The Buila-Vânturarița National Park is a protected area situated in Romania, in the central-northern part of Vâlcea County, in the administrative territory of the localities Costești, Bărbătești, and Băile Olănești.
Buila-Vânturarița with an area of 4,186 ha (10,340 acres) was declared natural protected area by the Government Decision No 2151 in 2004 (published in Romanian Official Paper No 38 on January 12, 2005) and represents a mountainous area with flora and fauna specific to the Southern Carpathians.
Protected areas included in the park: Trovant Museum, Călinești-Brezoi Forest, Valea Cheii Forest, Rădița-Mânzu, Mount Stogu, Arnăuți Cave, Clopot Cave, Munteanu-Murgoci Cave, Pagoda Cave, Valea Bistrița Cave.
Getting there
The national park is located somewhat between the most visited cities in Romania. The most obvious way to get to the park is to drive by car from Bucharest. There are flights going to Bucharest from most international airports in Europe.
The drive from here is approximately 4 hours. Another option is to drive from Brașov or Cluj-Napoca. The drive is a little longer from these cities.
When to visit
There is something to do in every season in the national park. Be aware that the weather is cold during winter and you should be properly prepared to visit during this season.
Map of Buila-Vânturarița National Park
Image gallery of Buila-Vânturarița National Park
Wildlife in Buila-Vânturarița National Park
These sections shows you some of the characteristic wildlife to the national park.
Mushroom hunting in Buila-Vânturarița National Park
Romania is popular for foraging and plenty of the locals are foraging mushrooms. National parks can have a special status in terms of foraging and you should check with the local authorities before collecting anything within the park limits.
Camping rules in Buila-Vânturarița National Park
There are no laws to prohibit wild camping in Romania. However, you are generally not allowed to wild camp in national parks. Furthermore, there are bears in the national park and you should therefore take the necessary precautions.
Bears in Buila-Vânturarița National Park
Bears in the park
This national park has bears and you need to take the necessary precautions. Read the article on bears and seek information from local park authorities.
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