Bucura Lake is a glacier cirque lake situated in the Retezat Mountains. It is the largest glacier lake in the Retezat National Park – and in fact in all of Romania. It h...
Bucura Lake is a glacier cirque lake situated in the Retezat Mountains. It is the largest glacier lake in the Retezat National Park – and in fact in all of Romania. It has an average width of 160 m (~525 ft), around 225 m (~738 ft) at its maximum, and stands at an altitude of about 2,040 m (~6,693 ft) above sea level.
Even in the warmest sea...
Bucura Lake is a glacier cirque lake situated in the Retezat Mountains. It is the largest glacier lake in the Retezat National Park – and in fact in all of Romania. It has an average width of 160 m (~525 ft), around 225 m (~738 ft) at its maximum, and stands at an altitude of about 2,040 m (~6,693 ft) above sea level.
Even in the warmest season, temperatures can drop to 5°C (14°F) on rainy days or at night, so come prepared with warm clothing just in case.
The fish population in the lake is entirely indigenous – the most common species is trout.
The summer season runs from June to September. As Romania’s only National Park, the Retezat area welcomes many tourists, so for a greater chance of solitude it’s recommended to come at the beginning or end of the season.
There’s a campsite beside the lake. As well as fishing for trout, Bucura Lake is a great starting point for hiking in the surrounding areas, which are also popular for trekking (there are accessible pathways all around), climbing, trail running and ski touring in winter.
The lake is south of the main ridge at the base of Peleaga Peak, the highest in the Retezat Mountains.