How about skiing something different this season? How about skiing at an exotic Eastern-European ski resort? How about skiing at Sinaia ski resort in Romania?

So many people go skiing at the most popular ski resorts such as Vail, Whistler, Chamonix and Zermatt, but few skiers look for something different and unique. Only a fraction of American and Western-European skiers, for example, go skiing at Sinaia ski resort in Romania. So, what kind of resort is Sinaia?

Sinaia ski resort – Basic facts

Sinaia ski resort is located in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains, 2 hours and 120 kilometers away from Bucharest. The distance to the nearest airport is about 100 kilometers. The village of Sinaia is surrounded by two-kilometer high mountains that provide one of the most unique European skiing experiences.

Located at one kilometer of altitude, Sinaia ski resort provides five ski lifts and 20 slopes, the longest of which is 2,5 kilometers. Out of these 20 slopes Sinaia provides 11 black runs, 4 red runs and 6 blue runs (here’s a map). Sinaia is not comparable to bigger European ski resorts such as Les Trois Vallee in France, but it provides a very good and versatile playground for average skiers. Even off-piste runs are pretty good in Sinaia.

The lowest ski lift station is located at 850 meters of altitude, while the highest one is located at 2050 meters of altitude. The total length of all pistes in Sinaia ski resort is 26 kilometers. Ski lifts in Sinaia are open from 8:45 am to 4:00 pm. For some reason lifts are closed on Mondays.

Sinaia ski resort nightlife and shopping

One of the best things in Sinaia is that it is very cheap compared to Western-Europe and American ski resorts. Dining in Sinaia is ridiculously cheap. The price of beer is 1.5 euros, while for 3 euros you can buy a bottle of wine. All together there are about 20 restaurants, 5 on-piste restaurants and 5 night clubs. Visa and Mastercard credit cards are accepted in most of the stores and restaurants.

Sinaia is a bit old-fashioned, at least when it comes to ski pass usage. Tickets cost 2 euros per run, and all tickets for one day are purchased beforehand. Every time a skier enters a ski lift, one ticket is collected. One can estimate 20 euros per day costs for ski pass, which sounds pretty cheap. This is especially a good deal for backcountry skiers, who typically need only 2-3 tickets per day because they spend most of the time climbing and skiing off-pistes far from the slopes.

Ski gear rental at the Sinaia costs about 50 euros for six days.

Staying in Sinaia

Hotels in Sinaia ski resort are not as modern as in Western-Europe, but they are clean and comfortable. In addition to hotels, Sinaia also provides chalets in which people can prepare their own food. Bigger groups can rent even an entire chalet, which is again a good deal for skibums who prefer staying longer in Sinaia.

In addition to skiing there are also other interesting things near Sinaia ski resort, such as very old castles. The famous castle of Dracula is located only 50 kilometers away from Sinaia. Another interesting castle is Peles, which has been the home of the Romanian royal families.

Sinaia is absolutely worth visiting. Sinaia features good skiing in the Carpathian Mountains spiced with warm Eastern-European culture. If you’re not sure where to go this season, consider skiing at Sinaia ski resort.