Boulder Bucovina
Marginea, Romania
Specs: Boulder Bucovina, owned and founded by Stefan Galben, opened in Marginea, a city in northern Romania, in August. According to Galben, the story of Boulder Bucovina “began with a personal passion for climbing and a desire to share it in a region where the sport was virtually nonexistent.” Galben discovered bouldering while in Thessaloniki, Greece, and continued to climb in his university city after returning to Romania. “Eventually, I decided to enter a competition for an EU grant dedicated to social businesses,” he said. He won the grant and decided to put everything into making his dream of opening the gym a reality, Galben told CBJ.
Galben felt 2026 was the moment “to introduce a bouldering experience to our region” due to the “tremendous growth” of climbing worldwide that he has observed in recent years. “People are looking for engaging, community-driven ways to stay active,” he added. He opted to open the gym in Marginea, “in the heart of Bucovina,” because of the area’s community and how the location “allows us to serve both the local population and climbers from surrounding areas who previously had to travel much further for a quality indoor climbing experience,” he explained.
Galben found a preexisting building and then built out the space to fit the Boulder Bucovina vision. “The building offered the open floor space and the vertical clearance we needed,” he said. “Our walls reach 4.4 meters [14.4 feet], so having the right structural capacity and ceiling height was an absolute must. Boulder Bucovina is a 325-square-meter (3,498-square-foot) space with 80.1 square meters (862 square feet) of climbing wall surface. The gym also has dedicated spaces for relaxation, and “areas where people can take classes, enjoy their lunch or even sit down and work on their laptops.”
The operators plan to prioritize accessibility and a “shared experience,” which Galben said will be seen through the routesetting—catering to beginners and seasoned climbers—as well as the facility layout. “By designing our gym as a community hub with workspaces and lounges, we are encouraging interaction, making it a place where people can hang out, share tips, and build a supportive community both on and off the wall,” he said. With that idea in mind, other offerings held at the gym so far have included after-school clubs and social film or game nights.
Walls: Climb ICP
Flooring: Flipp
CRM Software: Owner/Contractor
Instagram: @Boulder.Bucovina
In Their Words: “Think outside the box when it comes to your business model. In my opinion, bouldering works much better as a community activity than as a traditional fitness gym—in fact, treating it like a standard fitness facility was a mistake I made early on in my planning. Focus on building a space that fosters connection.” – Stefan Galben, Owner and Founder of Boulder Bucovina
