Driving a Romanian classic road to Tihuța Pass

Pasul Tihuţa is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.201m (3,940ft) above the sea level, located in Bistrița-Năsăud County, in Transylvania, Romania.

Pasul Tihuţa

Is the road to Tihuța Pass paved?

Set high in the Romanian Bârgău Mountains, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called DN17, part of the European Route 58.

How long is Tihuța Pass?

Located on the northern part of Transylvania, the pass is 17.5 km (10.87 miles) long running west-east from Piatra Fântânele to Poiana Stampei, on the old border between Moldavia and Transylvania. The road to the summit is very steep, hitting a 12% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps.

When was the road through Tihuța Pass built?

The first road traversing the pass was built between 1812 and 1817. In 1969 the road was first concreted, then asphalted. The pass was mentioned in the famous Dracula novel, written by Bram Stoker, where, termed as "the Borgo Pass", it was the gateway to the realm of Count Dracula. Near the pass a hotel known as "Castel Dracula" was built in 1974. The Hotel claims to be located exactly where Bram Stoker imagined the Castle Dracula from his famous Dracula novel to be situated, but this claim is not accurate. The hotel was giving visitors the opportunity to make the most of the spectacular surrounding views of Transylvania and Bukovina, while also enjoying the location’s connection to the world’s most famous vampire story. Now it is permanently closed. At the summit is a hotel restaurant called Hotel Cota 1201.