Macin Mountains are the smallest and oldest mountains in Romania. But besides old and small (which are usually used in a not-positive way) they’re also easily accessible and great to hike during spring, when real mountains are still too cold and snowy for most people.
The main gateway to the park is the village of Greci. There’s an info office with a small museum. We found it closed during working hours, but apparently we should have used the door bell. The second gateway is the town of Macin. We stayed here overnight, at the only hotel we found, which was quite decent given the.. ehm.. monopoly it has.
From Greci you get access to the main ridge. The highest peak, Tutuiatu (467 m), is less than 2 hours away from the village center, and that’s at a leisurely pace. Tutuiatu is neighbored by Peak Ghiunaltu (442 m), with some really nice stony trail sections. There was a ranger at the start of the trail, collecting the 6 RON entry fee and offering helpful advice (and even his phone number, in case of future questions).
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- View from Tutuiatu
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- Little rodent trying to hide
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- Little turtle trying to run
Meanwhile, the town of Macin offers you access to the Pricopanului Ridge. Despite the low heights (with Peak Sulukul Mare reaching 370 m), it feels like a true mountain ridge, with a lot of ups and downs, rocky sections and great views all around. I ran it at sunrise and despite having to wake up at 5 am it was a great choice.
We were pleasantly surprised by the fauna we saw there. Usually, there are few animals on mountains and they’re shy and hard to see. Here we were lucky to see 3 turtles, one deer and one rodent we didn’t identify. There are a lot more animals to see, apparently even wolves. Maybe next time.
There are a lot of quarries in the area. Near the village of Turcoaia you can find Lake Iacobdeal, formed on top of an old abandoned quarry. I admit I had higher expectations from this place. With easy car access though, it’s likely you’ll find many people here, making barbecues and listening to loud music.
If you’re in the mood, on your way back to Bucharest you can detour to Navodari or Mamaia. It will add about one hour to your trip, but if it’s spring the seaside will be deserted and perhaps even remotely enjoyable.