We decided to do an extended weekend in Romania for a couple of reasons. The first being that we’d never been and it was super easy to get to from Ankara (1 hour flight to Istanbul and another hour to Bucharest, the capital). Second–Romania is not a place that we would travel to from the United States–it’s far and while the country is certainly worthy of a visit, the proximity made it trip that made much more sense to do while we were in the region. Upon doing research for the trip, I found that you could spend a full day in Bucharest to see the main sights but then it seemed to make sense to hop in a car and drive out to Transylvania to see more of the countryside–so that’s what we did!
We arrived on Thursday night and were welcomed by SO MUCH snow! The day before Bucharest had been hit with a pretty severe snow storm. Our shuttle to the rental car lot was impressive as it navigated the piles of snow in the lot. Our car was warmed up and ready for us. As we drove from the airport into the city, I was struck by the amount of snow and the fact that there were TONS of Christmas lights still up–but not lit. It appears that Romania is incredibly committed to Christmas–which I appreciated. We’d heard that the roads and drivers in Romania were a bit erratic and leaved much to be desired. We did not find that to be the case. The city roads and highways were paved and in good condition. In the country there were a few roads that had some pretty severe potholes, but given the sheer amount of snow and water–not all that surprising. We checked into our hotel in the middle of town, grabbed a drink at the bar and mapped out the next day before going to bed. Our first impressions were positive–the customer service was friendly and the city easy to navigate.
A little history about Romania–if you are anything like me, you probably didn’t learn much about this country while in school. Or perhaps, your only knowledge of the place is that’s where Transylvania and Dracula is located (more on that later!) Romania is located in the north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the western shores of the Black Sea. It is considered Eastern Europe and it is part of the European Union.–one of the more recent members. Romania was once a Monarchy but then fell to communism after WWII. In 1989, along with many other communist regimes, Romania had a revolution and the people took to the streets. The communist leader at the time and his wife were arrested, condemned and executed. Learning about the country’s history–even briefly, made me want to learn more about it. Everywhere we were you could see traces of its monarchist and communist history and now they are a young democracy.
The next morning we bundled up and headed out! We walked from the hotel to the Parliament Palace. Along the way we passed many beautiful universities and a beautiful park–Gradina Cismigui. Everything was covered in snow and it was quite the winter wonderland. Approaching the Parliament Palace you can easily see how it is the second biggest administrative building in the world–the first is the Pentagon. We did a guided tour and it really set the stage for our trip because we were treated with a history lesson. Our guide did a masterful job blending a good mix of facts with legend and her own personal experience. She made the history come alive, it was probably the best guided tour I’ve ever been on. This building is called the ‘House of the People’ as it was constructed by the people with their own money for the megalomaniac communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu (1918-1989). He was a cruel communist leader and he and his equally evil wife were both executed before they could see this building completed. To construct this building–with no real purpose that anyone understands, the communist leader mandated that everyone living in the houses on the land leave their homes within 24 hours. He also didn’t want to see any of the churches or houses that didn’t fall in line with the communist regime so the Romanians actually moved many of them on wheels out of his sight. Luckily–many of them were salvaged this way. He razed an entire residential district to build the Parliament Palace. Inside it is truly ornate and hard to describe just how large it is. Today it seats the Romanian Government houses of Parliament. Beyond that, they make money of tours and renting the HUGE rooms to companies. Interestingly, at the end of the tour, in the bowels of the building, there are a few relics of the communist regime to include the old Soviet symbol of a hammer and a sickle. It was a fascinating thing to see—showed that the people of Romania will not forget their past, but definitely want to move past it.
Following this, we worked up an appetite and walked to Old Town Bucharest. This is a great neighborhood with places to eat, shops and beautiful churches. We took in the sights but then ducked into a place to eat called Manuc Inn, recommended online for a hearty meal. The Romanians are big on their meats–lamb, goose, pig, you name it. We were adventurous and decided to order a meat plate as a starter. There were at least 4 meats that we couldn’t identify but we tried them anyways—only to learn later that one was PIG SKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Romanians start their meals with a liquor that is quite strong–they serve them in cute little glasses that look right out of a science lab. The idea is to clean your palate before the meal. Romanians are very proud of their wine and I sampled the different wines throughout the trip–I was pleasantly surprised. The red, white AND rose were all quite good. Easy to drink wines.
We headed out to see the remains of Vlad the Impaler’s Castle. This is different than the Dracula castle made famous by Bram Stoker’s movie. Bucharest was actually founded in the 15th century by Vlad–a Romanian hero. Quite different than the Dracula movie. The castle in the movie was never even used or lived in by Vlad the Impaler. The ruins of his castle in Old Town Bucharest was build when he was in need of a fortress to protect him from the Ottoman Empire. There’s not much of it left today and if you didn’t know it was there, you’d likely walk right past without appreciating the significance.
One of the many and unique churches that we saw was the Stavropoleos Church. The churches we saw in Romania were for the most part VERY small, stunningly beautiful and incredibly ornate. More so than any other churches I’ve ever seen.
The next morning, we hit the road to the ski resort town of Sinaia, about 2 hours north of Bucharest. The driving on the highway was easy although I expect the scenery is what Siberia looks like—tons of snow! We headed to Peles Castle–one of THE most beautiful and unique castles in Europe. It’s actually a palace, not a castle. King Carol I of Romania built his summer home here because he loved the surrounding area. It was the first castle in Europe to have electricity, central heating and intricate architecture. The outside of the castle is striking and you have no idea that treasures that await you inside. There was so much intricate wood carvings, and decorative influences from Germany, Turkey, and Italy. There were THE most beautiful Venetian glass chandeliers and mirrors. Every room in the castle was something else beautiful to see.
After this incredible experience, we hit the road to Bran–home of Bran Castle, AKA Dracula’s Castle. This was definitely more of a tourist location–but something we of course had to do. The castle is impressive from the road and as you approach it to go inside. The interior–not all that impressive but since you are there, you might as well go in. The history of Romania and Vlad the Impaler and the stories of Dracula were enough for me to want to read and learn more. At the VERY least we committed to watching Dracula. 🙂
We headed to Brasov to stay the night. Brasov is a great central location in Transylvania and the town is quaint with many cozy places to eat, have coffee or grab a drink. We enjoyed walking around the cute little streets and exploring. Here are some pics of the highlights of this beautiful town.
Romania is the little country that could in my opinion. You can see Bucharest in a day or two and then head out to the country to explore even more. The history is fascinating and left me wanting more. It was a country that didn’t feel like any other country that we’ve been to yet–that in and of itself makes it one of our more unique travel experiences to date!
