Romantic Romania
By Robert Haru Fisher
If ever there were a fairytale land, it could well be in Romania, home of fabled castles, gorgeous painted monasteries and authentically medieval villages, all casting their glows on anyone who cares to visit here. Although located in the fractious Balkans, Romania had throughout its existence looked to the West, in particular to France, for inspiration in its literary and other artistic endeavors, and the results show today more than ever.
A visitor must see Bucharest, of course, but then pay attention to the country's other magnificent landmarks--the painted monasteries, the castles, the splendid medieval villages and the languorous Black Sea coast.
Among the country's most famous castles are these: Bran Castle (see Brasov, below); Corvinesti, considered the best Gothic style castle in the country (14th Century), near Hunedoara; and Peles, built in the late 1800s, and full of opulent furnishings with a lot of imported art.
For fans of modern art, many works by the famous Constanin Brancusi can be seen in a beautiful park in Targu Jiu, near Hobita, his home village.
Events
Annual events include an Old Bucharest Festival in July, the National Craftsmen's Show in June, and the George Enescu Music Festival in September (every two years), in honor of the famous composer. In August is the Dance at Prislop, in the Carpathian Mountains and in October the Wine Making Festival in the wine producing areas.
Outdoors
If you love birds, you can see up to 300 varieties in the Danube Delta, said to be Europe's largest wetlands, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering nearly 2,000 square miles, the delta offers its best bird viewing, perhaps, in May and September, when flocks migrate to and from destinations as far away as China. Viewing trips and fishing can be arranged in Constanta or from Bucharest.
Health
There are 70 natural spas in Romania, providing relief for a number of ailments, it is claimed, but enjoyable for relaxation in any case. The country says it is home to more than one third of Europe's mineral and thermal springs, including such well known spots as Neptun, Sovata and Baile Felix. For more information, check out
www.spas.ro or for packages,
www.balneoturism.ro.
Lodging
There are several important hotels in Bucharest, including the 5-star Intercontinental, Athenee Palace-Hilton, Marriott and Crowne Plaza. At the 4-star level are the Bucurest, Continental, Lebada, Lido, Majestic and Sofitel. Hotels in the 3-star category include the Bulevard, Best Western Parc, Bucharest Airport, Capitol, Caro, Central, Dalin, Helvetia, Ibis, Minerva, Sky Gate (Airport) and Sport.
There are excellent hotels and inns throughout the country, many in the 3-star category, at all major destinations.
Dining Out
Romanian cuisine is heavily influenced by French and German touches, but be sure to look for local delicacies such as the following: meatball soup, grilled Black Sea sturgeon, grilled carp in brine, tocanita (meat stew), sarmale (pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meats, rice and spices), papanasi (cottage cheese donuts, topped with sour cream and fruit preserves), and clatite cu branza (crepes filled with cottage cheese, raisins and spices.
Then wash it down with tuica, plum brandy, or local beer or wine. Romania ranks tenth in terms of world production of wine, so look out for labels from Murfatlar, Cotnari, Jidvei, Dealu Mare and Odobesti.
Ina addition to restaurants mentioned below, you might enjoy the Count Dracula Club, a theme restaurant in Bucharest. In the capital city, specialties include tripe soup or small, skinless sausages (pork, lam, beef, spices) grilled.
Major Destinations
Bucharest
An enjoyable half day can be spent just wandering the back streets of Lipscani, in the center of the Old Town. You'll find dozens of shops, many offering antiques, here, sometimes in courtyards behind the streets. The main sightseeing spots include three fine old churches: the Stavropoleos, with its gracious carvings, the Cretulescu, especially for its superb altar screen, and the Old Court, for its marvelous onion domes.
But Bucharest is a city of museums (37 of them), among which I found the following to be most impressive: The open-air ("Skansen") Village Museum, near the Victory Plaza, consists of more than 300 buildings on a one-square-mile property brought here from around the country in the 1930s, including homes and churches. The museum also has a nice gift shop.
Other museums of note are the National Art Museum, in the former royal palace, and the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, which, in addition to costumes and much more, contains the interiors of two wooden churches brought in from the countryside. The latter has a great gift shop. More information on museums can be had at
www.cimec.ro or at
http://art.museum.ro.
If you have time, consider also the 1,000-room Palace of the Parliament (1984), said to be the second largest building in the world (after the Pentagon), built by the former dictator, Ceausescu (reservations required for tour). If you want to see how the country's present president lives, check out the Cotroceni Palace (1893), where you will need reservations and you will have to go around with guides.
Don't miss the Triumphal Arch, planned by 19th-century French and French-trained architects, and the avenue leading up to it, Soseaua Kiseleff, which is longer than the Champs-Elysees in Paris, it is said. And if you are a fan of Vlad the Impaler, you can visit his burial place at Snagov Monastery, about 20 miles from Bucharest.
Finally, Bucharest has several gambling casinos, many housed in 18th- and 19th-century palaces and mansions. They feature mostly table games, including "electronic roulette" at the elaborate Casino Palace, and, of course, slot machines. Check it out at
www.casinopalace.ro.
For more information on Bucharest, go to
www.romaniatourism.com/Bucharest_map.html or
www.romaniaguidebook.com.
Black Sea Coast
Constanta is the center of activities here, and replete with its own ancient sites, some dating back to Roman times. This area is the place where you can relax from hectic sightseeing, perhaps, though many properties are closed for the winter months. Be sure to see the National Historic and Archeological Museum here for its antiquities collection, and the Roman Mosaic Building, famous for its big mosaic floors, dating back to the 4th century. Outside of town about half an hour are vineyards that produce some excellent local wines.
Other centers of activity along the long and lovely coast are Mamaia, Neptun, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mangalia. Mangalia and Eforie Nord spas specialize in mud baths and rejuvenation treatments. There's more information on the coastal resorts at
www.infolitoral.ro.
Painted Monasteries
Among the many beautifully decorated monasteries in Romania (said to number nearly 2,000 painted and unpainted), the most famous is that of the Voronet Monastery Church in Bucovina (1488), sometimes called "the Sistine Chapel of the East" because of its magnificent frescoes illustrating scenes from the Bible, including the Last Judgment, the latter covering an entire wall. Other great frescoes can be seen in the Sucevita church, with a "Ladder of Virtue" theme and the greatest number of images, or in Moldovita (1532), where there is an immense scene of the Siege of Constantinople. These monasteries are still active, so you may visit them while services are being conducted.
Transylvania
You come here for unspoiled mountain villages, some, as in the case of Sighisoara, harboring whole sections of town dating back to medieval times. It's difficult to escape the legend of the fictional Dracula, who is promoted vigorously here, as is Bran Castle (1377), which some claim was the home of Count Vlad Tepes, the real prince who served as Bram Stoker's model for Dracula. That isn't true (his real castle ruins are some distance away), but since his original home doesn't exist any longer, Bran Castle (near Brasov) will suffice as a good substitute. Special events are held here around Halloween time and on other occasions.
In Sighisoara every July you can attend its Medieval Festival. At any time, try to visit the citadel above the town and take note of its 14th-century clock tower, complete with moving figures on the hour. Not far away is a long covered staircase leading to the Church on the Hill, also 14th century. The alleged birthplace of Dracula (Vlad Tepes) is now a restaurant in Sighisoara, appropriately named Restaurant Vlad Dracul, and serving Romanian specialties, of course.
Also not to be missed in Sighisoara are the Venetian House (13th century), the Antler House and Hermann Oberth Square. Getting here from Bucharest takes four hours by car, 30 minutes longer by train.
A few miles outside Brasov are two UNECO World Heritage fortified churches from the Saxon period, one in Harmon, the other in Prejmer.
Another town with a fine medieval presence is Sibiu, where the Brukenthal Palace must be on your list of places to see. This is said to be Transylvania's finest art museum, dating back to 1778.
Getting There
You can fly directly from many Western European cities to Bucharest on Tarom, the Romanian national airline, or connect from the USA with other flights via London, Paris or Frankfurt.
More information can be had on Romania at its official website,
www.romaniatourism.com.
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