Spring in our part of the world officially starts when the first snowdrop flowers come out of the last layer of the winter snow and show off their beauty and perfection. When I was a child, the appearance of snowdrops in March was definitely a moment of joy, as I knew that the warmer days are coming and summer was also around the corner.

Since we also have a daughter, I also somehow try to relive my beautiful childhood memories with her. And we also try to spend time as much as possible with her outdoors, to explore forests and hills, to hike and run, to admire flowers and plants, to pick up berries and wild mushrooms, to have picnics in sunny glades.

This year, beginning of March we finally got to a place where we have been planning to go for some years now – a beautiful forest full of snowdrops. Snowdrops only show their faces a couple of weeks beginning of March (or maybe a bit later, depending on how much snow has fallen during the winter) so if you want to see their beauty, you definitely have to hurry.

Romania has plenty of snowdrops forests and fields, but most of them are only known to the locals. However, there’s one in the Hunedoara county, close to Sarmizegetusa Regia and the other two Dacian Fortresses in the area, that has become popular in the recent years and that is not far from Sibiu.

The hiking trip starts right next to the guesthouse we chose to spend our weekend. Pensiunea Regia is a small self-catering guesthouse, very comfortable and well equipped to cook. Plus a nice garden to spend time outside. The hike to the snowdrops forest is not long and has an easy-medium level. Going there is mostly an ascent, but the view is nice and if you get the chance to have a sunny weather, you can have a slower pace to also enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains.

Once you get to the forest, just blend in with what nature has best to offer. Admire the beautiful snowdrops (and some crocus flowers here and there), photograph them, smell them, touch them and appreciate their beauty. But don’t pick them. They have to be protected, it’s an endangered species, so it’s best you just admire them and let them live their short life-cycle from beginning to the end, so that they get the chance to give the forest the nutrients it needs and so that they will still be there next year and years after so that other people can admire them.

As it’s an area that has to be protected as much as possible, I will not give too many details about the exact location. But feel free to send us an email and we can talk further.