Sleep above the treeline.
Ursa is a stone refuge at 1,842 metres in the Făgăraș Mountains: twelve bunks, a wood stove, dinner at seven and a sky with no town lights in it. The only way in is a four-hour walk.
- Valea Ursului
- Muchia Lupului
- To the summit
1 km
Contours every 25 m
45°35′ N, 24°38′ E
Point at the map to read the height
Four hours from the road
Follow the red stripe from the forestry barrier at Poiana Neagră: 7.4 km and 1,202 m of climbing, with water on the way and a stove at the end.
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640 m
Poiana Neagră
Leave the car at the forestry barrier. The red stripe starts on the first beech on your left and doesn’t stop until our door. There’s a bus from Victoria to the barrier at 7:40 on weekends.
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1,120 m
Făgetul Mare
An hour of beech forest along Valea Ursului. Fill your bottle at the wooden trough: it’s spring water and the last tap before the refuge.
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1,580 m
Stâna din Deal
The trees give up and the sheepfold appears. From July to September the shepherds sell fresh cheese. Their dogs are loud but they stay with the flock: walk wide, don’t run, and they’ll lose interest.
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1,842 m
Refugiul Ursa
The last climb is short and steep. Take your boots off at the door; there’s tea on the stove and a bunk with your name on it.
Stone outside, pine inside
Shepherds built the first walls here in 1936. We rebuilt the refuge stone by stone in 2019, with sixty-centimetre walls, a pine interior and one stove that heats the whole house.
Common room
A table for sixteen, a cast-iron stove, board games, and the logbook every guest since 2019 has signed.
Ursa Mare, 8 bunks
Four double-deckers with curtains and a reading light on every bunk. The east window gets the sunrise.
Ursa Mică, 4 bunks
For families and small groups. Book all four if you want the door to yourselves.
Kitchen
The warden’s domain. Dinner at 19:00, breakfast from 7:00, tea whenever the kettle is on, which is always.
Drying room
Hooks and a boot rack along the stove flue, so wet gear is dry by breakfast.
Porch
Benches facing south down the valley. The best seat for sunset, unless you’re on the summit.
- Open
- 15 June to 15 October. In winter, for guided groups only.
- Bunks
- Twelve, with duvets and pillows. Bring a sleeping-bag liner or rent one for 10 lei.
- Meals
- Dinner and breakfast are included. Vegetarian on request; tell us about allergies when you book.
- Water
- A spring 40 metres from the door, filtered at the tap inside.
- Power
- Solar. Enough for lights and charging phones, not for hair dryers.
- Signal
- None at the refuge. One bar on the ridge, five minutes up. The warden has a satellite phone for emergencies.
Two ways in, one way higher
Every route here is waymarked with a painted symbol on rocks and trees, every 50 to 100 metres. Follow the symbol, not your phone.
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Valea Ursului
Red stripe, from Poiana Neagră
- Distance
- 7.4 km
- Climb
- 1,202 m
- Up
- 3 h 45
- Grade
- Moderate
The way most people come. A forest road for the first kilometre, then a path beside the stream, then switchbacks through the last of the spruce. Fine for children who like walking.
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Muchia Lupului
Blue cross, from Cantonul Lupului
- Distance
- 8.0 km
- Climb
- 1,127 m
- Up
- 4 h 30
- Grade
- Hard
The long way round: up the open crest of the spur from the forestry hut at 715 m, with a chained section above 1,600 m and a view the whole way. Not for wet days, and not for dogs.
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Vârful Ursoaica
Yellow triangle, from the refuge
- Distance
- 4.0 km
- Climb
- 394 m
- Up
- 1 h 30
- Grade
- Moderate
The sunrise walk. Leave at five with a head torch, be on the summit when the sun clears the ridge, and be back for breakfast at eight.
Profiles share one scale: 0 to 8 km across, 600 to 2,250 m up. Vârful Ursoaica is 2,236 m.
Up here the stars go all the way down to the horizon
There’s no road, village or streetlight for nineteen kilometres. On a clear, moonless night the Milky Way runs from the ridge to the valley, and you can find the Plough without looking for it. The warden keeps binoculars and a star chart by the door.
Book a bunk
170 lei a night, about €34, with dinner and breakfast.
- No deposit. The warden confirms by email within a day.
- Pay at the refuge, in cash or by card when the satellite link is up. Bring cash.
- Children under twelve pay half.
- Plans change: tell us if you can’t come, so someone else gets the bunk.
Booking request sent
The warden will confirm by email within a day.
Ursa is a concept, so this request went nowhere. On a real site it would reach the warden’s inbox.
Before you walk up
What about bears?
They live here and we’re the guests. Walk in daylight, talk as you go, and keep food inside your pack or the refuge. The bins are bear-proof, and the warden will tell you if one has been seen on your route that week.
What happens if the weather turns?
Nobody leaves in a storm. If the warden says the ridge isn’t safe, you stay another night and it’s on us.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, on a lead, on the red-stripe route. Dogs sleep in the entry, not in the bunk rooms, and there’s a blanket for them. Keep them close at the sheepfold.
Do I need a sleeping bag?
No. Every bunk has a duvet and a pillow. Bring a sleeping-bag liner, or rent one for 10 lei.
Can I get there in winter?
Only with a mountain guide and a group booking. The valley route is avalanche terrain from December to April, so email us first and we’ll put you in touch with a guide from Victoria.