Another variant of the route that leads to the Godeanu peak, different from the one starting from the fortress of Sarmizegetusa Regia, starts from the Costeşti village, an important area of the Transylvania hotels complexes, to Sibişel, a mountain village over which the passage of time, despite its presence, did not leave its mark, the streets still floating full of the bumps of the children who play happily outside.
The GPS and the signs to the hermitage are of great help, guiding us up close to the hermitage on a forest road starting from Sibişel. The road is mostly good, practicable only with a higher guard car.
We left the cars at a distance of about 15 minutes walking and with arms full of food for the nuns we start gladly on the road.
The nuns met us with joy and explained us the route.
We climbed the hill behind the house following the path until the entrance to the forest looking for a stream on the left side with a raspberry nearby. The deceptive road takes you lightly to the right beside a construction, if you have come here turn around, you have missed the road.
We turn left on the trail, leaving the stream to the left and climbing through the woods, keeping the path on an enduro trail marked with orange strips.
It’s a sunny September day, and the more and more colorful mushrooms are showing off their hats like at an exhibition.
The forest changes its face from the darkness of the fir trees to the sunlight, from the path sprinkled with roots to the moss of a bright phosphorescent green, carrying us, fascinated, to the blueberry bushes that makes the transition from the forest to the bare top that leads to Godeanu.
From the top you feel you can reach the sky, the panoramic view of valleys and mountains makes you feel that you can fly.
On the way back, we find the nuns working hard around the wooden church, sorting the collected mushrooms, feeding the trout and the other living creatures of the house, sanctifying the place with kindness.
The route from the hermitage to the top takes 2 hours and 30 minutes, and the journey by car, from Cotiso B&B to it, about 1 hour, without the return trip
