The local communities bordering the Piatra Craiului National Park complete its attractiveness through their history, cultural and traditional values. The localities in the park area are the following ones: in the Northern part of Piatra Craiului, Zarnesti town; in the East, the villages Bran, Moeciu and Fundata; in the South, the villages Dambovicioara and Rucar.
Zarnesti town represents the main access point to Piatra Craiului National Park. It is located in Brasov County, 28 km South-West from Brasov. It was mentioned for the first time in historical documents in 1367 (as „Tuhan” and „Zernehaza”). At the end of the XVIth Century together with Tohan village it was the village with the highest number of inhabitants from Transylvania. The border’s proximity to Wallachia had a big role in this fact.
Zarnesti was declared town in 1950 and according to the census from 2011 it has 21681 inhabitants. Due to its geographical position it has a significant touristic potential. The touristic activities are in connection with the Piatra Craiului National Park, which has many hiking trails and since 2006 “hosts” a very well known mountain trail running competition - “Piatra Craiului’s Marathon”.
Magura and Pestera villages belong to Moeciu locality, the first one being totally included in the Piatra Craiului National Park, and the last one only partially. Moeciu locality is located in Brasov County, 30 km from Brasov. According to the 2011 census, Magura village has 553 inhabitants and Pestera village 494.
Most national parks have no human settlements on their surface, but in Piatra Craiului National Park’s case the situation is different. Due to their traditional, cultural and natural values, these two villages are the object of tradition and anthropic landscape conservation.
As a toponym, Magura appears in 1657 and as a settlement name in 1713. After 1820 it has its own identity and constantly appears as a settlement.
The two localities are situated at 900 – 1000 m altitude, have a low density, scattered households and have a dominant pastoral character.
Sirnea village belongs to Fundata locality (852 inhabitants), Brasov County, and it is situated on the South – East limit of Piatra Craiului National Park. It has a similar landscape as Magura and Pestera villages, but it is more accessible because of the roads, which are in a better condition and closer to the National Road 73 Brasov – Pitesti.
Sirnea village first appears as a toponym in 1657 and as the name of a settlement in 1713 – the year when it is first mentioned in documents. From Sirnea village the East slope of Piatra Craiului’s massif can be admired and the landscape created by the hayfields and the households of the inhabitants contributes to the attractiveness of the area. From Sirnea several tourist objectives can be accessed: Dambovicioara Gorges, Zarnesti Gorgesand Piatra Craiului’s Ridge.
Rucar village is an old settlement of freeholders, situated in the North – East part of Arges County, 20 km North of Campulung, with 5752 inhabitants.
The locality is surrounded by spectacular mountains, like: Iezer – Papusa Mountains, Fagaras Mountains, Piatra Craiului Massif, Leaota Mountains and Bran – Rucar – Dragoslavele Pass. Its documentary attestation comes from 1377. The village was the witness of many historical events because of the frequent army crossings between Transilvania and Wallachia.
Compared to Zarnesti town, Magura and Pestera villages, where there are only a few private forest owners, the inhabitants of Rucar village own vast surfaces of both forests and pastures in Piatra Craiului National Park.
Dambovicoara village is the second in importance regarding the access in the Piatra Craiului National Park and it is known for the natural attractions in the Southern part of the park. It is a village in Arges County with 943 inhabitants, which in the past belonged to Rucar village.
Among the tourist attractions there are the following: Dambovicioara cave, Dambovicioara and Brusturet Gorges and also the tourist trails from the Southern part of the Piatra Craiului National Park. In the neighboring area of the village there are some historical objectives as well, from which we mention the Oratia fortress from the XIVth Century.
Similar to the Rucar village, the inhabitants of Dambovicioara village own both forests and pastures included in Piatra Craiului National Park