Nestled at the foot of the Baiu Mountains, Azuga is a small ski resort in Romania’s Prahova County. Once clustered with factories for brewing beer, producing glassware and weaving textiles, it is now home to the longest ski run in the country.
Things to do in Azuga
If you’re visiting in the winter months, you can hit the downhill trails of Sorica and Cazacu, which cater to both beginner and experienced skiers. In the summer, Azuga serves as a base for hikers and bikers wanting to explore the surrounding mountains and access the picturesque settlements of Predeal and Bușteni. Along the Azuga River, keep an eye out for the artificial waterfalls used to oxygenate the water for trout.
A short drive south of Azuga is Cantacuzino Castle, a Neo-Romanian landmark that was completed in 1911 on a design by architect Grigore Cerchez. It was built for Prince George Grigore Cantacuzino on the site of a family hunting lodge and featured facilities that were considered technologically progressive for their time. After serving as a summer residence for the prince, it became a sanatorium in the 1950s and is open to the public as a castle museum.
Nearby is the Cezar Petrescu Memorial Museum, which occupies the former home of one of Romania’s most beloved writers. Caesar Petrescu lived here with his family between 1937 and 1961 and the interiors have been recreated in the style of the period. See Transylvanian ceramics and sculptures by Oscan Han, the step inside the office where Petrescu once worked.
Getting around Azuga
Azuga is around 40 minutes’ drive from Brașov and around an hour from Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Trains connect from Bucharest to the Azuga railway station and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.