The Valea Cărbunării Ski Jump Complex is a ski-jumping training and competition venue on the southeastern edge of Râșnov. Set in a narrow valley at the foot of the mountains, the complex contains four ski jumps of different sizes, allowing both young athletes and experienced competitors to train and compete at the same site.
Ski jumping has been practiced in Râșnov since the 1930s, but the modern complex took shape after Romania was selected to host the 2013 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival. Construction began in 2009 with three smaller jumps, designated K15, K35 and K64 according to their size. These provided facilities for training and junior competitions, while a much larger K90 jump was completed in 2012 for higher-level events. Judges’ towers, floodlighting and a lift for the athletes were also added as the venue prepared for the festival.
The European Youth Olympic Winter Festival was held across the Brașov region in February 2013, bringing young athletes from countries throughout Europe to compete in a program of winter sports. Râșnov hosted the ski-jumping competitions at Valea Cărbunării, giving the newly completed complex its first major international event.
The facilities continued to be used after the festival rather than being built for a single event. Râșnov has since hosted numerous international competitions, including FIS Cup events, Ski Jumping World Cup rounds and the ski-jumping competitions of the 2016 FIS Junior World Ski Championships.
Although the complex is not a visitor attraction in the conventional sense, the ski jumps are still impressive structures to see up close, especially for anyone interested in ski jumping or winter sports.
