A picturesque route through some of the most beautiful villages in the Dorna depression. About half of it is on asphalt, which makes it very accessible.
In the first part the route follows the asphalt for about 1.5 kilometres through the hamlet of Dănești, then turns west onto a gravel lane leading to Sărișoru Mare village. This lane is the shortest link between the two villages, crossing Sihla hill on its southern side. Locals use the name “sihlă” or “sâhla” for the area between the two villages, and many of them use the land here for grazing or haymaking. Here you can enjoy a great variety of mountain plants and flowers, some of them endangered.
Once in Sărișoru Mare, the route heads down the valley (north) for almost 1 kilometre. From here a climb begins, fairly hard at first but easing as you go. At the top you can enjoy a wonderful view to the east.
The road continues through a small spruce wood on the ridge between Sărișoru Mare and Sărișoru Mic villages, an area called “Dealul Boambei”. You can still see the exploration galleries dug here in the past, when people searched for manganese ore. Leaving the wood, the route reaches the asphalt road in Sărișoru Mic. From there it descends for about 4 kilometres along the stream of the same name to the centre of Șaru Dornei, and returns to the starting point.
- Difficulty: easy
- Maximum altitude: 960 m
- Length: 12.5 km
- Total ascent: 193 m
- Total descent: 198 m
