Last Updated on November 2, 2025
Image: Bucura Lake.
Highlights
– A day hike to scenic Bucura Lake in the Retezat National Park in Western Romania.
Time of Visit: August 2025
Duration of Visit: Two Nights
Description
Bucura Lake is a glacial alpine lake in the heart of Retezat National Park. It is the largest lake in the park and also the largest glacial lake in Romania. The lake is in a glacial cirque meaning it is surrounded by mountains.
The glaciers are long gone so Bucura Lake does not have the turquoise color commonly found in glacial lakes. Still the place is just peaceful, scenic and heavenly. The lake is mainly surrounded by grass covered mountains with patches of shrubberies. This provides unobstructed panoramic views all around the lake.
Activities
Camping by the lake and hiking the many interconnected trails are popular activities at the lake.
Most of the camping spots are located near the outlet where campers have stacked stones to act as windshields. There is a portable toilet provided. Drinking water is available at the nearby rescue shelter that is staffed until mid-September.
Lake Bucura is connected by many trails that lead to other destinations in Retezat National Park. Varful (peak) Paleaga is the highest in the park and an hour to two hours hike from the lake. Cabanas (hut) Pietrele is a two to three hour hike. There are also other lakes to visit such as Ana, Florica, Lia and Viorica which can be reached by following the circuit trail called Circuitul Lacurilor.
Bear Safety
Bear warnings are posted at the rescue shelter. We did not see any though. Still, we make noise and occasionally loudly say “Hey bear” to announce our presence.
How To Get There
Bucura Lake is commonly accessed from the Rescue Shelter Pelegil (shown on Google Maps). This provides the shortest path to the lake at 3.1 kms (2 miles) and the least amount of elevation gain at 450 meters (1,470 feet). Komoot (popular European hiking app similar to Alltrails in the USA) labels the hike as intermediate.
The trail sign at the rescue shelter indicates it should take between 1.5 and two hours to reach the lake. It took us 2.5 hours. The first hour is through the forest which was over roots and rocks. The second half of the hike is in exposed and even steeper climb.
If doing Lake Bucura as a day hike, allow enough time to reach the trailhead. The 18 kilometers from Gura Apelor Dam to the shelter is compacted dirt with large potholes in the first five kilometers. It took us an hour to navigate this dirt road in a passenger car (Renault Clio). Plan on arriving early at the shelter to secure a parking spot. Space is limited and some may already be taken by overnight campers.
Where To Stay
The nearest decent sized town from the Rescue Shelter Pelegil is Hateg which is two hours away. We stayed in Pensiunea Daria which has three guestrooms with private bathrooms. Two have a balcony. The pension is located at a dead end street so it is quiet and secluded yet not far from restaurants and grocery stores.
How To Get Around
Having your own means of transportation is a must to hike Bucura Lake. There is no public transportation to get to Rescue Shelter Pelegil.
Expected Expenses
We did not incur any costs to hike to Bucura Lake. There is a sign at the Rescue Shelter Pelegil that a visiting ticket for seven days needs to be purchased. However, when we inquired about the ticket from a rescue ranger, the response was we did not need one. Probably because we were doing a day hike only.
There was no parking fee at the trailhead.
Summary
Bucura Lake in Retezat National Park is a picturesque alpine lake that is surrounded by mountains. Pictures do not do justice to the beauty of this lake and surroundings. Besides being a beautiful destination, there is no crowd to share the lake with which makes it more special. The hike to the lake from Rescue Shelter Pelegil is no easy feat but well worth it.
If coming from the town of Hateg, leave early as the drive time alone is a total of four hours (round trip). You will thank yourself later if you get an early start. The place is just peaceful and wonderful which makes it hard to leave.