Caraiman Cross, the tallest summit cross in the world!

My desire to see this gorgeous monument has grown since 2013 when Caraiman Cross entered the Guinness World Records as the tallest cross situated on a mountain peak (39.5 m) at an altitude of 2291 meters. The cross was built between 1926-1928, and at the time it was more than a daring work, being not easy to transport materials for the construction (steel profiles, slabs of stone).

Its socket is 8 feet tall and it was completed two years later (cross was initially propped directly into the rock), and the cross is illuminated by 120 lights powered by a power generator located inside being quite visible even at distance.

This year the opportunity arose for me to climb up to the Cross exactly in the Day of Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the occasion of the great original concert of the panpipe player Nicolae Voiculeţ on September 14, commemorating the fallen heroes of the first World War.

I reached it by cable car (the station is opposite the Hotel Silva) which can take you in only 13 minutes to the Old Women Monument (Babele), thus linking the city of Busteni from the altitude of 850 meters to Bucegi Plateau located at almost 2300 meters, close to the cottage Old Women. The opportunity to ascend by cable car was the result of several phases of construction and the cable was inaugurated in 1978.

I must say that there were very many people queuing up to this day and the cable can carry up to 1,900 people a day in summer, when the demand is high, the capacity of it being of 24 people.

From the cable car we can arrive in 40 minutes walk or by jeep right up to the lip of the slope where  we had to descend the Caraiman saddle. It was quite difficult to go away for amateurs like me. Officials came by helicopter, taking part in the event even the tennis player Ilie Nastase.

Sure, walking is a pleasure, and the scenery is fabulous as if I had been teleported into another world. The cross was „adorned with flowers and music,” as artist Voiculet exclaimed. The horn women which came from Avram Iancu village raised their horns to heaven, and the sound of pan flute spreaded that tranquility designed to elevate us spiritualy to God. Callus dancers completed this enchanting painting scene with a dance of our authentic Romanian folklore, included in the UNESCO cultural heritage of mankind (2005).

This memorable day ended at Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, in the same harmonious sound of the pan flute of Voiculet. A day that I will never forget it, for sure!

See more photos here.