Cindrel Mountains

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Cindrel Mountains (also known as Cândrel Mountains or Cibin Mountains) are a group of mountains in central Romania in the center of the Southern Carpathians, in the North-East of the Parâng Mountains group.

From the Transylvanian Plateau, with heights between 200 and 400 m, in the North and East, the heights grow abruptly through a zone of deep valleys at about 900 m on the verge of the massif where some villages are situated. The heights continue to grow slowly towards the highest peak, which has the same name as the mountains, at 2,244m.

Because the massif is easily accessible, the ethnografical area Mărginimea Sibiului has formed around the mountain having sheepherding and wood industry as the main occupations. On the Cibin river and on the Sadu river dams and hydro-electrical power plants were constructed, the oldest being the one from Sadu in 1896. The Păltiniş resort is situated halfway between the village of Răşinari and the Cindrel peak, with hotels, challeys and a ski slope. The resort has developed around a small monastery in which the Romanian philosopher Constantin Noica spend the last period of his lifetime.

The main river flowing from the mountain is the Cibin river which collects most of the other smaller rivers. Between the Cindrel Mountains and the Transylvanian Plateau, the river forms a wide depression the Sibiu Depression in which the main city in the area lies (Sibiu).