Azuga
Azuga is a town in the Prahova County, Romania. It is a mountain resort town in the Prahova Valley, flanked by the Bucegi and Baiului mountain ranges.
Understand
Azuga was originally founded and developed as an industrial town (and not a resort town like the other settlements of the Prahova Valley), and it had many plants and factories. After the fall of Communism in 1989, the industry collapsed, and since then Azuga is finding its feet as a winter ski resort. It is an interesting patchwork of mountain scenery, abandoned factories and industrial buildings, quaint alpine guesthouses, and Soviet-style apartment blocks.
The 🌍 railway station and the DN1 highway are near the western extremity of the town. The town itself is in a valley, to the east of the highway.
Get in
You can get to Azuga by train, bus, or car. It is two hours from Bucharest, and less than one hour from Brașov. Note that not every Bucharest-Brașov train stops at Azuga; refer to the timetable.
Get around
The town is walkable, but there is also a bus service that runs from the railway station along the city main streets.
See
There are no tourist attractions in the town itself. There is an 🌍 Orthodox church near the highway, and a 🌍 small park near the town centre with a WW memorial and another church.
Do
- Hiking in the mountains. It is the starting point of several easy to medium difficulty hiking paths towards Bucegi and Baiului mountains. You can also go biking in the forests.
- Skiing on Sorica and Cazacu slopes (south of the city). There are 7 ski runs, most of them of medium difficulty. A 🌍 gondola lift is available year-round for hikers and skiers.
Buy
- There are some supermarkets in the town centre, near the small park (Mega Image, Profi, La Doi Pasi). Note that there are no shops in the vicinity of the railway station.
Sleep
- 🌍 Lux Garden Hotel. 5 star hotel. €105.