and a Natura 2000 site (ROSCI0120), and the Environment Ministry approved its management plan and visitor rules in 2016, in Order 767/2016. Here’s what that means on the ground:

• Stay on the marked trails. You may only go up by the marked trails or the cable car. Salvamont warns that if you leave the path, you risk getting lost, slipping or running into wild animals.
• No bikes on the walking trails. The Brașov Metropolitan Agency, which looks after the reserve, has ruled that the trails are for walkers only.
• No driving up. Vehicles are restricted on the forest road to the summit. In 2026 there was even a public row over delivery vehicles using it (Gândul, May 2026).
• Leave the plants alone. The meadow on the ridge is a protected flower reserve.
• Take your litter back down with you.

Bears. Bears live in the forests around Brașov, and Tâmpa is no exception. Don’t feed them or leave food behind. Our guide to bears in Brașov explains what to do if you meet one.

Combine Tâmpa with the Old Town

Tâmpa fits neatly into a day on foot in the centre:

1. Start in Piața Sfatului and visit the Black Church.
2. Walk east to the city walls and the Weavers’ Bastion, which houses a history exhibition (see our museums guide).
3. Take the cable car up from the lower station on Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu.
4. Walk down the Serpentine Road, then follow the promenade along the walls at the foot of Tâmpa. It’s one of the routes in our walks in Brașov guide.

The cable car runs until 22:00 or later every day, so you can save it for the end of the afternoon and watch the light change over the Old Town. For more ideas for the rest of the day, see things to do in Brașov.

Tips

• Buy tickets online at busy times. All three ticket types are on the operator’s site.
• Ride up, walk down if you want the view without the climb. When the path is dry, the Serpentine Road is the gentlest way down.
• Wear proper shoes. The trails are earth, roots and stone, and the Gabony Steps get slippery when wet or icy.
• Check the weather first. If the cloud is lower than the ridge, you’ll see nothing. Our weather forecast for Brașov page shows the current conditions in Brașov.
• Bring water if you’re walking up. At the top, the Panoramic’s café and terrace sells drinks and light snacks from 10:30 to 18:00 (Monday from 12:30).

FAQ

How much is the Tâmpa cable car?

It’s 45 lei return or 30 lei one way for adults, and 30 lei return or 20 lei one way for children aged 6–12. Children under 6 ride free with a family member.

What are the Tâmpa cable car opening hours?

It’s open Monday 12:30–22:00, Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 10:30–22:00, and Friday and Saturday 10:30–22:30.

How long does it take to walk up Tâmpa?

About 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 on the Serpentine Road, the easiest trail. It’s 3 km long and marked with a red triangle. The Gabony Steps are shorter but steeper, and take about an hour.

Can you walk to the BRAȘOV sign?

Yes. An unmarked path leads down to the letters from the track near the summit, a few minutes from the upper cable car station. Stay on the path, because the slope below the letters is steep.

Can you take a pushchair or wheelchair on the cable car?

Yes. The stations have a ramp and a lift, and the cable car is adapted for pushchairs and wheelchair users. Passengers with locomotor disabilities ride free.

Is there a restaurant at the top of Tâmpa?

Yes, the Restaurant Panoramic, right next to the upper cable car station. The restaurant is open 12:00–22:00 (from 14:00 on Mondays, and until 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays), and its café and terrace 10:30–18:00. It’s best to book at weekends and for sunset: call 0372 667 711.

Is Tâmpa open in winter?

The operator publishes the same opening hours all year round. The trails stay open too, but the Gabony Steps are hard going in deep snow, and any of the paths can be icy.

Sources

• Telecabina Tâmpa (Ana Teleferic): prices and hours, tickets, attractions, checked 10 October 2026
• Restaurant Panoramic: cable car information, restaurant and hours, café and terrace, FAQ, checked 10 October 2026
• Munții Noștri trail atlas: Serpentine Road, trail 35, Gabony Steps, trail 34, blue-stripe trail 36
• Zile și Nopți: reopening after modernisation, 15 October 2025
• TVR Info: trail erosion on Tâmpa, 7 June 2024
• Environment Ministry Order 767/2016: Tâmpa management plan and regulation