Potigrafu MTB 20 km Curcubeu - Pd. Gherghita - L. Saracineanca - Curcubeu (ADE 202)

Route length - 20 km. Offroad/gravel road - 17 km; asphalt/concrete slabs - 3 km

*** description, map & photos by FB page 'Green trails MTB outdoor-fun'

Duration: 4h in my case, moderate pace; this duration included breaks for rest and admiring landscapes, photos

The ride took place in September 2020 (when this map was recorded), with descriptions updated in May 2021. Bike type: MTB XC hardtail (not an E-bike)

My favs: --- the section through Saracineanca Forest between km 14.7 - 17.6; --- the forest sections of Gherghita between km 7 - 7.5 and km 8.9 - 11

A ride in one of the most beautiful forests I've cycled near Bucharest, with deer crossing my path several times. I started this bike trip a few dozen meters from the entrance to Curcubeu village, the first km being a warm-up on asphalt, after which I entered the forest on a beautiful well-packed dirt forest road for 650 m, then turned right onto another forest road.

In Gherghita forest I encountered two types of trail - a wide dirt road, which can get messy after heavy rain (quite exposed to precipitation, forming puddles in several spots; in such situations I was able to ride on the edge comfortably) and forest roads (between km 1 - 3.7, km 7 - 7.5, and km 8.9 - 11) that cross the thicket (these were easy to ride after rain as the 'umbrella' of the trees protected the trail). In Saracineanca forest the trail is entirely on packed dirt forest road, so it was just as pleasant to ride after heavy rain.

At km 2.3 there's about 50 m that becomes quite messy after rain. Between km 4.5 - 8.2 the trail passes through an area of tall, thin trees, providing a distinctive touch, symmetry, and a vibrant green that matched the trail and the carpet of leaves below. Between km 7 - 7.5 I rode a beautiful forest road cutting through green thicket, and at the intersection with the main forest road, I continued straight ahead on the wide dirt road (the forest road I had come on continued parallel, slightly to the right). Then came one of my favorite sections - the fast forest road between km 8.9 - 11, well-packed and perfect for full-speed.

After a short ride along the forest edge on gravel, I entered the woods again after the house on the left, and after a few meters three wide dirt roads branched off to the right - I chose the leftmost one. At km 13.3 I continued right onto the main forest road, but there were enough segments up to the intersection with DJ 100B where forestry machinery had left tracks that made the trail a bit trickier. At km 14.4 I kept straight on the forest road, bypassing the wide left road to avoid more difficult sections.

At km 14.7 I turned right into Saracineanca forest, took the left after a few meters, and then a very short right. Another forest fast-line and one of the best bits of woodland I've ridden near Bucharest - sunlight falling through the trees onto the well-packed trail, easy to ride even after heavy rain. At km 17.4 the trail turns left into the thicket, but at that point I kept straight ahead - for a few dozen meters the trail was not easy to see. At this point, to the right is a large tree downed by wind at about 15 m, and straight ahead around 30 m another tree of similar size - I proceeded to the latter and went around it on the right.

From here the path toward Lake Saracineanca becomes visible, covering one of the tour's most beautiful sections - the Green Tunnel, about 100 m toward the lake. 7-8 m before the lake, the high bank ends, so without going down, I went right for 7-8 m, followed by a gentle left for 3-4 m to a grassy path that goes left and crosses the narrow, grassy embankment on the right of the lake, where a few swans and ducks were just swimming. One more short stint in the woods and an equally brief section on asphalt and I was back at the starting point.

Access by car. From Bucharest, I exited on DN 1 via Baneasa, and in Potigrafu village I turned right onto DJ 100B and continued almost to the entrance to Curcubeu village.

Have fun :)