How interesting it is to spend 3 days in Romania. Tips and advice for traveling to Romania. How to get to Romania

What do Russians know about Romania? I bet not much. The very first thing that comes to our person’s mind is: “Oh, this is where Dracula lived!” Well, yes. He is. It is what it is.

I thought so too. But, as it turned out, besides Dracula, there are still a lot of interesting things in Romania. This is a beautiful country with a rich and diverse culture, eventful and often tragic history, and picturesque nature. During my travels, I simply fell in love with Romania.

Romania is a kind of spiritual border between Europe and Asia, like, in fact, many Eastern European countries. The mixture of cultures creates a bizarre and very attractive picture with a unique charm.

This is a country where people live who are very similar in mentality to us Russians, to some extent our “close relatives”. Slavic, Romanesque, Turkic, Dacian roots mixed into one whole, and then Romania appeared - the way we see it now.

Geographically, the country is small. But each of its regions can be so different from the neighboring one that sometimes it seems that these are completely different countries. If you want the sea, please! If you want mountains, you are welcome! Or maybe dense forests, stormy rivers or medieval castles? Get it, everything is there.

The historical regions of the country, the former principalities from which present-day Romania was formed: Wallachia, Moldova, Dobrudja - differ like flowers in a flowerbed. All beautiful and all so different, each with its own scent. For every taste.

Romania cannot be seen in one trip. Once you are there, you will definitely want to return.

Visa and border crossing

A visa is required to enter Romania. It should be remembered that Romania, although part of the European Union, is not a Schengen country.

You cannot enter Schengen countries with a Romanian visa, but if you have a Schengen visa with the right to double or multiple entries, then you can enter Romania. Here is all the information (website of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow).

Romanian visas are available: transit, short-term with single or multiple entries, or long-term. The latter are usually needed only by those who work or study in Romania, that is, live there for a long time, at least a year.

For a tourist trip, a short one is enough. The list of documents (the most reliable :)) can be read. Nothing unusual is required, it’s quite a standard set as in any European country. You usually have to wait from a week to 10 days for a visa. The consular fee is 35 euros (it hasn’t changed for several years, pah-pah-pah :)).

You can submit documents through numerous agencies in Moscow (this will cost more, about 100 euros). Or go to the consulate yourself. Monday, Wednesday or Friday, from 10 to 12.30. Address in Moscow: Mosfilmovskaya street, house 64. The nearest metro station is University, and then by bus or trolleybus (bus no. 67, trolleybus no. 34k, 34, minibus no. 525m or no. 87m. Stop “Mosfilmovskaya street, 35”). And on foot a little.

How to get there

We get there from Moscow. By plane from Sheremetyevo. Direct flights: Aeroflot and Tarom (Romanian company). Unfortunately, there is no direct train to Bucharest from Moscow or St. Petersburg. There was a few years ago (–Kiev–Bucharest–Sofia), but it was cancelled. However, you can consider the “automotive” option for Blablacar, but this is not for everyone.

By plane

As I already said, you can get to Romania from Russia by plane. Usually direct flights depart from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport.

In summer you can fly any day of the week, but in early October the schedule usually changes a little.

The airport is located 16 kilometers from Bucharest. Official airport address: S.A., Calea Bucurestilor nr. 224 E, Otopeni. We get to the city by taxi for 17 euros (80 lei). You can also take bus number 780, which goes to Gara de Nord station. The cost will be less than 1 euro (3.5 lei). Travel time: 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic congestion.

By train

Just a couple of years ago you could get to Bucharest by passing train departing from the Kievsky station in Moscow. But, alas, the train has been cancelled. And he was the only one from Russia. The option of going to Moldovan Chisinau and taking a train to Romania there is unlikely to seem attractive to you.

By car

For extreme individuals and adventure lovers, there is the opportunity to travel by car from Moscow to Bucharest. BlaBlaCar usually presents the currently available options. It won't cost much, about 27-34 euros. But are you ready to spend a day shaking in a car with strangers to the accompaniment of God knows what kind of music (to the driver’s taste), eating in God knows what roadside cafes? I repeat: this is for thrill-seekers.

Tourist regions

Transylvania

Shown to romantic lovers of the vampire theme, especially films about Dracula, and to fans of the Middle Ages in general. It is there that you will be greeted by mysterious castles, majestic cathedrals, mountains shrouded in fog, dense forests, where, as they say, the largest population of brown bears in Europe. And also medieval shows, knightly tournaments, witch trials (calm down, gentlemen, I’m telling you – a show).

Historical attractions are provided in abundance. , Sibiu, Brasov, Sebes, Medias, Bistrita... these are the “jewels of the Transylvanian crown”. Each city has its own charm. Once upon a time this region was called Semigrad due to the number of military fortress-cities.

Now in Transylvania there are ski resorts (for example, Poiana).

Top cities

Here it is, my favorite! :)

• Sighisoara. Firstly, this is one of the few European cities with a perfectly preserved medieval citadel. There, in fact, the entire center is medieval. Secondly, it was in Sighisoara that Dracula was born. Since many people associate Romania with it, it is impossible to drive past Sighisoara. Thirdly, Sighisoara hosts an annual festival of medieval art (last weekend in July). I wrote more about this charming city in.

• . Another famous Transylvanian city. Beautiful and ancient. There you can explore medieval buildings and streets, including one of the narrowest streets in Europe, Strada Sforii (the width is somewhere between 111-135 cm), as well as the Black Church. You can ride a cable car and admire the letters attached to the top of the mountain “a la Hollywood”. Only in our case it says “Brasov”, of course.

• Sibiu. Also refers to Semigrad (see above). A beautiful example of medieval architecture with interesting museums. For example, the Brukenthal Museum, where you can admire a collection of paintings, exhibits related to urban and natural history, as well as weapons. I remember I admired it for a very long time, until my legs were tired. The museum is really huge. There are also interesting churches in the city, in particular St. Mary's. This Lutheran cathedral is one of the main attractions of Sibiu. The Church of the Holy Trinity, the Tower of the Soviets will not leave tourists indifferent... in general, I highly recommend Sibiu. There's a lot to see there.

• Bucharest. Where would we be without the capital? In Bucharest you will find a lot of interesting things: the ruins of the princely palace Curtea Veche, ancient churches, and beautiful parks such as Cismigiu and Gerastrau. I remember in “Gerastreu” there was a summer mini-zoo, or rather an aviary, where peacocks lived. There I saw white representatives of this species for the first time in my life. And the monumental Palace of Parliament is worth it! Read more.

• Hunedoara. A correction should be made here: it is not the city itself that is interesting, but the castle of the Hungarian royal dynasty of Corvins. There's a lot to admire here! The most magnificent spectacle.

• Sinaia. It is there that you can look at Peles - a unique royal residence in the neo-Renaissance and Baroque style, which already had its own cinema in the 19th (!) century.

Top attractions

• Bran Castle (Castelul Bran, Castelul Bran). Located 30 km from Brasov (), on the border of Muntenia and Transylvania. It is also called Dracula's castle. Completely in vain, since Vlad Dracula didn’t even live there. In the Middle Ages it served as... a customs post. I remember it even upset me: where is the romance-gothic-vampires?! In such a castle - and some kind of customs?! But the building is so picturesque that it is simply unforgivable to miss it. Standing on a mountain, majestic and impregnable, Bran looks exactly like the “movie” vampire castle. One of the most famous attractions in the country.

• House of Dracula (Casa Dracula, Casa Dracula). Now it is a restaurant, but Vlad Dracula was actually born in this building, and there is even a fresco with a portrait of his father Vlad II. In Sighisoara (Transylvania) it is also worth looking at the Clock Tower and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Church on the Hill). That's the minimum. Better yet, go around the entire medieval city center.

• Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas, Turnul cu Chas) in Sighisoara. A beautiful building in Baroque style, built in the 14th century. True, the tower acquired its current appearance only later: after the fire of 1676, the roof was rebuilt and the main attraction was installed: a clock with wooden figures depicting Justice, Peace, Law, Day and Night, as well as 7 ancient Roman gods, patrons of the planets.

• Black Church (Biserica Neagra, Biserica Neagra) in Brasov. Sounds mysterious and gothic, doesn't it? In fact, the famous Lutheran church was called black because of a fire that happened there in the 17th century. She herself is from the 14th century. And indeed, she is very beautiful.

• Poenari Fortress (Cetatea Poenari). These are the real ruins of Dracula's fortress. Look for them near the town of Curtea de Arges, between Wallachia and Transylvania. About one and a half thousand steps lead to the mountain where the fortress rises. The view from above is simply fabulous. There is a legend that it was from the walls of Poenari that Dracula’s first wife threw herself down into the Arges River, afraid of being captured by the Turks. However, this fact has not been proven. But anything is possible.

• Transfagarasan Mountain highway in the Carpathians leading from Wallachia to Transylvania. The highest road in the country. The breathtaking mountain landscapes will not leave you indifferent. There is also a beautiful mountain lake called Bylya nearby, and not only that: there are many mountain lakes in the region. Don't forget your video camera.

• Peles Palace in Sinai (Wallachia). Royal residence. A unique building combining Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles. One of a kind.

• Merry Cemeterymore(Cimitirul Vesel, Cimitirul Vesel). Located in the village of Sapinta (Maramures). There is no other one like it in all of Europe. Unusual monuments with humorous epitaphs are worth seeing and photographing.

• Corvin Castle (Castelul Corvinilor, Castelul Corvinilor). Gothic citadel of the Hungarian kings of the 15th century. Located in the city of Hunedoara (). It is believed that Vlad Dracula spent 7 years in captivity there.

• Hoia-Baciu Forest (Padurea Hoia-Baciu, Padurea Hoia-Baciu) in town (). If you're interested in ghosts and aliens, this is the place to go. You'll probably see at least something.

• Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului, Palatul Parlamentului) in Bucharest (Wallachia). Built in the 80s. Known as the largest administrative building in the world. It covers an area of ​​270 by 240 square meters. The height is 86 m, the underground part goes down 92 m. The palace has about 1100 rooms... a monumental structure, in general.

Weather

The climate in Romania is warm. The average summer temperature is more than 30, or even 40 degrees, in winter it varies depending on the region. There are also positive temperatures, for example, in Bucharest. And even rains in January. There are snowy, cold winters; in Transylvania it sometimes reaches -20.

In large cities, summer is difficult: there is absolutely no fresh air, the heat is hellish. At the same time, it is quite comfortable on the sea coast or in the mountains in the summer. So, if you are going to the seaside resorts of Mamaia, Euforie Sud, etc., or to some lakes, June/July/August is the best time, of course.

If your goal is sightseeing, cities, castles and museums, I would recommend April/May or early autumn... however, not quite early, until November. At this time it is neither too hot nor too cold. Degrees +10-15, sometimes +20 during the day.

At the end of October you can already see snow on the mountain peaks, although below it will be quite sunny and warm. In the mountains, the weather is terribly changeable, including in the summer: sometimes sunny, sometimes downpours with gusty winds.

Moreover, all this can change very quickly. If you stop by the Borgo (Tihuta) pass near Bistrita, or are on Transfagaras, you will see this.

Winter is good for ski lovers.

Money

Romania is not a euro area. The local currency used there is lei (RON). One euro is equal to approximately 4.5 lei. And one leu is approximately 16.6 rubles.

There are exchange offices and ATMs in all tourist cities, and, of course, at the airport. But: you can’t change rubles in Romania, so it’s better to change your domestic currency in Russia for euros or dollars, and then change them for lei upon arrival.

However, in Romania you can use almost any Russian cards, including ruble ones. Master Card, Visa - everything is fine. The main thing is that your bank provides servicing of the card abroad, in EU countries (you need to find out this when you issue the card). Conversion when withdrawing money from an ATM occurs on the spot, you receive your cash already in lei. The commission, of course, will be charged according to the tariffs of a particular bank.

In restaurants, payments are most often made in cash. In small stores too. I advise you to exchange cash if you are going on a tour of Romania, especially into the outback.

Moving around the country

The most convenient way to travel around Romania is by tourist bus or by car with friends :). But if this option is not available to you, that’s okay.

Firstly, you can use local trains. From Gara de Nord, Bucharest North Station, we take the train. And go ahead! Inexpensive, comfortable. Let's say the cost of a ticket from Bucharest to Brasov (a trip of more than 3 hours) will cost 11 euros (50 lei).

Electric trains are clean, with soft seats, tables, and air conditioning. Drinks and snacks are offered along the way (not from granny peddlers like in domestic electric trains, but from CFR. It’s like our Russian Railways :)).

The disadvantage of this method of transportation: it happens that you have to make a transfer; there are no direct trains to some cities. Or use the train first, then the bus. In this case, it is better not to go “to the people,” that is, to public transport, as it can be tiring, especially if you have heavy luggage, but to rent a car.

This is not difficult to do: there are a number of international car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, Alamo, National, Sixt, etc.). We order everything online. The best selection of cars, in my opinion, is on the website. Average cost from 27 euros per day. Moreover, you can rent a car with a driver. You also automatically receive insurance in case of theft or accident.

Another option for traveling around the country is buses. If you go here, or here, you can find out the current routes and schedules of intercity buses. In the top line (de la) we select the city from where we are going, in the next line (pana la) - where we are going. Next we indicate the date. And that's it, you're done! We receive complete information.

On the same website there are addresses of all bus stations in Bucharest. I can indicate the cost using the example of a route -. The average ticket price is 70 lei (15 euros). It can also be a little cheaper, depending on the bus company. There are no complaints about comfort and cleanliness; most buses are quite decent and comfortable.

Connection

Wi-Fi is available everywhere. Theoretically, it is everywhere. But practically... yes, even any inexpensive hotel in Romania offers wireless Internet. But it doesn't work everywhere. In Bucharest hotels, as a rule, everything is in order. The capital after all. In Transylvania in the mountainous regions, you will very soon want to smash your unfortunate tablet or smartphone against the wall or throw it out the window, since the promised Wi-Fi will simply “fall out” every couple of minutes and freeze in every possible way. In my experience, Wi-Fi is especially bad in Sibiu. Moreover, this does not depend on the high or low cost of the hotel.

Solution: buy a local SIM card. Mobile operators in Romania: Vodafone, Telekom, Orange, Digi.Mobil. On average, a card will cost about 5 euros.

Regarding the Internet, I’ll give the example of Telekom, which I use myself. So, the minimum traffic offered on the card (Internet XS+ package) is 0.5 GB per week, speed – 3G and 4G. The minimum cost of Internet services for this XS is from 2 euros. The maximum is 15 euros, there is generally 13 GB of traffic per month.

The cost of calls to Russia starts from 25 euro cents per minute (and here Vodafone is perhaps the cheapest). In general, you can compare the prices of our operators in roaming and calculate which is cheaper.

You can buy a card without any passport (for now) in any mobile phone store or at a vending machine (there are plenty of them in Bucharest, at the train station, in the city center, etc.).

We top up the balance either online - through your bank card, or through the above-mentioned machines, or in a store.

To top up online, just go to the website of the mobile operator, for example, Vodafone, etc., and find the Reincarcare cartela section there, which just means “refill the card”. You can understand this section even without knowing the Romanian language: the page will display a line for entering a telephone number, the desired amount, then bank card details.

In a store, as a rule, you can tell the seller in English that you want to top up your phone account, the operator is such and such. You will be offered several options for scratch cards: for 5 euros, for 7, for 10, etc. Usually the “smallest” one costs 5 euros. You buy a card, erase the protective layer, and dial the specified code into your phone. Voila! It is done.

Language and communication

The official language of the country is Romanian. A language of the Latin group, related to, say, Italian, but with large inclusions of Slavic and all sorts of other words. What it has in common with Russian is, in particular, the existence of a common word “yes” with the same meaning in both languages. This makes many of our tourists very happy - they say, this is the first time we have come to the country and we can already speak the local language a little! But this, of course, will not be enough to communicate with Romanians, as you and I understand.

Note to those who speak English: as in many countries, in large cities and tourist centers you can meet a lot of people who speak English. Service personnel in hotels, restaurants, shops, as well as guides are a must. Among the local population, it is better to contact young people if you need, say, to ask directions in English, etc.

In Russian, it’s better and don’t strain yourself. They won't understand you. Although there is a nuance: people of the older and middle generation (over 40) can understand a little Russian, since at one time (under socialism :)) they studied it at school. True, things won’t go further than “thank you, comrade,” “hello,” and the rest in the same spirit.

In general, it is better to take a phrasebook with you to Romania. You won't buy it there. English-Romanian, German-Romanian, Spanish-Romanian, whatever - yes. In any quantity. But it’s better for the Russian-Romanian ones to stock up in their homeland.

The most important phrases:

• Buna ziua - good afternoon, buna diminyatsa - good morning, buna syara - good evening.
• Multsumesk - thank you.
• Taxi, trenul, autobus, avion, car - taxi, train, bus, plane, car.
• Yes - yes :), well - no, sorry - sorry (almost like in French :)).
• La revedere - goodbye.
• Note, note, score, please.
• Kyt costa? – how much does it cost? Straight skump! - too expensive. Eftin - cheap.
• Bine - good.
• Unde este... (hotel, gara, autogara, restaurant, museum, biserika, shop)? Where is... (hotel, train station, bus station, restaurant, museum, church, shop)?
• Farmachie – pharmacy.

Important notices:

• Plecari – departure (at train stations, at the airport).
• Sosiri – arrival.
• Inchis – closed,
• deschis - open.

However, many of the words on the signs can be understood, since they are, in fact, international. It’s hard to confuse politie with something else. Plus the corresponding symbols next to the words. I have cited those that cannot be recognized by sight due to their dissimilarity to English, Russian, German-Spanish-French and others like them.

Features of mentality

The Romanian mentality is very close to the Russian mentality. Let's just say that they cannot be called pedants, polished and super-duper-punctual boring lords and ladies with a permanently glued smile, obsessed with the “ordnung”. Not in life! Romanians are emotional, hospitable, open, and also touchy (but only if their national pride is hurt). The worst insult is to say that Romanians and Gypsies are the same thing. So you shouldn’t say that, and you shouldn’t even think like that, because it doesn’t correspond to the truth at all. Romanians as such have no relation to gypsies.

Due to their emotionality, Romanians sometimes violate this aforementioned “ordnung”... for example, traffic rules. Pedestrians crossing the road at a red light are not uncommon in Romanian cities. Or a couple of drivers leaning out the windows of their cars and with feeling, with gesticulation and the use of local untranslatable “folklore”, figuring out at the top of their lungs which of them was wrong on the road. And often both are to blame.

What else can I add... yes, Romanians are quite traditional, in some places even patriarchal. Let's say that people's attitude towards same-sex love is not very positive... as in Russia, in short. Although this phenomenon occurs there (as in any country), only in small quantities. In general, Romanians have not yet reached Western... uh... tolerance :), when mom and dad are called only “parent 1” and “parent 2”. Some will say unfortunately, others will say fortunately. This is a matter of taste for individual citizens. I won't elaborate. It just is what it is.

Go ahead. The main religion in the country is Orthodoxy. Although there are many Catholics in Transylvania, mainly among local Hungarians, and Transylvanian Germans are, accordingly, Protestants. In general, I have noticed more than once: when a Romanian walks or drives past a church, he is sure to cross himself. Even if he is not at all pious, does not fast and only comes to church on Easter. It’s just that the attitude towards religion is very respectful.

Of the negative traits... yes, those are ours, Russian ones. For example, some men are addicted to alcohol, mainly among the poor and middle strata of the population, more often in villages. Moreover, its owner often does not even think about hiding this habit from neighbors and passers-by. He goes for a walk down the street in a “naturally alcoholic” state and doesn’t blow his mind. And what - the salary is small, everything in the store is so expensive, the son/daughter is a blockhead, the boss is a tyrant, life is not a success - so the man drinks. Well, something like this. That is, everything is a carbon copy of the Russian hinterland.

Sometimes in the countryside I had the complete feeling that I had arrived in a village in some Bryansk - Kostroma - Oryol, etc. areas. I mean, the audience is similar. Considering that Romania is not a rich country and the salaries of the locals are really... not very good, you can understand the people.

For the same reason, perhaps, among the Romanians there are many enterprising people, with the so-called “commercial spirit”. If there is an opportunity to earn money, to “make” at least a little money, to reach a higher level, this opportunity will not be missed. People have no time for laziness, as they say. However, everything is individual.

Let's summarize the above: in Romania you will be greeted very cordially, they will remember their entire stock of Russian words and how the country lived under Ceausescu, they will be happy to show you local attractions, and will give you delicious food and drink. They will offer to buy interesting souvenirs as a keepsake (they may even give you a gift). And if you return, you will be received like a dear old friend. Russians there are treated kindly, friendly and with some curiosity.

Food and drink

Romanian cuisine shows influences from several countries. Something from Italian (Mediterranean), German, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Turkish. Meat dishes with vegetable side dishes predominate. Pork is perhaps the most consumed meat in the country. The most popular meat is la gratare, that is, grilled.

The Danube Delta region has many fish dishes.

Among the vegetables, Romanians most often use eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, and corn. Also beans, including green beans. They love spicy foods; pickled hot peppers (ardei iute) are served with many meat dishes. Many people have probably heard about mamalyga - corn porridge. Once upon a time in villages they ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and generally instead of bread. There are many recipes for its preparation. Now in most restaurants it is served with sour cream and fried eggs.

Romania is also a country of cheeses. There are a lot of types of cheese, which can be divided into two main categories: feta cheese and kash. Brynza is soft cheese, kash is hard cheese. They come from cow, sheep, goat milk; smoked (afumat), salted and not very... In general, for every taste.

Flat pies with sweet cheese are very good (placinta cu branza). Romanian cuisine is related to Russian as well as Ukrainian cuisine by the presence of such dishes as slanina - pork lard with a layer of meat, sarmale - cabbage rolls, piftie - jellied meat.

Regarding drinks, Romania has many varieties of wine. The most remarkable thing (to the author’s taste:)) is the white semi-sweet “Cotnari” from Moldova. But in general, which wine tastes better is up to you, dear readers. Come and try it yourself.

There is also a national vodka - tsuika with a strength of 50 degrees. More precisely, this is not quite vodka... locals call it “brandy” for tourists, but in fact, tsuika tastes closest to moonshine. Only high quality. It is made from fruits, most often plums, pears or apples.

The tsuika palinka is even stronger, it can generally be up to 70 degrees. Not for everyone.

Homemade sweet cherry liqueur visinata is also good. It is not strong and very tasty.

5 dishes worth trying

• Michi (mici), they are also mititei (mititei)- something between a cutlet and a sausage. But the taste is closer to cutlets. They are most often prepared from pork or pork and beef. They are especially tasty to eat with mustard.

• Sarmale. Stuffed cabbage rolls in Romanian style. Sometimes they are wrapped in grape leaves rather than cabbage leaves. They differ from ours only in shape (smaller than the average domestic ones). I recommend it with sour cream.

• Tokana, aka Tokanitsa (tocana, tocanita)- meat stew with gravy. Usually made from pork with vegetables.

• Snack). This doesn't mean we drank and ate. This is a specific dish. More like a vegetable stew or caviar (depending on how you cook it). Mandatory ingredients are sweet peppers and eggplants. Plus a lot more.

• Ciorba. This is the soup. More precisely, several varieties of soups. Ciorba de burta - with cow stomach, ciorba de fasole - with beans. It happens with meatballs, and just with pork. Delicious and satisfying. I like the one with beans and the one with meatballs (cu perisoare).

• Papanasi- donuts. Usually with sour cream and sugar or jam. Goodbye figure, hello gastronomic delight!

Shopping

Shopping... well, it all depends on what and where you want to buy. Clothing, cosmetics, equipment - the same and the same brands as in Moscow. , Japan, occasionally Europe. Or “China under Europe.” Local production of, say, clothing or shoes, is rather poorly represented. The only thing is that in Transylvania you can find Hungarian cosmetics inexpensively. The quality is ok. I won't say anything bad.

At prices. In Bucharest (and other cities) in large shopping centers the difference with Moscow will be small, although there are often discounts. So there is no point in going to Romania on a shopping tour. You can buy the same pants, T-shirts, jackets, skirts in some H&M, Bershka or Stradivarius everywhere and at about the same cost.

But if you are interested in something authentic and unique, go to a shop called Artizanat, where you can buy very interesting souvenirs and folk crafts. Mostly these are ceramics, very nice plates, pots or mugs; wooden souvenirs, figurines, dolls; textiles – tablecloths, handbags, embroidered shirts, aprons; leather goods, sheepskin (these are usually elements of a national costume, vests, for example, or house shoes); woven beaded jewelry in the national style.

It won't be cheap, I want to point out. For example, the average embroidered blouse will cost 100 euros or more. There are similar stores in any city where tourists visit.

There are a lot of goods for masquerade, for example, in Sighisoara, and especially on the eve of Halloween. Masks, cloaks, wigs, dresses, knightly weapons... in general, if you want to have fun celebrating Halloween, all the attributes can be bought on the spot. In the same Sighisoara you can buy a mug in the shape of a vampire's head, a candlestick that is a miniature ceramic Clock Tower - the main identification sign of Sighisoara.

What you need to know about shopping in this country

I'll probably say it again.

Clothing in Romania is represented by the same brands as in Russia. Plus cheap Chinese goods. I can please fans of second-hand clothing: often in Romanian stores in this category you come across branded items costing, for example, 5 or 10 lei (1 and 2 euros). This happens, and often.

Local outfits are not bad, cheaper than imported ones. But there are few locally produced clothes in Romania, and they are very often made in the traditional, national style.

The technology is still the same. The same imported brands and the same prices as in Russia. And even more expensive ones come across.

You can purchase unique local cosmetics from Gerovital, for example, or Ana Aslana. It slows down skin aging. There are also vitamins and dietary supplements based on these developments.

The food is inexpensive. Compared to ours. During the season, you can buy local fruits and vegetables in the markets for pennies. Let's say a kilogram of excellent grapes for 0.5 euros (2 lei, 3 lei). Or delicious homemade cheese and sausage. There are supermarkets, there are small shops... everything is like ours.

We carefully study the expiration date on the packages (it is better to do this in domestic retail outlets, of course). Buy meat products either from markets or supermarkets; In small stores it is easy to run into stale goods, although the expiration date on the original packaging will be quite adequate. In general, the situation is painfully similar to what we have in our native lands, so everything is so familiar and ordinary.

As I already mentioned, it is best to stock up on cash and pay with it. In large shopping centers you can use a card, but this is only in large ones. Small shops do not have such a blessing of civilization everywhere.

Best cities for shopping

What to bring from this country

Souvenirs - napkins and tablecloths, pottery, dolls in national costumes. The national costumes themselves.

T-shirts with vampire symbols. Various types of wine.

You cannot export:

• psychotropic and radioactive substances;
• drugs;
• weapon;
• toxic items;
• explosives;
• pornography;
• meat and dairy products;
• local currency.
• foreign currency in quantities greater than those imported.

Something like that.

Vacation with children

Unfortunately, there are no special, memorable attractions for children like Disney Land in Romania. Children's playgrounds - please. The zoo is a must visit. In Targu Mures, for example. This is a city in Transylvania, an hour's drive from Sighisoara.

Teens may enjoy Halloween masquerade and the vampire theme in general. There are many children's creative groups in Sighisoara, which often, especially in the summer, give free concerts.

Safety

Romania is not some kind of criminal country. There is no need to tremble or leave your room in the dark. The crime rate is, let's say, average. Even in Europe there are countries where it is much more dangerous.

If you don’t walk alone for an hour at two in the morning through the dark alleys of Bucharest, hung in three layers of expensive cameras, tablets and other equipment, and don’t hold bills or credit cards fanned out in both hands, nothing bad will most likely happen to you .

Caution and prudence, of course, are needed everywhere, but there is no need to strain too much and rush away from every shadow. Two tips:

• Try not to enter into discussions with gypsy beggars.
• Don't forget to fasten your handbags and shoes in crowds (say, in the subway or in markets).

Another one for girls walking alone:

• Don't catch a car in Bucharest late at night. It's better to call a taxi by phone. You should book your rooms in advance; they will give you them at the reception of any hotel. Dispatchers usually speak English. Or you can ask the waiter at the restaurant to call a car for you.
  Getting into an unknown “swallow” at night, even in the historical center of the capital, you can run into:
  • They will take you to the right place, but they will rip you off (and this is in the best case).
  • They will try to offer “a great job” where “you will get a lot of love and a lot of money.” That is, simply in a brothel. They will talk about this in decent English, very intrusively and persistently.
  • Having received a refusal to the offer above, they may become “offended” and take them to a place where Makar did not send the calves.

Overall, this could end badly. You won't necessarily end up in the latter situation, but there is a danger.

The second thing happened to me. How did you manage to resolve the problem? I said that my boxer boyfriend was meeting me, to whom I would now tell what the driver offered me. And, they say, the boyfriend won’t like it very much :). Everything from the first to the last word was fiction :). But the result followed: the driver fell silent, quickly and politely took me to the place, and then instantly melted into the Bucharest night.

So some legend about a husband or a boxer friend can help, if anything happens. But it’s better, I repeat, since you’ve been partying until night, call a taxi service.

In small tourist towns like Sighisoara you can walk at night, it is extremely calm there.

In the outback, nothing particularly threatens tourists, unless, of course, it occurs to you to go for a walk in the forest at night. You can just get lost. Or in some mountainous regions, for example, near Sinai, you might run into a bear. The fact is that animals can come close to populated areas in order to get food from garbage dumps.

5 things you definitely shouldn't do

• to say that Romanians are gypsies;
• abuse local Tsuika vodka or local wines;
• talk to beggars on the street and, moreover, give them money;
• come to Romania only with rubles (cash);
• believe that Bran is Dracula's castle.

5 things you must do in this country

• Visit Bran Castle
• Try mamaliga, papanashi, tsuika, michi and Kotnari wine.
• Learn to dance folk dance.
• Climb the Poenari fortress.
• Celebrate Halloween in Transylvania.

Nearby countries

Romania borders on:

• Bulgaria,
• Hungary,
• Moldova,
• Serbia,
• Ukraine.

Visas are required to visit Bulgaria and Hungary. I have already said above that a Romanian visa is not a Schengen visa. You can enter Romania with a Schengen visa, but with a Romanian visa you cannot enter the Schengen countries (Romanians themselves, by the way, have no problems with their passports). So plan your routes in advance, get the necessary visas.

The vampire theme has long been popular not only among writers and film directors, but also among ordinary travelers who want to personally immerse themselves in the gothic atmosphere of creepy stories about dark forces. And the best way to make such a dream come true is, of course, to buy a tour to Romania, the homeland of Count Dracula - the most famous vampire in the world.

It was on the territory of this modern state in the historical region of Transylvania that Vlad III Tepes, who became the prototype of the hero of Bram Stoker’s famous novel, lived in the 15th century.

Transylvania - the land of ancient castles

Of course, Dracula Bran Castle in Brasov is the most popular tourist destination in Romania. Crowds of vampire-themed fans try every day to uncover his secret and find a secret well leading to the Count's underground casemates.

However, Transylvania can surprise travelers with other architectural masterpieces. With the tour operator in Romania “Vand” you can visit Peles Castle - one of the most beautiful in the country, the Sighisoara fortress listed in the UNESCO register, where you can feel the true spirit of the Middle Ages, the legendary impregnable Fagaras Castle and many other monuments.

Bucharest - “little Paris”

The city received this nickname back in the 30s because of its beautiful architecture, reminiscent of the best examples in the capital of France. Bucharest even has its own Champs Elysees! Tour operator in Romania "Vand" recommends getting acquainted with the majestic Palace of Parliament - the second largest building in the world by total area after the Pentagon. Then you can stroll through the main squares of the capital - Revolution, Unification, Victory, Free Press and University.

In the suburbs of Bucharest there are also many interesting things - the Stirbei Palace (now a comfortable hotel), the Heresti estate located on the island, the Orthodox monastery of Curtea de Arges - an exceptional masterpiece of architecture, the picturesque palace and park ensemble of Mogosoaia.

Romanian thermal springs and healing mud

Romania is not only a center of historical monuments, but also healing nature. The Carpathian mountain air, salt mines, clean lakes and the proximity of the sea coast work real miracles. Therapeutic tours to Romania will help cope with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as bronchopulmonary, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disorders. Thermal waters, therapeutic muds and mofettas help fight neuralgia, impotence, skin problems and even slow down the aging of the body.

Holidays in the mountains and at sea

In this small European country there is a place for both those who want to soak up the warmth of the Black Sea and those who like winter mountain activities. In the first case, we can recommend the Mamaia resort (the largest and most famous), Venus (the Romanian mud bath is also located here) and Jupiter (the best choice for a family holiday). In winter, it is worth going to the ski resorts of Poiana Brasov, Predeal and Sinaia.

Russian tourists holidaying on the Black Sea, as a rule, choose Bulgaria, Turkey or the Russian Black Sea coast of Crimea or the Caucasus. Quite rarely, the choice stops at a holiday in Romania by the sea. This relative unpopularity is not entirely deserved.

Which resort in Romania should you choose?

The main advantage of Romanian seaside resorts is amazing clean sandy beaches and low prices, which can only be compared with the beaches of Bulgaria. In addition, while relaxing in, you can not only sunbathe and swim, but also significantly improve your health.

Almost all seaside resorts in Romania combine beach holidays with spa treatments.

Resorts in Romania are divided into three main ones directions:

1. Marine resorts on the Black Sea coast, offering mainly beach holidays, are located in the historical region of Dobrudja;
2. Mountain and ski resorts in the Romanian Carpathians;
3. Medicinal resorts and sanatoriums, which are located both on the coast and in the Carpathians.

Best Vacation Destinations

Constanta- one of the largest cities in Romania and the most populated city on its Black Sea coast. This is the main seaside resort in Romania, attracting tourists not only with its beaches, but also with the rich history of the city and numerous entertainments.

Beaches Constanta is sandy, although half of the sea coast within the city is occupied by a huge port. The city has many hotels and holiday homes to suit every budget.

Now Constanta is the main center of a 50-kilometer resort area stretching along the sea coast to the north and south of the city.

Mom, I- a small town north of Constanta, located 5 kilometers from it. Mamaia is the oldest resort in Romania; it was founded at the beginning of the 20th century on a cape between the sea coast and Lake Siutghiol.

Now Mamaia - family recreation center, there are more than 60 hotels of all categories open here. The main attraction of Mamaia is one of the largest water parks in Eastern Europe. The sandy beaches of Mamaia stretch for more than 8 kilometers along the coast.



Resort town Costinesti located 30 kilometers south of Constanta. Costinesti is, first of all, a youth resort; hotels here are much cheaper than in Constanta, and are mainly represented by 2 and 3 star categories.

This resort is distinguished by an active nightlife: there are many nightclubs, and during the holiday season there are night beach discos.

Saturated Costinesti and cultural events: There is a youth film festival here, and during the jazz festival many musicians play on the streets. The beach is located right within the city and stretches for 5 kilometers along the coast.

Neptune-Olympus- the most picturesque resort on the Black Sea coast of Romania. The resort is located on the edge of the Komarov forest, adjacent to the sea coast, thanks to which the air at this resort is especially clean and healthy. Hotels at this resort have categories from 1 to 3 stars; there are many entertainment venues, restaurants, and an amusement park.

Neptune-Olympus is located in a 10-kilometer resort area created during socialist times in the southern part of the Romanian Black Sea coast. Many of the resorts in this area have charming antique names: Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and others.

• Mangalia- the southernmost resort on the Black Sea coast of Romania. Mangalia is the oldest city in Romania, founded in the 4th century BC by Greek colonists. Mangalia successfully combines beach and healing holidays: there is a unique combination of mineral and thermal springs, as well as sources of healing mud.

Many people want to spend their holidays abroad as cheaply as possible. Read on for practical tips on how to save money on your trip to Europe.

• Mountain resorts Romania is located in the Carpathian Mountains and attracts lovers of clean air, hiking, horseback riding and skiing. The best in Romania are Poiana Brasov, Sinaia, Predeal and Busteni. Here you can not only learn to ski, but also enjoy the unique beauty of the Romanian Carpathians.

Wellness in Romanian sanatoriums



Romania is one of the centers of therapeutic recreation in Eastern Europe. Romania was able to achieve this status thanks to a combination of balneological, thermal and mineral springs, thanks to which a wide range of diseases are treated. The most famous sanatoriums Romania:

1. Treatment base Cold Baths, located in the resort town of Eforie Sud on the banks of Techirghiol and the Black Sea coast, uses the famous healing mud of the lake. The salinity of the water in the lake is almost the same as in;

Sapropelic mud from the bottom of the lake helps people suffering from diseases of the skin, musculoskeletal system and rheumatism.

2. Eforie Nord, also located on the shores of Lake Techirghiol, is a whole complex of various sanatoriums, boarding houses and treatment centers. This is one of the oldest sanatorium and balneological resort centers in Europe. A big advantage of relaxation and treatment in Eforie Nord is the low prices for accommodation and health treatments;
3. Health complex "Doina" at the Neptune-Olympus resort combines a balneological sanatorium and a physiotherapy center located in pine forests with wonderful air on the sea coast with excellent beaches;

Perhaps the most famous medical and health complex in Romania is located far from the sea coast in the heart of Transylvania at the foot of. This is about Sovate- a mountain village around which the famous thermal lakes are located: Ursu, Negru, Rosu and others.

The most famous of the lakes, Ursu, bears the title "Dead Sea of ​​Transylvania". Sovata sanatoriums help patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, endocrine system and other ailments.

Also, do not exchange local currency with private exchangers, since in this case there is a high risk of becoming a victim of scammers.

“Our computer writes the reports, and I just supplement the text with inserts that are in black italics.”😉 – says the author of this story, Alex-ndr. With his kind permission, we are publishing this report about the trip to Romania.

• Start. Moscow – Brest – Poland – Slovakia – Salina Turda
• Salina Turda mine Salina Turda
• SunGarden Motel. Romania
• Alba Julia
• Transylvania. Sibiu
• Fortified Church in Biertan
• Hotel Korona Hotel Korona
• Sighisoara
• Viscri
• Bran Castle
• Brasov
• Sinai. Hotel Marea Neagra
• Sinai. Peles Palace
• Mangalia. Hotel OPAL
• Road from Sinai to Mangalia
• Aladzha Monastery
• Varna
• Crossing the Bulgarian-Romanian border
• Bucharest
• Guest House Bun’88
• Trasfagarasan Highway
• Highway E79 2016
• Way home
• What road travelers to Romania should know

Start. Moscow – Brest – Poland – Slovakia – Salina-Turda. To Romania by car

The idea to go to Romania came to me suddenly. Initially we planned to go to Italy (Puglia), we had already noticed hotels and all that, but as we mentally imagined the route that we had already traveled many times, in a word, everything was the same, predictable, we became a little depressed. I wanted to do something new, and definitely by car. Romania? And why not, because I’ve wanted to go there for a long time. Moreover, few people here take it seriously for travel, considering that there are only gypsies, devastation and poverty.
Well, perhaps with the exception of comrades from Saratov and Sarov, who in the good old days traveled directly through Ukraine and Romania to warmer lands.

A week to work out the route and move on.
The departure took place on July 7, 2016. Moscow - Brest. Seeing a huge accumulation of cars at the crossing, with a clear conscience we rushed to Peschatka, which we covered in 1.5 hours. Next to Lublin. When it started to get dark, the Petro-Tur hotel suddenly turned up. (Turów 56, 21-302 Kąkolewnica, Poland petrotur.pl)

Hotels. Route booking. To Romania by car

The hotel is purely transit, without frills, but with everything necessary for a comfortable stay and is relatively new. As it turned out, a favorite place for long-distance shooters. Works around the clock. 80 zlotys for a fairly decent double room without breakfast. A good Internet, by the way, without a password (!) - in case someone needs it on the road. They take cards. An inexpensive and simple cafe where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner, also around the clock. Alcohol is not sold, I had to go to a store located 100 meters away for beer. There's always room. I can recommend it as a kind of lifesaver. It was on the way back that she helped us out, when in several rows before her there were no places or they were closed, or in some the kitchen was no longer working.

The next stop was Penzión Aqua Maria just outside Trebišov in Slovakia near the Hungarian border. (Penzión Aqua Maria 076 15 Veľaty, Slovakia
penzionaquamaria.sk)

This hotel was booked from Poland. However, this is what we did for the entire subsequent trip - today we booked for tomorrow. There were never any glitches, and as bonuses there were often (if not always) significant discounts given by the booking agency less than a day before check-in. Not to mention there is no blocking of funds on the card or various prepayments and bank transfers in accordance with the booking conditions. For example, we paid 50 euros for a two-room suite with breakfast.
The hotel attracted us with its spa center, which turned out to be very good, 1 hour of access to which is included in the room price. Sauna, hammam, swimming pool with hydromassage and even a cool ice maker. In addition, there is an outdoor swimming pool on the territory of the complex, where cute Slovaks come from the area to sunbathe and swim. After a long journey, just what you need. In general, I recommend it, despite the fact that the cuisine is so-so by Slovak standards.

Romanian-Hungarian border. To Romania by car

The navigator took us to the Romanian border in the town of Petea and further through Sate Mare and Cluj-Napoca. Despite a decent queue of cars, the border passed relatively quickly. Unlike EU citizens, our passports were stamped by Hungarians and Romanians, which slightly delayed the general queue.

Yes, I almost forgot, we purchased the Romanian vignette online on the website roviniete.ro for 3 euros for 7 days. Required for driving on all roads. It's electronic, you don't need to glue anything. The purchasing procedure on the site couldn’t be simpler. Then I also had to renew it over the Internet, because... did not meet the deadlines.
Regarding whether to buy it or to kill it, we checked it. Driving along the road, a police Dacia pulled up behind us, approaching at a minimum interval, clearly looking at our license plates. She followed us like this for about 15 minutes, and then fell behind and silently walked away. He probably hit the base. Well, at the borders (and we also went to Bulgaria and back) there are cameras and the sign “vignet control”.

Cluj-Napoca turned out to be a large and outwardly quite attractive city, which, unfortunately, I had to see only from the window of a car, driving through its center. Then we went straight to the mine.

Salina Turda mine. To Romania by car

The mine is very interesting and everything there is organized according to European standards at a high level. Two entrances - old and new. There is a large parking lot near the new one, including free parking. There is a souvenir market in front of the entrance.

Entrance is 20 lei (that’s a little less than 5 euros), cards are accepted. First you go down the stairs,

then you walk along the Franz Joseph salt gallery and again go down a little ladder covered with salt.

and there it’s breathtaking. Below is a huge hall with a depth of more than 100 m and another one below with an underground lake, on which holidaymakers ride boats and breathe salt air.
An amusement park is organized at the bottom (floor) of the hall. There is an elevator going down, but if you are physically fit you can go down/up the stairs on foot. There is open Wi-Fi, so you can check in as much as you want.

View from above.

View from the very bottom (from the lake).

Main gallery.

My photos of the mine, I’ll say right away, are just a pitiful reflection of reality. Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of this with ordinary optics. Yes, and the right photographer wouldn’t hurt)

Salina Turda is also an ideal place for people suffering from allergies or other respiratory diseases. Underground, a constant temperature is maintained, about 11-12 degrees Celsius, and the air humidity, without any allergens and bacteria, is 80 percent. I don’t know if this is true, but it’s a fact that in one visit my cough, which had been tormenting me all winter, went away. 🙂

SunGarden Motel. Romania

We spent the night there in Turda at the SunGarden motel at some ridiculous price of 26 euros per room with a good breakfast. The motel is new, clean, new furniture and fixtures, very comfortable, car under the windows.
(SunGarden Strada Clujului 71, Turda 401180, Romania. sungardenturda.ro)

Alba Julia

Our next overnight stay was planned in Sighisoara. But more about it later, but for now we are moving to a town unknown to many Alba Julia, which houses the largest fortress in Romania.
In fact, these are 3 fortresses: the remains of the Roman Castrum, the remains of a medieval fortification built between 1515-1625. and Fort Alba Carolina, Vauban model, almost completely restored.

The first traces of the existence of the settlement are associated with the Dacian fortress in the area of ​​Piatra Craivii, 20 km from the city, known as Apoulon.
After the Daco-Roman wars, Apoulon will turn into Roman Apulum, the most significant settlement of the already Roman province of Dacia Romana. Immediately after the war of 106, the Roman Legion XIII Gemina was stationed here. This legion moved from Vindobona (now Vienna) to guard the gold mines and the road along which gold was transported to Rome.
At the beginning of the second millennium, Alba Iulia became the center of the Romanian principality, led by the governor Guyla, but he was defeated by the Hungarian king Stephen the Saint and included the city in the Kingdom of Hungary. It was at this time that the Roman Catholic Cathedral, a contemporary of the famous Notre-Dame in Paris, was built.
In 1515 - 1625 a medieval fortress with a “Bastion of the Saxons” was built here.
In 1600, the city became the first capital of 3 Romanian principalities: Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova, united under the leadership of Mihai the Brave (Mihai Viteazul). Here, in the Palace of the Princes, located in close proximity to the Roman Catholic Cathedral, this prince, famous in Romanian history, lived for almost a year. Also here in 1785, the last execution in the Habsburg Empire by wheeling took place. The victims were the heroes of the Romanian people, the leaders of the serfs in the 1784 uprising against the Austro-Hungarians.
In 1918, Alba Iulia became the Fortress of the Great Union of Romanian Principalities (Marea Unire). And the special status of the city was confirmed 4 years later, when in 1922, the solemn coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Mary took place as leaders of Greater Romania. Their statues stand at the front of the Coronation Cathedral.
The Alba Carolina Citadel, a defensive structure modeled on the Vauban fortresses, was built in 1715-1738. on the initiative of King Charles VI of Habsburg. Hence the name of the city at that time Karlsburg. For the construction of the perimeter of the citadel, which occupies about 12 km, about 20 thousand peasants were voluntarily and forcibly involved. The walls are built from bricks, stones and other remains from an ancient Roman fortress. This military structure, covering an area of ​​70 hectares, was the most protected of the Austrian-owned fortresses in Transylvania. The fortress was built against the expansion of the Turks. But due to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the only battle the fort's defenders fought was against the Hungarians, who were quickly overwhelmed.
The building is called Vauban in honor of the French military architect Vauban, who built this fortress in the form of a seven-pointed star of 7 bastions and 6 gates.

So it is. Entrance to the fortress is free, however.

I’ll back up what I said with photos.

Checked in.

Transylvania. Sibiu. To Romania by car

Our next point of inspection was the glorious city of Sibiu, the center of German colonists in medieval Transylvania.

The settlement was first mentioned in a document by Pope Celestine in 1191. This document confirms religious autonomy to the residents of Sibiu before the Episcopate of Transylvania. At that time, the German colonists, like the Hungarians, were Catholics, but the church leadership of the Hungarians was in Alba Iulia, and the Saxons in Sibiu. The city was also home to the highest political governing body of the German colonists of Transylvania, the Saxon committee, later known as Universitas Saxorum. This special status of the city, as well as intensive trade relations between the merchants of Sibiu and the principalities of Moldova and Wallachia, influenced the prosperity and rapid development of the city. In 1376, there were 19 craft guilds in Sibiu. A fortress of 39 towers guarded the city and was one of the most secure in the region. In 1292, the first hospital appeared in Sibiu, at that time the Kingdom of Hungary, then in 1300 the inhabitants of Sibiu could already be proud of the first library in the kingdom. In 1380, documentary evidence appeared about the first school in the Kingdom of Hungary, etc., including even the fact that in 1551 in Sibiu, the Austrian officer Konrad Haas experimented with the first multi-stage rockets (as they write, I did not check it myself).

The city of Sibiu played a key role even after Transylvania became part of the Austrian Empire. Due to its strategic location and development, Sibiu was the second most important city in the Habsburg Empire. In 1692 - 1791 Sibiu was the capital of Transylvania, and in the period 1848-1867 there was a Parliament, the so-called Diet of Transylvania.

In general, the city rightfully deserves a visit. 🙂

Driving through one of the Transylvanian villages.

Pay attention to the room for the transformer substation (and this is far from an isolated case).

We quietly drive into the city.

We park carefully not far from the Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in 1726-1733 in the early Viennese Baroque style.

And along the staircase Passage, which begins in the Lower Town and ends at the Gate Tower (XIV century) and the Altemberg House (Sibiu History Museum), we pass at the foot of the high wall of the Upper Town. The 10 meter high wall is surrounded by medieval houses, some of which are over 600 years old. The wall is supported by Gothic buttresses and arches.

We go out to the Great Square, which was first documented in 1411 as a grain market.
The medieval spirit still dominates today, even despite the presence of later Baroque and Art Nouveau styles.

Unique in Sibiu The roofs of houses with windows are considered, the so-called “big-eyed houses”, which are curiously watching us, bitches, from all sides.

OK. I can't post all the photos. We drive further along Romanian roads.

Horse-drawn vehicles are a common sight on Romanian roads. I will say more, I got the impression that the speed limit signs on the roads are for horse-drawn vehicles. 🙂

Fortified church in Biertan. To Romania by car

Next on our plan was a visit to the fortified church in Biertan, which is considered the best preserved in Romania and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The interior decoration of the medieval church is also well preserved: the altar crucifix, wooden benches decorated with carvings.
The church was never destroyed, everything remained as it was in the 15th century. The Saxons built fortified churches to protect themselves from the evil Turks. Local residents took refuge in fortress churches to wait out long periods of siege, and the necessary supplies of weapons were also stored there.
But, to our regret, due to the ongoing global restoration, we were denied entry to the territory. I had to walk around and take a few photos outside, licking my lips.

Hotel Korona Hotel Korona

12-, Strada Zaharia Boiu 14, Sighișoara 545400, Romania
hotelkorona.ro

Towards evening we reached our next overnight stop in the city of Sighisoara, where we successfully booked the 4* Corona Hotel for 43 euros.

The hotel has a beautiful courtyard with a large swimming pool, which came in handy for us. There is also a cozy restaurant patio with decent inexpensive food and cold beer. I recommend it :)

Sighisoara

City of Sighisoara It is famous primarily for its old center, an important component of which is the fortress located on a hill. The medieval ensemble of the fortress is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sighisoara Fortress is also known as the birthplace of Dracula. In the fortress next to the Clock Tower there is an old house where, according to legend, little Vladik was born in 1431.

Like other cities in Transylvania, Sighisoara was founded in the early 13th century by German Saxon colonists and was one of the seven cities of Siebenbürgen (Transylvania).
This region was densely populated by the Dacian ancestors of the Romanians. Even in the courtyard of the house where Dracula was born, Dacian ceramics were found during archaeological excavations.
The first documentary evidence dates back to 1280, the city is mentioned under the name Castrum Sex, that is, most likely it means the sixth most important city of Semigrad. There is another assumption that there was a hexagon-shaped fortress on the hill before the arrival of the Saxons.
The first name of the settlement in German is Schespurch (purch=burg), and the Romanian name Sighisoara was first mentioned in 1431 in the documents of the father of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula).

The Sighisoara Fortress is one of the few residential fortresses in Europe. It contains 164 old houses with beautiful shutters and roofs made of traditional Transylvanian red ceramics.
In turn, the fortress is divided into two parts: Fortress Hill (maximum height 330 meters) and School Hill, 429 meters high. Since 1642, these 2 parts have been connected by a wooden staircase with 175 steps (School's Staircase). So it is.

The central entrance to the fortress.

Spare.

In the yellow house directly ahead, Vlad Dracula was born.

Well, how could you not visit the room where Vladik Dracula was born for 5 lei? 🙂

Viscri

The next morning, after having breakfast and a swim in the pool, we move on.

And then we had to visit Viscri– one of the ancient villages of Transylvania, which is famous for its valuable historical monument – ​​the fortified church of Weiskirich, in Latin “Alba ecclesia”, that is, the White Church.

In 1999, the Viscri Church was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The village of Viscri is quite isolated, always located away from the main roads, hidden among the wooded hills, which explains the fact that the first written evidence of this settlement dates back only to 1400.
Documents confirm that Viscri has always been a free village, not subject to feudal lords.

Archaeological excavations have shown that a Saxon church was built on the site of a Sekui church (Sekui are an ethnic group of Hungarians). The Sequis guarded the border of the medieval Hungarian state even before the arrival of German colonists, who came to Transylvania at the end of the 12th century after the reign of the Hungarian king Geza II. Judging by the objects found in the chapel and around it (coins, jewelry), the chapel already existed in 1100-1120.
The Saxon church was built as a complement to the Sekui structure, which explains why Viscri is a hall church in the Romanesque style, with one nave rather than three naves like most other Saxon fortified churches in Transylvania.
The Viscri Church is active, but services are held only once every 2-3 weeks.
In January 1990 there were just under 400 ethnic Germans in Viscri, and in December 1990 there were only 68. Now the population of Viscri numbers about 500 inhabitants, most of them Roma, Romanians, Hungarians and 25 - 30 Germans.

A trifle, of course, but this place also attracted the attention of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, who bought an old Saxon house on the main street of the village. Sometimes he himself vacations there; in the spring of 2012, his youngest son Prince Harry celebrated Easter there.

They also say that local cafes offer delicious and at the same time healthy organic cuisine. In addition to the famous elderberry juice, the residents of Viscri are proud of their unique jams made from rabarba (rhubarb) and rose hips, goat cheese, natural honey, and Transylvanian potato bread. But we were not hungry, and therefore we limited ourselves to a walk around the village and drinking tea in Charles’s house. 🙂

Cool pull-out crib.

And this is the house itself, purchased by comrade. Charles.

The village of Viscri is really located in the middle of nowhere and about 10 km of rather rough road leads to it from the main highway. But despite this, it is surmountable by any puzoterka.

Bran Castle. To Romania by car

Bran Castle was not the residence of Prince Tepes, but it is a fact that he visited here more than once. Some historians claim that in 1462 he was arrested in this castle and was imprisoned for some time before being sent to a bunk in Budapest.
Nevertheless, Bram Stoker managed to do more to develop tourism in Romania than all the Ministers of Tourism in history :)

At the beginning of the 13th century, the first wooden fortifications appeared in Bran, a defense against the attack of the Cumans, presumably built by the Teutonic knights. In the middle of the 14th century, relations between Wallachia and the Hungarian Empire deteriorated and the Hungarian king Louis de Anjou ordered the construction of a small (garrison of about 25 people) but strong fortress on the rock, a fortress that would dominate the passage through the gorge. Bran Castle was built of stones and wood, it was built by the Saxons, residents of the city of Brasov, to whom the Hungarian king promised many privileges for this service, as well as the fact that there would be a customs office near the Bran Castle, which would certainly be beneficial to the merchants of Brasov.

Bram Stoker and Dracula

In the 15th century, the Principality of Wallachia was ruled by a governor with the formidable nickname Dracula, which translated from Romanian means Son of the Devil. For some, he was a great prince who established order in the country and bravely fought against the Turks, for others he was a cruel sadist and murderer, a madman, a fiend of hell, a monster in the guise of a man who gave his soul to the devil.
Both defenders and accusers of Dracula have one common opinion, one of his main character traits was cruelty, it was not for nothing that he was nicknamed Vlad the Impaler, which translated means Vlad the Impaler.
At the London History Museum, writer Bram Stoker found a medieval engraving that depicts Dracula having lunch. Right next to the table where he eats, there are stakes on which his enemies are planted, dying in terrible agony. Dracula is having lunch calmly and has a malicious smile on his face. Already during his life, various rumors circulated about this prince: the allegedly cruel Prince Dracula not only loves to shed blood, but he even drinks it.
There are many legends and scary stories about Prince Dracula. Most often, such terrible stories were written in the chronicles of those times by his enemies, the Turks and Saxons, trying to show him to the whole world in the darkest colors. More than once Dracula passed through the Bran Gorge, making daring raids on Saxon cities, terrifying and cruelly punishing the Saxons, who were hiding in their cities pretenders to the throne of Wallachia, enemies of Prince Dracula. To convince them that Vlad the Impaler was not to be trifled with, he actually resorted to terrible punishments.

At the end of the 19th century, Bran Castle lost its military role until 1918, when the inhabitants of the city of Brasov gave the castle to the “beloved queen of the Romanian people” Maria.
Queen Mary was half Russian, half English (granddaughter of Alexander II Romanov and granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain).
The Queen ordered the once formidable military fortification to be converted into a cozy summer residence. This castle was not luxurious, but it was decorated with taste, mainly in the national Romanian style. The restoration work was carried out under the strict guidance of the Czech architect Karel Liman, who was previously the chief architect of the Peles Palace in the city of Sinaia (we will check out this palace tomorrow).
Bran Castle now has electricity and even an elevator in a medieval well that lifts the queen to the castle. The Queen managed to transform the once gloomy and dark castle into a charming, romantic and filled with positive energy residence. At the same time, Bran Castle retained its historical face and proud appearance, and Queen Mary was able to fill it with life.

So it is.

PS: at Bran Castle we heard Russian speech for the first time in our entire trip. 🙂 The place is popular and of course there are a lot of people there, which slightly overshadowed the visit to the castle. In principle, this is a normal state for German-Austrian castles, but we are already unaccustomed to this :)

Having quickly run through the castle and checked in there, we rushed to one of the main cities of Transylvania and the seventh most populous in Romania city ​​of Brasov.

Brasov. To Romania by car

Brasov is one of the main cities of Transylvania and the seventh most populous city in Romania. Throughout its history, the city bore different names: the Latin Corona, the German Kronstadt, the Hungarian Braso, the Romanian name Brasov, and even in the 1950-1960s it was called Stalin.

The old part of the city of Brasov is located at the foot of Mount Timpa and the Postevaru mountain range.
In 1234 the city was mentioned in the German chronicle Catalogus Nivensis under the name Corona.
In the 14th century, the city of Brasov, after Sibiu, was one of the main economic and cultural centers of Transylvania. In the 15th century, the city built the White Tower and the Black Tower on Warthe Hill, at the foot of Mount Tympa the powerful Weavers' Bastion, fortress walls and other fortifications. In 1420, the Town Hall House, the current City History Museum, was erected on Town Hall Square. And at the end of the 14th century, the construction of the Church of St. Mary, better known as the Black Church, began in Brasov.

There is also a pretty Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1768, which we visited. There are also interesting places, for example, you can climb Mount Tympa and take a bird's eye view of the city. We didn’t do this because we were too lazy :)

Brasov is just a stone's throw from Bran. However, the road has quite heavy traffic.

We're approaching.

We park.

And little by little we walk towards the center.

After walking around the city, we go to the next place to spend the night in Sinaia.

Sinai. Hotel Marea Neagra. To Romania by car

Calea Codrului 8, Sinaia 106100, Romania
hotelmareaneagrasinaia.ro

We came across the hotel Hotel Marea Neagra for 36.9 euros for two not far from the Peles Palace, so that in the morning before the arrival of the main body of organized tourists we could wander around the palace.
Nice view from the hotel window

Sinai. Peles Palace. To Romania by car

Sinaia is a quite nice resort town in the Alpine style, located in a picturesque location. You can have a great time both in summer and winter. In winter it’s a full house, and it’s a haven for boarders and skiers. I think that it’s no worse than at the traditional Austro-Alpine resorts for Russians.

This time we were worried about someone nearby Peles Palace, which was built between 1873 and 1914 as the summer residence of King Charles I and Queen Elizabeth, the first Romanian royal dynasty. It is noteworthy that Romania became a kingdom only at the end of the 19th century, and before that there were three principalities: Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova. In 1859, Moldova and Wallachia united and a few years later a prince from the ancient royal dynasty of Germany, with the easily memorable surname Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was invited to rule Romania.

King Charles I ruled for a long time - 48 years (1866-1914) and his reasonable reign is considered a very favorable era for the development of Romania. In addition to the implementation of many good deeds and useful reforms for Romania, Charles went down in history as the founder of one of the most beautiful royal European residences - Peles.
They say that the king really liked this area because it reminded him of his homeland, Germany, Sigmaringen Castle, the Black Mountains, where he was born. At the same time, other mansions were built in Sinaia, reminiscent of Peles in their external architectural style: the Pelisor Palace, the Guards Corps, the Economy Guest House, the Foisor Hunting House, the stables, the power plant and the Villa Šipot.
The palace took 40 years to build. Work began in 1873, the inauguration took place there in 1883, and the work was finally completed in 1914 at the same time as the king's death.

Pichalka.

At the end of the 19th century, Peles was recognized as one of the most modern palaces. Here, already at the end of the 19th century, there was a central heating system. Many rooms have beautiful fireplaces, but all of them have a decorative role.
Thanks to its own power plant, Peles becomes the first fully electrified palace in Europe. The Main Hall has a glass retractable ceiling, which is still opened today using the original electric motor of the era in order to ventilate the hall. The palace was equipped with telephones, vacuum cleaners with 13 sockets (local museum workers still use this system of vacuum cleaners when cleaning) and even two electric elevators, one connecting the kitchen and dining room, and the second was intended to lift the royal family to the second and third palace level.
In addition, the palace had a sewage system that was very modern for that era. Of the 160 rooms, 30 are bathrooms. The entire area of ​​the palace is 3200 sq. meters. The height of the tower is 66 meters.
The external style of architecture of Peles Palace is the German Renaissance style. A beautiful and well-planned park, an outer courtyard in neo-Renaissance style, elegant terraces and statues, cheerful external paintings on the walls, all this harmoniously complements the majestic, proud appearance of the palace.
Inside there is a variety of decorative styles. They say that a tour of the Peles Palace is like a journey through the countries of Europe and Asia. Inside are Italian and German Renaissance styles, English style, French Rococo, German Baroque, Turkish, Spanish-Moorish styles. Each room is unique in its own way. The masters managed to create a luxurious and pompous residence, the face of the new Romanian royal dynasty, ready at any moment to festively receive and impress distinguished guests, but at the same time it is a warm and cozy palace.
Several hundred craftsmen from 15 countries in Europe and Asia worked on the construction of this magnificent residence.

In general, it is not for nothing that this palace is included in the 10 most beautiful palaces in the world. 🙂

My photos will be just a pathetic addition to what has been said.

Pelisor Palace. Unfortunately, it was Monday and accordingly it was closed to the public.

These are like views of the surrounding area of ​​the palace, walk, drink and eat there as much as you want.
And to get inside you need to buy a ticket; they are allowed in only with excursions and strictly on time. The closest one (15 minutes later) turned out to be English-speaking, so we rushed with it. I don’t remember how much a ticket costs, but it’s not cheap, especially by Romanian standards. There are 3 types of excursions - on the first floor, first and second, and on all 3 floors.
If you want to take photographs, you must definitely purchase the appropriate ticket. The caretakers in each hall strictly control this matter. We bought. 🙂

So it is.

Conclusion: mirrorless cameras are flawed and you need the right lens. 🙂

Mangalia. Hotel OPAL

Romania
Gala Galaction, 905502 Jupiter
hotelopal.ro

Hotel OPAL in a resort town Mangalia It turned up at the right time, where for 143 euros we booked a room with a sea view for 3 nights. We didn't take food because... We decided to test out local cafes.

The hotel turned out to be from the times of Ceausescu, but we must pay tribute to a good cosmetic renovation, new elevators, air conditioning, everything was clean, the staff worked efficiently. However, the rooms are small by Egyptian standards; you can’t turn around on the balcony. The Internet only worked when everyone was at sea or sleeping.

Road from Sinai to Mangalia. To Romania by car

There is a good scenic road from Sinaia to the south, then we took the Bucharest bypass and immediately flew along an excellent highway to Constanta. Interestingly, the bridge over the Danube, as it turns out, is a toll bridge. But we found out this later, and therefore on the way there we passed a payment point in a place where they use E-tickets. No consequences so far. But on the way back, like decent Soviet people, we paid everything as expected. 🙂
From Constanta to Mangalia there is a fairly busy road, passing entirely through resort villages. There are advertisements for housing for rent, etc. everywhere. everything is just like in our south. 🙂

And to the hotel. Those who are too lazy to go to the sea have a swimming pool. Swimming is free, everything else is paid.

Ocean is shaking.

A small wild beach, where by the way I was almost bitten by a snake.

About 10 km from the hotel towards Bulgaria, the beach infrastructure seemed more interesting, where we went the next day.

20 lei for the entire household.

Free parking is available.

We didn’t meet a single Russian tourist there. Almost only Romanians vacation, many with families. Prices at the resort are slightly higher than in the country as a whole. For example, a bottle of beer on the mainland costs 3-4 lei, and at the resort 5-6. The catering is mainly Italian fast food. But we were lucky, we found an inconspicuous street cafe with normal home-made Romanian cuisine. There, for the first time since the beginning of the trip, we ate meat and bean soup with great pleasure :) The soup is called chorba in their name. They also served fried and salted anchovy (small fish like sardines), which goes great with beer. Since she didn’t linger at the counter, the saleswoman whom we remembered made a special stash for us. 🙂

In general, the Romanians seemed very friendly; during the entire trip we never encountered a negative attitude towards ourselves. However, we have also never witnessed conflict situations between the Romanians themselves.

As a result, by the end of the 2nd day we were pretty tired of the dull time spent on the beach and for the remaining day we decided to hit the road to Bulgaria, the border with which is 20 kilometers away.

At the border crossing, well-fed border guards work slowly as expected. There is a separate queue for non-EU citizens. Everything would be fine, but there might be an ambush in the form of Moldovan bus drivers. It will take an eternity for their passports to be stamped. But we were lucky, there was only one bus in front of us. As a result, the transition took an hour. When leaving the crossing, out of harm’s way, we bought a Bulgarian vignette (I checked on the internet, it’s really needed to travel along our road).

Aladzha Monastery. To Romania by car

Before Varna we decided to drop into a rocky Aladzha Monastery(Golden Sands Reserve, 9007 Varna, Bulgaria.)

It’s a cool place, but we were denied access to the monastery itself due to its reconstruction. At the same time, the cunning Bulgarians sell entrance tickets as usual. 🙂 In the end, they didn’t take tickets just for walking around the park, but instead they poured delicious spring water into pre-prepared eggplants from a local source.

Varna

We arrived at Varna.

We checked in and swam at the local beach.

A chicken is not a bird, Bulgaria is not a foreign country, local traffic cops. 🙂

After driving around Varna (imho it’s not a city at all) we went to see what was going on there in the famous ones from the times of the USSR Golden Sands.
Overall I like it.

I would even say that Golden Sands, in terms of the level of action and other beach entertainment, is not only much better than Romania, but also better than many European Italy-France-Spain that I have previously visited. Romanian ones, frankly speaking, are more reminiscent of our south, where life occurs only in the summer season. In general, I recommend the Bulgarian yugas to those who like to seal, but not the Romanian ones. 🙂

Crossing the Bulgarian-Romanian border. To Romania by car

The return crossing of the Bulgarian-Romanian border almost became an ambush for us. Having approached the crossing, we found 5 (!) Moldavian buses ahead of us. I had to turn on the stupid guy and push him into the European Union corridor. A well-fed border guard came out and began pointing to the corridor where the buses were parked. Well, you won’t back up and we successfully squeezed in in front of the buses. The angry Moldovan driver, who ran out, quickly retreated when he saw the Russian license plates and a dummy PM aimed in his direction. 🙂

Here he is standing on the left in shorts with stripes and looking at us angrily. 🙂

Bucharest

The next morning, after swimming in the sea and throwing a coin into it, we moved to Bucharest.

The 250 kilometers separating us from the capital of Romania flew quickly along the highway and now we are parking on Constitution Square in front of the Palace of Parliament (commonly called the Ceausescu Palace). In Soviet times, it was vilely called the House of the People. By the way, parking on the square is free.

Around the building of the Palace of Parliament there are impressive buildings of the Academy of Sciences, various ministries, etc. And from Constitution Square begins the three-kilometer, 90-meter-wide Unification Boulevard, which during Ceausescu’s time was called “Victory of Socialism.” People call it the “Romanian Champs Elysees”.

The Palace of Parliament is the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. The building is also noted in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the most expensive administrative buildings in the world; in 2006 it was valued at 3 billion euros. The area of ​​the palace occupies 330 thousand square meters. meters.
We walked around the city. I liked the abundance of greenery. The chaos is similar to Moscow 5 years ago. The streets seem clean, but when you go into the yard, there is garbage. But unlike our capital, there are no crowds of people on the streets, everyone is busy. Overall the city left a positive impression.

Ministry of Defense.

Parking.

Propaganda for wearing seat belts (by the way, I noticed that Romanians often drive unfastened).

Prices for local pasties. 🙂

In general, it makes sense to visit Bucharest and, I repeat, the city left a pleasant impression, even though I don’t like capitals.

After walking around the city, we plopped into the car and drove away Trasfagarasan Highway(Transfăgărăşan, DN7C), which we planned to ride the next day.

Guest House Bun’88

From Bucharest to Pitesti (the beginning of the highway), a magnificent highway took us instantly. We spent the night at the Bun’88 guest house for only 25 euros including breakfast.

The hotel has its own minimarket for replenishing food supplies, a restaurant where we had a very tasty dinner with national Romanian food, located on the patio on the third floor with a beautiful view of the area. The rooms are new, large and clean. I recommend. There is, however, one drawback - they speak only Romanian and only a little Italian).

Laugh. Just opposite the hotel window there is a store, near which local drunks sit and drink something. The funny thing is that as soon as the store closed, the drunks, as if on cue, immediately went home. One, however, got on his bike and started doing figure eights with a song in front of the hotel entrance. The aunty receptionist of our hotel immediately doused him with a bucket of water right from the porch and he quickly drove off singing. 😉

Towards nightfall, a thunderstorm broke out in the mountains. It rumbled so loudly that mom don't worry. We already thought that the scribe had screwed up our Transfagarash. We must look for escape routes.
However, in the morning everything resolved and the morning sun illuminated our faces. Forward!

Trasfagarasan Highway

The Trasfagaras Highway reaches its highest point at an altitude of 2034 meters and is the highest road in Romania. The highway was built in 1970-1974 by order of Nicolae Ceausescu for military purposes. Construction was carried out mainly by the forces and means of the Romanian Army. The reason for the creation of such a grandiose project was the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. Ceausescu feared such actions against his regime. Like many other large-scale projects, the construction of the highway required enormous costs: about 6,000 tons of dynamite alone were spent. There were also casualties - about 40 people died during the construction of the road. Today this highway is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

Consequences of a night thunderstorm.

So the rockfall signs are there for a reason. 🙁

Monument to power engineers.

For those who need it, there is a paid toilet.

Those who don't have a car can go up on the lift.

In general, we thoroughly enjoyed and recharged our trip back home.

The highlight of our trip was a visit to the Corvin Castle in Hunedoara. Most of the road from Tranfagaras was along the magnificent A1 highway, which, however, in the final section, together with the navigator, gave us a surprise in the form of a road closure. The navigator took us on some strange detour through local villages with a disgusting quality almost dirt road. Moreover, the signs on this road appear as if it were a highway. 🙁

Corvin Castle (Huniad Castle)

Corvin Castle(or Huniad Castle) is one of the most representative monuments of Gothic architecture in Romania. The castle was built by Iancu de Hunedoara (1441-1456), voivode of Transylvania, regent of Hungary and valiant military commander, father of the great Hungarian king Matejas Corvinus.

According to legend, the founder of the Corvin dynasty, Jan Hunyadi, was the illegitimate son of the Hungarian king, Sigismund of Luxembourg. His mother, Elizabeta, was not of a very noble family, but a noble beauty. In order not to disgrace the girl, the king gave his beautiful mistress as a wife to his knight Voik. The king gave the newborn boy a ring with the words that this ring would be evidence and proof of his royal blood and would lead him to the throne. And he sent everyone to one of his castles on the outskirts of the country.
When the boy grew up, during one trip, his family stopped on the edge of the road to rest for lunch. The ring lay on a towel next to the boy. And then, attracted by the bright shine of the ring, a raven flew up and stole the ring. The boy jumped up, grabbed his bow and took aim at the raven. But suddenly Raven turned back and returned the ring to its original place to the boy. This story was also told to the king. The amazed king ordered a raven with a ring to be made the family coat of arms (Corvus - Raven).

In 2010, journalists from the popular travel website Lonely Planet included Corvin Castle in second place on the list of the most terrible buildings on earth.

Open daily 09.00-17.00. Tickets are 25 lei for adults, 5 lei for schoolchildren, and 5 lei for photos. It should be taken into account that they only take cash lei, cards are not accepted. Since we no longer had any lei left, we had to exchange eurokas at the nearest souvenir shop at a not very favorable rate.

The well that 3 captured Turks dug for 15 years in exchange for release. Crap. The good Hungarians executed everyone. The Turks, when they realized that they would be abandoned, only managed to hollow out the inscription: “You now have a well, but no heart.”

Well, lovers of sadomasochism have something to see)

It is noteworthy that a bicycle trials competition was taking place near the castle walls during our visit.

All. Then our path went towards the house. But only a fairy tale is told quickly, but the deed is not done soon. Towards Hungary, namely the city of Debrecen, where we visited the Malom Hotel, located in the building of a former mill.

Malom Hotel
Debrecen, Boszorményi ut 1, 4027 Hungary
malomhoteldebrecen.hu

Highway E79 2016

The navigator led us through the city of Oradea (by the way, also a nice city) along the E79 highway. This turned out to be his rash decision. Apparently the navigator did not take into account that almost 150 km of this road is under repair with countless reversible traffic lights. They got stuck for sure. The only consolation is that the repairs were done to a very high standard in Europe. On the strip being repaired, soil one and a half meters deep was removed, then a sort of layer cake was made. It feels like after renovation this road will last forever. We would like that. 🙂

We were driving through a pass in the clouds.

In Poland we spent the night in the place mentioned at the beginning of the story. Taking into account the information on the well-known website about the absence of a queue, we decided, without further ado, to cross the border to Terespol.
An ambush on the bridge itself, where the red corridor passengers (the majority of them) and the green ones stand in the same line to enter the Republic of Belarus. Then everything goes quickly. As a result, take it out and put it in for 2.5 hours. IMHO Peschatka, taking into account the road, would have worked just as well.

Then a delicious lunch in a cafe that is not known to everyone.

Well, for information.
What road travelers to Romania need to know

The currency of Romania is lei. For 1 euro in exchange offices they give on average 4.4 lei, for 1 dollar - 3.8 - 3.9 lei. There is an opportunity to unload dollars that have been lying dead for many years, which we took advantage of. There are money changers in all cities, so there are no problems with cash. Cards are often (but not always) accepted. We refueled using cards at Lukoil and Gazprom, of which there are a large number there


As you can see from the photo, the price for the 95th zebin is slightly higher than 1 euro.
I repeat, the people, despite their similarities with us, are friendly and not angry even under the influence of alcohol. What’s nice is that we didn’t come across homeless people or other immigrants. Apparently everyone migrated to the west. 🙂
Gypsies were seen only a couple of times and then from a car window.


They sell all sorts of copper crafts, including moonshine stills) But we didn’t ask the price. The first time we regretted passing by, but we never came across them again.

Romanians, like us, drive in violation of the speed limit. In the population, 80 km/h is normal. They say the fines are draconian, but we didn’t see any ambushes. But on the other hand, you can understand that vomiting ten kilometers along a Transylvanian village stretched along the road is not ice :)
Unlike us, there are practically no obochechniks.
So it is.

I liked the trip, I got what I wanted and I don’t regret going. Discovered Romania with its rich history. I'm glad that everything is being preserved. A lot of impressions and for a reasonable price.

Don't blame me for the photos. Non-vicious criticism is accepted. 🙂