Rânca () is a recently developed

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n resort, located at 1,600 meters (5,250 ft) elevation, at the foothill of Păpuşa Peak in the

Parâng Mountains The Parâng Mountains (; ) are one of the highest mountain ridges in Romania and Southern Carpathians, with the highest peak, Parângu Mare, reaching 2,519 m. Description The Parâng Mountains are located in the south-western part of the Centr ...

. It is located 17.9 kilometers away from Novaci,

Gorj County Gorj County () is a county () of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu. ''Gorj'' comes from the Slavic ''Gornji'' Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with Dolnji (“lower Jiu”). Demographics At the 2011 census, the count ...

, after passing on the

Transalpina (DN67C) The Transalpina or DN67C is a 148 km national road located in the Parâng Mountains group, Southern Carpathians of Romania, one of the highest roads of the Carpathian Mountains. It connects Novaci, south of Parâng Mountains, to Sebeș in the ...

road through the

. There are views of the

Parângu Mare Parângu Mare (, "Big Parângu") is a mountain peak in Romania. At above sea level, it is the highest peak of the Parâng Mountains, located in the Parâng Mountains group of the Southern Carpathians. It straddles the border of the Romanian count ...

peak and, when the weather is clear, one can see

Peleaga Peleaga (Vârful Peleaga) is a mountain in Romania. It is the highest point in the Retezat Mountains with a summit elevation of above sea level.Retezat Mountains The Retezat Mountains (, ) are one of the highest massifs in Romania, being part of the Southern Carpathians. The highest peak is Peleaga (Vârful Peleaga), at an altitude of . Other important peaks are Păpușa (Vârful Păpușa, "the Doll Pea ...

. During the winter, there are more than five ski slopes open ranging from low to increased difficulty. There is a variety of accommodations, ranging from hotels to small family businesses. The shops that can be found in Rânca can provide supplies of food and some other necessities to backpackers and bikers. Every year in September on the Trasalpina road between Novaci and Rânca, the Rânca Stage of the National Rally Championship of Hill Climb is held.

References

Geography of Gorj County Ski areas and resorts in Romania Tourist attractions in Gorj County {{Gorj-geo-stub