“The place of wandering night bears”.
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Where is Busteni?
The small mountain town of Busteni is in the north of Prahova County, in central Romania. It is located in the Prahova Valley, at the base of the 2500m high Bucegi Mountains and Bucegi Nature Park.
Getting there
Our plan was to stay in Sinaia and not Busteni. Unfortunately, we had left it too late as accommodation in Sinaia was full. We opted to stay in the next town Bustini. Then the following day take a train to Sinaia for a day trip.
Our journey from Brasov to Busteni was on the train.
Our accommodation
Whilst in Busteni we chose to stay at Vila Mama Jana, a charming guest house located on the edge of the forest.
Tip 🐻
Be aware that bears roam freely in Busteni. According to our hosts, the bears wander in from the edge of forest at night to forage on rubbish bins. Vila Mama Jana was situated on the outskirts of the forest. Alas we didn’t see any bears, but we certainly heard them. Use caution. As there have been several reported cases of attacks.
Places of interest
Cantacuzino Castle
This neo-Romanian castle, in a park, has paths that lead to waterfalls, wells and a cave.
It contains a collection of the Boyar family coat of arms and a frieze of paintings with Cantacuzino family members.
Busteni-Babele Cable car
A cable car runs up the mountain from Busteni to Babele.
Approximately a 15 minute ride, affording some wonderful views. In the peak season, it can be a long wait, as there are only 2 gondolas on the system, each with a max capacity of 22 people.
Certainly a close call on whether the impressive views are worth the lengthy wait.
Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak
This large commemorative cross, about 25 m high, sits on top of the 2260m high Caraiman Peak. Illuminated at night it is visible from virtually everywhere in Bușteni.