Vidraru Dam — Attraction in Arefu

Where Prometheus gives the Romanians lightning! Hidden in the southernmost foothills of the Transylvanian Alps, in the narrow, green and desolate valley of the Argeş River is the Barajul Vidraru (Vidraru Dam). The concrete arch dam was built between 1961 and 1966 with the primary purpose to produce hydroelectricity; the annual capacity of the dam is approximatly 400 GWh. When completed the 166 m high and 305 m wide dam was the 9th ranking dam in the world. On the east side of the dam, at the foot of the glittering statue of Prometheus, is a lookout tower from which one has an unobstructed view of the green valley, the dam and Lake Vidraru. The dam is not on a real through route, but the ride to it is fantastic! The fastest route is from the south (from Curtea de Argeş). After leaving the countryside you follow a beautiful quiet and green valley until you can see the dam at the very last moment. The longest, but by far the most beautiful route is the one from the north. Follow the breathtaking DN7C, the famous (and also infamous) Transfăgărășan, across the Transylvanian Alps and past Lake Vidraru until you only see the dam after the very last bend. A magnificent road trip...

Some excellent views here, that you cannot find in the more flat areas of Europe. The dam itself is an amazing sight, and the lake too. There are also some bears in the area along the road, and some souvenir and food shops. They even build a relatively OK bathroom along the road not far from the lake. You could take boat rides on the lake, as far as we have seen, we did not try. The power plant built next to the dam may be a great tourist attraction, but at the time of our visit (July 2024), it was under renovation. Overall, if you pass along the mountains, I suggest you stop here for a short walk and some photos at least. On the downside, parking is a Balkans nightmare from Mad Max, similar to what you see at Balea lake. No official / proper parking spots, when people go in and out of a spot, they create a huge traffic jam, and so on. Best bet to park is probably at the end of the dam (before the tunnel), near (or past) the souvenir stalls. I understand it is difficult to improve this in the middle of the mountains, but I also could not see any intention to improve it. Still, the beautiful nature makes up for...

We traveled from Cartisoar to Curtea de Agres on the famous Transfagarasan road. We also stopped at Vidraru dam. A challenging construction feat worth seeing. At the same time, we were asked one question. It was advertised everywhere that the Transfagarasan road was built in 1974. The dam was completed in 1966, and they probably already made a road from the south side there by then. That is to say, about a third of the famous road was built before 1966. However, this discrepancy does not diminish its attraction and picturesqueness. The Vidraru dam itself is magnificent, but visitors need a lot of patience due to the narrow road and the large number...