The New
In December 1989,
Plenty of Things to Do
and See
The choice of activities and places
to visit is extensive. You can ski in traditional or purpose-built mountain resorts
or laze in the hot sun on the beaches at the
You can hike through unspoiled
landscapes, where rivers run clear, or go boating in the 5,640 sq km (2,200 sq
miles) water wilderness of the
One can also enjoy the
architecture, museums and galleries of the cities.
A Legendary History
The very name "
There are feudal fortresses,
Byzantine decorated monasteries and adorned village houses to be admired, while
"Dracula's" castle is only one among many other fascinating castles
and palaces.
Living Cultural
Traditions
You can see folk festivals in
One of the many extraordinary
aspects of this country is its vibrant rural culture. For decades the outside
world heard little about it. Not that
Today first class opera and concert
halls, permanent art exhibitions, like that of the sculptor Brancusi,
fine museums and galleries are all specific for
Modern Facilities and
Affordable Prices
Better still this is all backed up
by the comfort of a widening range of hotels and restaurants, good domestic
transportation by air, train and bus, and surprisingly low prices. Going to the
opera is quite affordable, let alone local dishes and wines.
Some of
Painted Monasteries and Feudal Castles
Your 8 day tour to the "Sixtine
Chapel of the East" and some of the most dramatic scenery in
On Day 3 you visit the graceful 17th century convent of Agapia,
the monastery of Dragomirna, and tour Suceava, former capital of
Day 4 brings you to the famous painted monasteries. They have marvelously colored and detailed
frescoes of religious and historical scenes on their outside walls.
You will see Humor,
where monks taught painters their craft; Voronet,
known as the Sixtine Chapel of the East; and Sucevita, set in a dramatically fortified compound. Return
to
Day 5 takes you through the
spectacular Bicaz Gorges in the
Day 6 you visit ancient fortified
churches at Prejmer and Harman and the 14th century
stronghold of
The drive back to
Experiencing
Starting with a
Day 3 depart
On the 4th day you see the
From
Day 6 gives you the fascinating but
little known
Day 8: sightseeing in
On Day 10 you call at the lovely
lakeside spa of Sovata and transit the dramatic Bicaz Gorges on the way to
Now for two days devoted to this
lovely area, including
But the tour is not over! The
resort of Predeal and the former royal residence of
Bucur's City
A strange and romantic city - this is
There is a
A city without legends would be like an adult without childhood. They
say that a shepherd named Bucur has set up a village, on the banks of the Dâmbovita river, in a plain that does not go over 98 m.
Historians, indulgent with the romanticism of the legend, proved that the
present capital of Romania has been populated ever since the middle
Palaeolithic and Neolithic, thanks to its favourable positioning for the
traffic of people and goods.
Bucharest, named in the past the Citadel of Dâmbovita,
has had its present name for centuries, a fact attested by the document signed
on the 20th September 1459 by Prince Vlad the Impaler,
who settled here his second residence after Târgoviste.
Hanul lui Manuc
and its courtyard, an early 19th century caravanserai still functioning as
an inn and restaurant
Chosen to be the capital of the United Principality of Romania in 1859,
The city always got the
appreciation of the travellers because of its green spaces, its architecture
and the kindness of its inhabitants.
Its elegant and
exuberant atmosphere once gave it the name of "small
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A town of avenues and
parks There is even an Arc de Triomphe
on the impressive Soseaua Kisseleff
which is longer than the |
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Exploring
the City
Finding your way is easy in
Here you will find majestic public buildings like the
An Eclectic Mixture of Styles
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You will be intrigued
by the city's eclectic mixture of architecture, from Curtea
Veche, the remains of Prince Vlad Tepes 15th century palace - he was the city's founder as
well as the inspiration for "Dracula", - to Orthodox Churches,
Second Empire mansions, the stolid Stalinist architecture of the communist
years and the colossal 6,000 room Parliament House, the second largest
building in the world after the Pentagon. |
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A
But there is much more to it: ski resorts and health spas, hiking trails and
the
This medieval city, picturesquely
situated nearby the
Look for its old Saxon architecture around the 14th
century
The
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A trip to take from Also, don't miss the This resort was first made popular by the King and it is
worth a stay either in summer for its glorious mountain scenery, hiking and
riding, or in winter for skiing, not to mention health cures. |
The town is well placed for excursions to mountain villages, such as Sibiel, where there is a fascinating museum of icons.
Further away near Deva stands the
This south-western corner of the
country has a drier, more Mediterranean climate than most of
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Habsburg rule until 1918 gave it an Art Nouveau
architecture, while almost 1,900 years earlier the Romans had established a
spa at Baile Herculane
that is still one of Nearby |
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Medieval Sighisoara
The city has a walled
citadel on the hilltop, secret gateways and passages, a 14th century Clock
Tower and the house where Prince Vlad Tepes lived. |
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Festivals
and Folklore
Wherever you go in
The house doors are intricately carved. Colorful traditional costumes are worn on Sundays and for
weddings and festivals because they have special meaning.
As to festivals, you will find them in full swing from Easter on.
An Ideal Place to Get Away
To sum it up, both in summer and winter, the valleys and mountains of
Transylvania are refreshingly unspoilt and welcoming, an area where you can
genuinely get away.
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The fierce
individuality of the Maramures mountain valleys in
the north-west of A unique lifestyle |
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An inheritance of
folklore
Agriculture has always been the
lifeblood of existence in the mountains. Local traditions reflect this, as
there are festivals in April, May, August and December.
The one in December is held at Sighetu Marmatiei, with carnival
parades and revelers wearing animal masks.
Sighetu Marmatiei
Sighetu Marmatiei is a typical Maramures
town, famous for its markets, peasant costumes and lively atmosphere.
The
Creativity
in wood and costume
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Woodcarving skills are the dominant feature of Maramures crafts. Particularly characteristic of the
villages are wooden churches, with tall steeples and shingled roofs, some
dating back to the 14th century. Highly developed too is the embroidery of traditional
costumes. On Sunday afternoons both women and men often parade and dance as
they have for centuries. |
Touring the valleys
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Baia Mare lies at the heart of this region. Its modern hotels make it
the point of departure for many tours. A popular local expedition is to Surdesti, which has the tallest of the region's wooden
churches. |
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Plenty more to discover - from
buffaloes to vineyards
There are hiking routes and camping
facilities, as well as good hotels in the main towns. And Moldavian wines have
been known for five centuries. There are vineyards that can be visited.
These former capitals entice you to a stop on most
Many well-known Romanian writers' houses are preserved as memorials. The best
known monument of the city is the
Remember to ask for specialties of
Moldavian cuisine in the restaurants. Moldavian cooking and local wines are
widely appreciated.
Targu Neamt
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This town is the access point for a remarkable group of
monasteries and fortresses that are definitely worth a detour. |
The Monasteries in
The decorated monasteries are the major attraction in
The latter depict Biblical and
other religious scenes, designed in segments almost like strip cartoons to stir
the imagination of the local people and so educate them in the Orthodox spirit.
The churches stand in the centre of
the monastery complex and all of them have high pitched roofs and little
sunlight comes inside. There are five main monasteries of this kind.
Humor
Humor, founded in 1530, is quite small. Its paintings
include illustration of a poem on the "The Siege of Constantinople",
which shows the feelings of the Romanians towards the Turks.
The aim was to maintain the
Christian faith among Romanians. On other walls are the "Return of the
Prodigal Son" and the Devil amusingly pictured as a greedy woman.
Centuries ago the monks here at Humor ran a school where calligraphers and miniature
painters learnt their craft.
Voronet
This "Sixtine Chapel of the East" was built by Stephen the
Great in 1488 and the vivid colours of its frescoes added later.
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The paintings show an adaptation of classic Byzantine
art to Moldavian realities. Thus the archangels' trumpets take the shape of the
local shepherds' horn or "bucium" and
souls doomed to hellfire wear the turbans of the Turkish enemy. |
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Sucevita
The Sucevita
Monastery complex, set in a beautiful green valley, is fortified like a citadel
with watch towers at its four corners.
Legend says it that the artist fell
off the wall scaffolding and was killed, so it remained undecorated. When you go there, look for the complex "Jesse's Tree" on
the southern wall.
Moldovita
Striking shades of red, blue,
yellow and brown characterize the monumental scene of the "Siege of Constantinopole" on the walls of the Moldovita church.
Inside, 16th century furniture
survives, including Prince Petru Rares'
chair, as large as a throne. The Prince built Moldovita
and his statue stands outside.
Arbore
Quite small, and without the high
cupola that distinguishes most monastery churches, Arbore
is predominantly decorated in shades of green. Look for the scene from
"Genesis" along the western wall, since it is particularly lively and
graceful.
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Although we face the beginning of the third mi llennium, Regardless of the modesty or the grandeur of the
churches, they are places which benefit from the most precious Romanian
fortunes: the landscape, the building art and last but not least, valuable
objects, from silver or gold jewelry to the most
delicate tissues. |
All the important moments in the
Romanians' life are tightly related to the church: the birth, for the sacred
mystery of the baptize, the wedding, the death and the
most important holidays of the year, such as Easter and Christmas. Especially
in the villages, the church and also the cemetery are places where one can
witness picturesque proceedings, which usually take place when feasting or
blessing the food and the drinks for holidays. There are also some proceeding
to invoke rain, fertility or to drive away malefic spirits. All these rituals
are based on the belief in God, Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary.
Most of the Romanians are orthodox.
In Dobrogea, at DERVENT, in the middle of a deep
forest, issued like a miracle in a dry aria, we find the monastery and the cave
where Saint Apostle Andrei preached Christianity for the first time on Romanian
land. These lands are the birth place of remarkable people of the Christian
world, such as St. Ioan Casian and Dyonisius Exiguus.
As there are many Catholics and Greek-Catholics in
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The Carpathians, denominated in ancient times
"Corona Montium", form a third of the
country's territory, and represent the second European mountain chain after
the Alps. Even if they are not as high as the |
Placed as an
arch inside the country, the Carpathians are formed of three mountains chains
(Oriental, Southern and
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The Oriental
Carpathians stretch from the
north-eastern frontier up to the |
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The Western
Carpathians are placed in the west
side of the country, between the
Anywhere in the Carpathians aria
one can find mountain resorts intended for winter sports or summer holidays,
resorts with thermal waters and rarely therapeutic elements, with a modern
infrastructure of hotels, villas, Alpine chalets, camping, telecabin,
telechair and accessible roads.
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Skiing is one of the tourists' favorite
activities, as there are modern, specially arranged tracks, lit up in the
night. Among the most known tracks there are those on the |
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The mountaineering and the alpine
climbing are perfect sports in these mountains. The most important alpine
climbing centre of
The pollutant civilization did not
touch the
Other attracting elements are the
reservations and the natural parks that shelter rare animals - the lynx, the
bear, the Carpathian stag, the European bison, the black goat etc.
Hunting is another sport that can
be practiced in the Carpathians. Amateur hunters take great pride in the
trophies obtained "fighting" with the wild boars, bears, hares or the
pheasant and wild ducks species.
The roads intended for mountain
cycling, the glacial lakes, the caves hiding a wonderful world, the strange
forms of peaks and rocks, the cascades and mineral water springs are other
reasons to visit the Carpathians.
The famous mountain resorts of
Holidays in a Mediterranean style
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Marvelous weather from spring
to autumn and miles of golden sand make |
From Wildlife to Water
sports
Altogether, the Romanian Black Sea
coast stretches out for 245 km (153 miles) from the fascinating unspoiled
natural reserves of the
All waited on by the employees of
the local tourist and transport services in the city of
With an international airport, a
busy seaport, express trains linking it to
Hotels, shops, ancient monuments, a
magnificent casino by the sea and interesting museums complete the picture. All
the
Mamaia
The major resort near
Sports like sub-aqua diving and
paragliding offer thrills from May to October. Restaurants, bars and nightclubs
enliven the evenings. Typical country villages, the ruins of the ancient Greek
fortress of Histria, and the
South of
From
The
Among the most popular are Neptun and Olimp, built as
leisure sites for the rich of the communist era, now offering de-luxe villas
and excellent hotels, some on the beach, others in the quiet Comorova forest between the shore and a lake.
Tennis and other sports, open air
restaurants, discos, night clubs and cabarets all cater for demanding visitors.
Economical and Youth
Holidays
Southwards, the resorts of Jupiter,
Cap Aurora, Venus and Saturn offer a variety of inexpensive hotels, campsites
and rented accommodation, while Costinesti is mostly
a youth resort, with basic accommodation and informal entertainment.
Mangalia is renowned for therapy treatments
The 6th century BC fortified town
of
Medical staff is highly qualified
and clinics and consulting rooms remain open all through the year. So you can
combine professional treatment with all the pleasures of a seaside holiday.
Local
As well as long-distance tours to
the
At Adamclisi,
62 km (39 miles) inland from
Traditional costumes are displayed
in folklore centers. And, if you feel like getting to
the heart of the warm welcoming Romanian experience, there are Romanian feasts
with local dishes, plum brandy, wine, music and dancing that will remain in
your memory as part of a special seaside holiday
The
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Considered the second river in Its basin, of over 800.000 sq. km, comprises about
80.000.000 inhabitants in nine countries ( |
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The On |
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Caras-Severin is remarkable for its
picturesque caves in the mountains Among the touristic objectives
of the district Mehedinti you might want to
see: the ruins of the Roman bridge at Drobeta,
built after the drafts of the architect Apollodor
of Damasc, The Museum "Portile
de Fier" (Iron Gates) in the town Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the cave
at Topolnita, the harbour Orsova
(where you can take voyages on the |
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In the district Olt,
you can visit the ruins of the Dacian and Roman
fortresses from Romula, Limes, Rusidava
si Sucidava. The dance "Calusarii",
renown all over the world has its millenary origins in this area. Downstream
there is another town, Downstream there are another three important localities:
Cernavoda (the ancient Axiopolis
- where the Romanian atomic electric power station is situated), |
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The Romans initiated the Romanian tradition of health
cures
For many people a holiday in a spa is an agreeable
relaxing luxury. To others, mineral water, nd mud
baths are the compounds of a thorough treatment for aches and pains.
To both kinds of visitors
The country has 70 health resorts, some founded by the
ancient Romans. Today patients come from all over
They are no miracles, but Romanian cures often seem
miraculous
The main spas offer relief for rheumatic and
cardio-vascular diseases, respiratory ailments, various disorders of the
digestive and nervous system, and dermatological and gynecological
problems.
All treatments are conducted under strict supervision by
the official
The normal length of a stay at a spa is of two to three
weeks, at the end of which you are given a full medical bulletin, including
diagnosis, the results of tests and recommendation.
If you feel miraculously better afterwards, it's because
treatment is methodical and performed skillfully.
A Quick Look at
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The most renowned health resort is Baile
Herculane, established by the Romans in the wooded Open all year round, its fifteen mineral and thermal
springs treat rheumatic, nervous and nutritional problems. The facilities include massage rooms and indoor and outdoor
thermal swimming pools. The hotels are modern and comfortable. |
Baile Felix
This "Spa of Happiness",
The thermal waters, very rich in oligo-minerals, are supplemented by mud in treating
rheumatic arthritis, lumbago as well as gynecological
and nervous disorders.
The international clientele gives a sparkle to the life of
the modern three-star hotels.
Sovata - a favourite spa for
women
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At 490 m (1,600 ft) above the sea level in the stunning
forested countryside of Instead of becoming colder, the water is warmer and more
salty deeper down than it is at the surface! This chlorosodic water and the
sapropelic mud of the lake are especially effective
for gynecological disorders, for rheumatism and
peripheral nervous disorders. |
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Up-to-date installations and hotels, plus a stimulating
dry subalpine climate make a stay in Sovata
extremely agreeable! Other Spas in the Carpathians There are numerous health resorts in the mountains. Sinaia, near |
The French Emperor Napoleon III received water from the
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Nearby, the small spa of Baile
Olanesti provides cures for digestive and kidney
disorders, gout, obesity and diabetes, again amid fine mountain scenery. Down on the long sandy beaches of the |
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All utilise the fine, smooth, sapropelic
mud from
The Aslan Therapy and how to
find out more
No account of
In particular the therapy counters memory loss, improves
blood circulation in the brain and helps revitalise the internal organs.
It is available as an additional treatment at most
Romanian Spas, as well at the specialised Otopeni
Clinic outside
Finally, for more information about the many curative
programmes in
Baile Herculane/The Herculane Spa
The thermal and mineral waters from this spa were
discovered and exploited a very long time ago by the soldiers of the Roman
legions who conquered ancient
Because of the curative properties of the waters, the
Romans named this place "Ad acquas Herculi Sacras".
The resort had been extremely prosperous in the 19th
century, in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's occupation, when it had
become a fashionable spa frequently visited by the emperor Franz Joseph and
Queen Elisabeth, who each possessed one pavilion in the resort.
Situated in the surroundings of a mountain area, the spa
is placed in the valley of the river Cerna, in
between high calcareous walls, 19 km away from the accumulation
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Climate. Very mild, with
sub-Mediterranean influences, without strong winds and low continental
temperatures (both during summer and wintertime). Altitude
- 160 m.
Natural factors. The area is rich in
thermal-mineral waters with big concentration of: sodic
chloride, bicarbonate, iodine bromide, with a total mineralization value
situated between 0.6 - 3.5 gr./l, recommended in
external and internal treatments. There are also thermal-mineral waters of the
following types: sulphurous, with sodic chloride,
rich in calcium, with iodine bromide (2-7 gr./l), very
much used in the complex balneary treatment
(internally and externally). The spa benefits of all the advantages given by a
calming bioclimate, having a strong negative
ionisation of the air which is specific for a 3000 m altitude.
Therapeutic recommendations. Degenerative rheumatic
illnesses, inflammatory or sub-articulator affections or of the following
kinds: posttraumatic, neurological, peripheral, metabolic and nutritional,
respiratory, ORL, etc.
Hotels. Total capacity: 4100 places in
hotels of 1-2 stars (Roman, Hercules, Diana, Minerva, Afrodita,
Cerna - 2 stars).
Entertainment possibilities. Indoor swimming-pools,
swimming-pools in open air, Olympic ones with thermal water; Fishing, trips in
the mountains, hunting, speloogy, trips to the Roman
vestiges and relics, excursions by boats on the
Those enabling the knowledge of the ethnographic
phenomenon are the Romanian peasants, creators of the culture and its
continuer.
They are the ones who continue to wear the popular
costumes, to keep the customs and traditions, they
make the objects that enter the area of the popular values and creations.
The range of the ethnographic aspects which should draw
the tourist attention is wide: from the large structure of the place, type of
households, specific architecture details and inside arrangements, to the work
tools used in the occupations specific to the place, to the popular costumes,
customs and traditions.
Often, these ethnographic values are interesting just for
the fact that they can be seen and known right in the nearby of their creators
or directly from the same. Each ethnographic region has its representative
characteristics as for the life, culture and civilization of the inhabitants.
Thus, Tara Motilor (Bihor region inhabitants), well known due to its peasant
craftsmen specialized in wood, iron or clay working, or the Banat
region, whose inhabitants excel, in the ethnographic field, in home made
fabrics of an impressive variety - are only two examples of popular culture
born in various parts of our country.
The popular art
creations in woods - the distaffs, spindles, shepherd sticks, mallets used to
"beat" the laundry while washing, the spindles created in Hunedoara area, the furniture pieces made in Valcea county or the dowry cases from Banat
region, the black woolen mantles specific to Avrig village, the inside decoration fabrics specific to Orastie area, the breastplates, sheepskin coats and girdles
from Fagaras or Rasinari,
or the glass icons and the painted eggs are the expression of a certain
civilization.
From the
The Romanian popular
costumes adorned with specific textures, seams and colours, the wall carpets
woven with rose or peony motifs, whose chromatic is based on
"secrets" known only by the peasants, the wood laces and the glaze
covering the wide variety of clay pottery, the unwritten theatre, the dances,
popular poetry, customs and traditions are charming, full of meaning messengers
of the Tracian-Dacian-Roman culture.
The folklore fully reflects the historic events, thus, the
Romanian peasant songs have been, for ages, a mirror of its soul, of its life
filled with joy or sorrow.
In the doina (a specific lyric
song) they used to sing the woods, their nostalgia, sorrow, pity, hope,
deception, wish for freedom.
The Romanian carols are as old as the doinas.
They carry in their lines the confidence in doing good deeds, in the kindness
and hospitality of the Romanian people.
The folklore is composed of an impressive number of songs,
carols, good wishes all showing the popular philosophy
of life.
CHARMING TEMPTATION: the Village
and its Traditions
The holidays, the traditions and the customs have
preserved their entire originality and, often, their impressiveness only in the
villages. They should have, as this is where they appeared. As there is no
month of the year without several events of this kind, with their irresistible
picturesque, it was only natural that this "calendar" be adopted up
to its tiniest details, by the rural tourism. This, of course, offers other
arguments that cannot be refused by the stressed man of our times.
Fancy, for example, isn't it wonderful to watch at night,
before going to bed, a sky crowded with stars, as you just cannot see in the
town invaded with advertisements and lights? What could possibly be more
optimistic when waking up in the morning than a green meadow, covered with wild
flowers, whose scent you can perceive through the open window, before you walk
towards it barefooted in order to verify the promises of the naturist therapy
about the direct contact with the earth and the dew? After all that, instead of
pre-packaged and half-prepared food, you are offered a meal with hot fresh
milk, eggs from the hen cackling in the yard, a pear, an apple, a plum - which
you could pick yourself - the mystery of an oven revealing baked pies,
home-made cookies, food that you taste now for the first time. But we won't
tell you everything in these pages.
The Transylvanian villages have a whole Scheherazade story
to tell you, sometimes in three languages - Romanian, Magyar or German. Search
them in any season. At Christmas or New Year's time you will be charmed by the
processions of masked people, carol singers and waits. The Easter brings red
painted eggs and religious sermons gathering impressive processions with lit
candles. It is followed by the celebration, on the 23rd of April, of St
Gheorghe (George), the protector of the vegetation, Noaptea
de Sânziene, the Midsummer day,
in June, when the people pick healing plants and light huge purifying fires, Cununa de seceris (Harvest
Garland), at harvest time. There are also the fairs - the most important ones
were turned into folk feasts, such as those on the Peak Gaina
in the Mountains Apuseni, the pastoral traditions,
with Sâmbra Oilor or Masuris, the regular fairs, held weekly or at holidays,
with the bustle of the buyers and sellers of cattle, agricultural tools or
house-hold objects. For an Occidental traveller, coming from a world where
urbanization and civilization have long transformed the rural life, it will be
amazing to find that in
Many villages still preserve the custom of ancient dances,
and, on Sundays at the church or for the holidays, the old men wear their
national costume as the entire community used to in the old days. The ethnic
groups who, besides the Romanians, live in
A magical archaism will take into possession the one who
searches for this kind of exploring. In the end, as the millennium that has
just begun values the mystery, the miracle and the adventure, a holiday in a
Transylvanian village, with its feasts and traditions, could be a very
interesting choice. The elegant villas - some of them endowed with pools and
romantic hunting panoplies - the modern pensions, the rustic setting elegantly
adapted are not missing from the offer of a rural tourism continuously
developing, not only in Transylvania, but everywhere in Romania, from the North
where you must see the gorgeous land of Maramures and
Bucovina, up to the south frontier, with the
Tales need their halo, just like they were born. Does
anybody want to change Snow-White's destiny? Do we need other variants for
Little Girl with Matches, Hansel and Gretl and
Sleeping Beauty? Today people have enough resources to make up their own tales,
as their imagination will never be exhausted.
As for the old tales, they have the magic power to become
younger with every generation. It is obvious that nobody will get rid of the
extraordinary Dracula, this romantic vampire, sometimes bloody, sometimes
lonely and pining for love, who's haunting the world since his father, the
Irish Bram Stocker, put him in a novel. The strange creature had the power to
get out of these pages, to cross over the threshold of movies, videotapes and
especially of trips.
His fate began and ended here, in a pass of the
Carpathians- Bargau Pass - in Romania and it worth,
of course, to come from the other part of the world to see these places with
your own eyes, just like you go and contemplate Romeo and Juliet's house or the
inn in which it is said that the wizard Faust's shadow still haunts ...
It will always be
fascinating to search, to walk on the places of the creature that became
irresistibly famous. The one who reigned when Henry VI and the English fought
in the war of two roses, when in