Hiking: Romania vs. Slovenia

Hi, I am looking for some help deciding whether I'll visit Slovenia or Romania for hiking during my trip this May.

I'm a Canadian and having grown up in the mountains I'm looking to experience the mountains in either Romania or Slovenia, though I will be traveling alone, I hope to meet others or hire a guide(if required) to hike with for a few days in either country.

I'm looking for day or 2-3 day(staying in alpine huts/hostels if possible) hikes that are challenging but not overly technical - I won't have any kind of climbing gear but would still like to gan some altitude, be exhausted, and in awe of my surroundings.

Additionally, safety is a concern - I have traveled much of Asia as a solo female, but this will be my first trip to Europe, and I'm also looking to keep a pretty tight budget. I have been told Romania is less expensive than Slovenia, significantly so? I will have less than a week in whichever country I choose, so need to be sure I can access the type of experience I am seeking.

Please share any recommendations for which spot to choose, itinerary ideas, specific hikes or guided tours.

Thank you!
Kandice

I've walked in both countries quite a few times. A preference for me would be Romania out of the two, but that's just my choice and not saying that one is any better than the other.
As for 'Alpine huts', someone else may be able to help you with that one. We figured out a daily route from one point to the next, then walked down to a planned stay. There are ''Cabanas' in Romania, but I wouldn't really class them as ever being alpine huts.
I have never felt unsafe in any part of Eastern Europe, from Turkey through to Hungary and former East Germany into Albania. However like everywhere, watch yourself and keep all your valuables closeby at all times.
To recommend some of my favourite regions, just two of the many are Lake Bled (SLO) and Transylvania (RO).
Romania is roughly ten times bigger than Slovenia and so obviously has far more walking routes and mountain paths.

Romania's mountains cover a much larger area, are wilder, less explored, cheaper to travel and still have plenty of pastural economy living fairly traditionally (shepherds etc). On the whole I don't think they're as 'Alpine'.
The Fagaras range is the highest in the country, basically an east-west ridge of peaks. I liked the Retezat range to the west of this, where you have more path variety. The Piatra Craiului, a single limestone mountain with no water, to the east is great too.

Thanks for the info! I'm thinking Romania will be my choice.
Are wild animals a concern or is hiking alone fine?

Only shepherd's dogs, you need to be a bit careful, read up on how to avoid problems with them.

In summer-time, if you try to eat rapsberries from the same place with a brown bear, you could really get into big trouble. We also have wolves, lynx, fox, boar, chamois, squirrels, thousands of birds...
The best thing to do is to follow marked itineraries, select one that is not very difficult and you will be ok.
Also, ask in any INFO-point in mountain resort if there are other tourists that have the same route with you.
The weather can be unpredictable and thunder storm can come out-of-blue!

http://www.hikingromania.ro/
http://www.mountainguide.ro/hiking-in-fagaras-hiking-in-romania/
http://www.peaktopeak.net/rom.html

http://hitchwiki.org/en/Template:Phrasebook/Romanian

Another Website which offers lots of info is
http://alpinet.org/main/index_en.html

To order brochures / maps you can try
http://www.romaniatourism.com/order-brochures.html

Enjoy your travels !

Hi! Being Slovenian I must root for my country. In comparison to Romanian, Julian Alps are much smaller but you have a posiblilyti to trek also over the border to Italy and Austria. so if you are looking for 2 - 3 days trek, you will have feeling that you've seen much more. Our mountainh huts are on general very good, they offer all the basic confort you need, and the prices are not too steep. Try this web page for more detailed information www.pzs.si. Most of the paths are very well marked, and mountain huts are ussualy less then an days trek appart and pretty much everybody here speaks decent English. Some of the highlights would be: Valley of Triglav lakes, Triglav - the highest mountain in massif, Trenta valley with emerald colored river Soča, remains of the first world war fortifications, still operating high pastures with shepard huts (Zajamniki, Uskovnica, Velo Polje,...), Bohinj lake and near by peaks, lake Bled with the island in the middle... You'll be able to lower the costs because in Slovenia everything is near by. From airport to the foothills of Julian Alps there is just half an hour drive and from capital of Slovenia Ljubljana only an hour. End my final argument in favor of our alps would be their beauty, the contrast between white colour of the stone and green colour of the mountain forests. Hope you change your mind, or, even better visit us some other time. Take care. Nasvidenje (Goodbye) ! Miha.