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URL: https://www.transcarpathian.org/trail/

⇱ Trails across the Carpathian mountains | Other thru-hikers' resources

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Map | Download | Other hikers | Thanks

There is no single trail across the Carpathians; in some parts, the main ridge is obvious (Făgăraș), while in other sections, hikers can choose from several different mountain ranges.

Some have already tried to chart the Via Carpatica or The Carpathian Divide Trail, but these plans are materializing slowly and remain incomplete. Meanwhile, a handful of people walk across the entire range every year. Based on my conversations with them, most would love to keep Carpathian thru-hiking as it is – without an official trail in place. The reasons are simple:
1) Charting an “official route” invites competitive hikers who feel the need to compete, often prioritizing their achievement over respect for the fragile nature and relationships with locals.
2) While charting a route means taking responsibility towards nature, local communities, and hikers, it also relieves hikers of their own responsibility, thus attracting less experienced individuals.
3) An official route enables comparison but takes away from the uniqueness of the individual experience.
4) Official routes are often someone’s business projects; the less commerce we see at the expense of the mountains and the locals, the better.

When planning my routes in the Carpathians, I try to avoid civilization as much as possible and stick to the mountain ranges. These trails are physically scouted, not just planned on a screen, which is why the GPS datasets are slightly larger than the computer-generated ones.

The 2019 thru-hike started at Pálava – the westernmost point of the range, where the Carpathians collide with the much older Hercynian platform. Through Slovakia, I followed in the footsteps of Svetozár Krno, Ľuboš Calpaš and Pavel Mach, who traversed the arc in 1984.  Unlike most other hikers, I did not finish in Orșova but reached the Danube in Coronini, walking an additional 100 km to the west. Since there are Czech settlements in that area, I experienced the magic of hearing my mother tongue at both ends of my Carpathian journey.

Map of the thru-hikes

Click the upper-right corner to enlarge the map, click upper left corner to choose points of interest (water, shelters, shopping options, …).

To download:  

Download instructions: based on several feedbacks the download does not work by clicking the link in some browsers (Chrome, Safari). In this case, right-click the link and choose the save-as or download option. Based on your online safety settings you might receive a warning that the file is not secure. The reason is the browser/antivirus cannot see inside the zip files containing gpx. Here is an alternative link to a Google Drive folder.

I welcome any updates to the points of interest. Feel free to send them to michal@skaut.cz so I can add the POIs to the datasets. And of course, you can buy me a coffee if you find this work helpful.

Other hikers

Pages of (reference to) other hikers who walked across the whole Carpathian mountain range:

Łukasz Supergan manages this more comprehensive list of hikers in Polish.

I should note that “walking across the Carpathians” can mean different things depending on the trail and the philosophy you choose, so I would be very cautious when making any comparisons.  Weather plays a significant role during the hike. Starting and ending points vary. Some walk only the highest peaks, while others also cross valleys or lower ridges. Some avoid civilization, while others pay for accommodation in mountain chalets and villages or take detours to cities. Some have support teams, others depend on local resources. Some walk fast, others slowly. Some raise thousands of Euros for their journey, while others set their survival limit at 1€ a day. Some sell their experience, others keep it for themselves; I created these webpages to inspire others to fall in love with the Carpathians.

If I were asked to define what a “Carpathian thru-hike” means, I would suggest: 1) walking at least 2000 km and passing through most of the Carpathian countries in a single trek, 2) walking the highest ridges or the lower ones connecting them, 3) spending at least two-thirds of the nights away from civilization, 4) having no support team accompanying the hike.

Thanks

I am grateful to my friend Horaţiu Popa – a keen tourist from Cluj for tips regarding Northern Romania, updates on snow conditions in Făgăraș and help with the support parcel during the 2019 thru-hike. Joachim Bungert for his superb Quo Vadis software I used for planning and processing maps, POIs and the final version of the trail. Jiří Chemlon Glonek added extra POIs he gathered along his 2021 thru-hike.

And of course Miloslav Nevrlý for his inspiration.