Tihuța Pass

The pass crosses the Bârgău mountains at around 1,200 metres on the road between Bistrița and Vatra Dornei, through fir forest and open pasture with wooden farmsteads scattered on the slopes. Its fame is literary: Bram Stoker, who never visited Romania, chose the Borgo Pass from a map and placed Dracula's castle at its head, and the pass has carried that association ever since. In the 1980s a hotel was built near the summit and named the Castle Hotel, designed to look vaguely the part, complete with a themed cellar; it is a genuine 1980s building rather than anything historic, and reactions to it range from affectionate to embarrassed. The pass itself is a fine drive with long views, working sheepfolds in summer and considerable snow in winter, and it links the Transylvanian plateau with the Bucovina valleys.

What you actually see

• The pass road - forest and pasture crossing at around 1,200 metres.
• The Castle Hotel - the 1980s themed hotel near the summit.
• Bârgău farmsteads - scattered wooden houses and sheepfolds on the slopes.
• Long views - across the ranges into Transylvania and towards Bucovina.

When to go

May to October for easy driving and clear views; the road is kept open in winter but requires proper tyres and can close briefly in heavy snow. Autumn colour in the Bârgău is excellent. Summer is quiet on this road compared with the famous mountain routes.

Honest expectations

There is no castle and no historical Dracula connection here whatsoever, which disappoints visitors who arrive expecting one. The hotel is a communist-era building with a themed basement, and the souvenir offer around it is thin. It is a pleasant drive rather than a destination in itself.

Nearby

Bistrița lies west; Vatra Dornei and Bucovina are east over the pass.