Autumn is a magical season for travel, especially for those who love exploring mountains and capturing stunning landscape photography. As the leaves turn to shades of gold, amber, and red, the world transforms into a vibrant, colorful canvas, making it an ideal time for adventure and creativity.

If you want to experience autumn’s beauty in all its vibrant glory, Romania’s Parang Mountains in my opinion is a good destination. Just 15 km from the city of Petrosani, this scenic spot offers some of the best views of the season’s golden and fiery hues. To get there, you’ll need to drive up to Hotel Rusu, located on a smaller mountain at an altitude of 1,100 meters.

Hotel Rusu, the largest hotel at the base of the Parang Mountains, is an ideal place to stay. However, if you’re planning a longer trip, there are plenty of guesthouses and hotels nearby offering comfortable accommodations. 

From this vantage point, you’ll not only capture the stunning autumn colors but also take in breathtaking views of the Jiu Valley, including the towns of Petrila and Petrosani. On clear days, the Retezat Mountains can also be seen in the distance, adding to the magical scenery.

Also from here, a part of the Taii Gorge is also visible, which is not so far from Petrila.

For even more breathtaking views, you can drive up to Parâng Resort, sitting at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The road has been recently asphalted, making the journey smoother and more enjoyable. Once there, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the beauty of autumn, perfect for photography, hiking, or simply relaxing in nature.

This small medieval citadel can be found in the Romanian village of Mălăiești which is located at the foothills of the Retezat Mountains. It’s actually not very far from the city of Hațeg.

Speaking of Hațeg, close to this city, you will find the Bison Reservation which is another important place that you can visit in the Hațeg region.

About the Mălăiești medieval citadel

This small medieval fortification was built in the 14th century and back then according to the story, the nobility lived in that small tower which was entirely surrounded by fortification walls.

Usually these types of fortification were built because the nobles from the medieval period wanted a very protected living place. This was a perfect place for them to store their valuable items or maybe a large chest packed with gold.

You can visit the exterior of the small citadel for free, you will only have to pay for a ticket if you want to visit the small museum inside the tower.

On our way back from lake Zetea, we decided to make a short stop at lake Rugănești since it was close to the main road leading to Sighișoara. This lake is pretty popular for those who like catch some fish and for campers as well. Also, you have the possibility to rent a small wooden house if you plan to stay there for a longer period.

When we arrived there, the sun started slowly to set behind some larger hills which surrounds the lake, to our luck the bar was still open and we managed to buy some refreshments. Since the sun started to disappear behind some larger hills, I’ve decided to capture some sunset photos of the lake before drove away from this amazing Transylvanian lake

This lake is located in Harghita county, on the outskirts of the village of Rugănești. The closest major city is Sighișoara which is about 26 km away from this lake.

What to do in the area:

• As I mentioned above above, since the medieval citadel of Sighișoara is only 26 km away from this lake, I highly encourage you to check out this unique medieval citadel. I bet that you won’t regret it.
• Another place that you can visit is the small memorial park from Bezid. Right next to the memorial park, you will find the lake Bezid.
• I would like to mention the old fortified church from Saschiz.