Mention Romania and people immediately think of Dracula and a mid-evil country. But this beautiful country is quickly becoming the hidden jewel of Eastern Europe.
Transylvania
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| Sibiu |
and fortresses are to be found here. But for the more curious traveler, there are many small villages with old houses and fortified churches.
As Transylvania is circled by the Carpathian mountains there are a lot of mountain forests and hiking or climbing possibilities. All over the Carpathians there are great national parks. In the center of Transylvania there are green hills and rivers. Most big cities are very western Europe like, and the infrastructure is generally good, making it easy for travelers.
Transylvania was first referred to in a Medieval Latin document dating from 1075. The ruins of Sarmizegetusa Regia – the capital of Dacia (present-day Romania) prior to the wars with
the Roman Empire – are located in Hunedoara county - central Transylvania.
Travel to Transylvania by train or bus
There are several daily trains and buses from/to Bucharest and other major cities in Romania to Transylvania region.
Main train stations in Transylvania:
Alba Iulia, Bistrita, Brasov, Cluj Napoca, Medias, Miercurea Ciuc, Sebes,
Sfantu Gheorghe, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Targu Mures
Transylvania is home to some of Europe’s best-preserved medieval towns, most notably Brasov, featuring Old Saxon architecture and citadel ruins; Sibiu with its cobblestone streets and pastel-colored houses, and Sighisoara, adorned with a hilltop citadel, secret passageways and a 14th century clock tower. Tiny shops offer antiques and fine hand-made products by local artisans and artists.
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| Bran Castle |
Visitors to Transylvania will also encounter stunning castles such Bran, near Brasov, - a Gothic fairy-tale structure, often associated with Vlad Dracula, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In close proximity to Brasov and Bran are the fortified churches at Harman, with its massive 13th Saxon towers, and Prejmer, the largest fortified church in Southeastern Europe.
The 15th-century Corvinilor Castle, the most beautiful in Transylvania, located nearby Hunedoara, has a sumptuous Knights Hall – that can be used for functions or parties, as well as towers and buttresses reminiscent of the medieval times.
Vlad Țepeș: "Vlad the Impaler" AKA (Vlad) Dracula.
The real Dracula, Vlad Tepes, nicknamed (Vlad the Impaler) was a Romanian prince and military leader. He fought bravely against the invading Turkish army in the mid 1400's. Vlad was born in Sighișoara in the winter of 1431.
Reputation for cruelty
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| Vlad Tepes - 1560 |
Vlad's patronymic and reputation.
Cruelty was common in the Middle Ages, but Vlad's ways were the ultimate. He would decapitate people and post heads along roads like sign posts and would boil people alive.
His deeds were reported in popular pamphlets in Germany, reprinted from the 1480s until the 1560s, and to a lesser extent in Tsarist Russia. A typical German pamphlet from 1521 gives numerous examples of lurid incidents, such as the following:
He roasted children, whom he fed to their mothers. And he cut off the breasts of women, and forced their husbands to eat them. After that, he had them all impaled.
Impalement was Vlad's preferred method of torture and execution. Here he would insert a wooden stake into the rectum up to the shoulder blade painstakingly to avoid all major organs. Slowly these poor souls would writhe in pain until death some 48 hours later.
Hundreds were impaled at a time and posted looking like a forest of humans on a stick. It was physiological warfare at its best as it drove fear into the hearts of all his enemies.
Contrary to the novel, he was bloodthirsty, but not a vampire. Rumors spread that he drank blood and ate human organs. This led to led to the fictional idea of vampirism. Vlad died at age 40. No one is sure how or where his headless body is buried.
Transylvanian Cities to Visit:
Brasov
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| Brasov |
The real appeal of Brasov is the surrounding land. Unspoiled, the mountains surrounding Brasov are full of little villages and surrounding forests. In this area, you’ll find bears, wolves and other threatened animals roaming freely. On top of this, the land is ripe with outdoor activity opportunities such as skiing, hiking, camping, hunting, rock climbing and parachuting. While all of this exists in other travel destinations, there is no tourist trap feel in Brasov.
Sibiu
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| Sibiu |
Sibiu’s Old Town retains the grandeur of its earlier days when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional trade. Like Sighisoara and Brasov, it has a distinctly Germanic feeling. Sections of the medieval wall still
guard the historic area, where narrow streets pass steep-roofed 17th century buildings with gable overhangs before opening into vast, church-dominated squares such as Great Square and Little Square.
Sibiu is a pedestrian-friendly city with two easily accessible levels: the Upper town, home to most of Sibiu's historic sights, and the Lower town, lined with colorful houses on cobblestone streets and bounded by imposing city walls and defense towers overlooking the river Cibin.
Sighisoara
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| Birth Home of Vlad Dracula |
It is also the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462. It was he who inspired Bram Stoker's fictional creation, Count Dracula.
If you visit Sighișoara and you're hungry you can actually eat food at the place where Vlad Dracula was born. The Vlad Dracul Restaurant is located in the heart of the Sighisoara near the Clock Tower. The restaurant has a capacity of 120 guests and 70 seats on the terrace. Besides international cuisine, you can also enjoy traditional Romanian cuisine, such as “Prince Dracula Food” with Transilvanian palinka drink.
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| Vlad Dracula Restaurant |
Places to explore in Transylvania
- Some of Europe’s best-preserved medieval towns: Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara
- Bran Castle (also known as Dracula’s Castle), built in 1377
- Rasnov Fortress – built in the 1300s by the Teutonic Knights to protect Transylvania against the Tartars and the Turks
- The Saxon fortified churches at Biertan, Calnic, Harman, Darjiu,
Prejmer, Saschiz, Valea Viilor, and Viscri - all designated by UNESCO
as World Heritage sites - Transylvania’s finest art museum – the Bruckenthal Palace in Sibiu
- Marginimea Sibiului, an area northwest of Sibiu home to more than
18 traditional villages - The Museum of Glass-Painted Icons in Sibiel, the largest of its kind in Europe
- The city of Hunedoara with its 14th-century Gothic Corvinilor Castle
- The Dacian Fortresses at Sarmisegetuza (UNESCO World Heritage List)
- The Moti Land (Tara Motilor) on the Ariesi Valley - moţi is the name given to the inhabitants of this region. They live in scattered villages at altitudes up to about 4,265 feet and have preserved their century-old traditions and lifestyle.
- The Apuseni Mountains with Scarisoara and Focul Viu glaciers, Chiscau Bears’ Cave and Vartop Cave as well as other 400 caves.
Bran Castle
Bran Castle - Also called Dracula's Castle is in a town called Bran, at
20 km near Braşov. The best ways to get there are by bus or by car on
the European Road 574 (E574). The bus for Bran leaves from the Autogara 2
(Bus terminal 2) about every half hour for the whole day. You have to
buy the ticket on board and it costs 7 RON each way (as of 05.12.2011).
You can arrive to the Autogara 2 from the centre if you take the bus
number 12 from Livada Poştei or the Teatrul Dramatic stations (departs
every half hour), or from the train station if you take one of the buses
23 or dashed 23 (23 barat or 23B; it has a 23 written on in, with an
oblique dash on the number). Note that buses 23 and dashed 23 are not
stopping at the main terminal located in front of the train station. In
order to take them, you need to walk to the boulevard in front, through
the right as you're exiting the train station, where you'll see the bus
sign and other people waiting for their buses. After you get on, descend
at the fourth stop, which is right next to the football stadium. Once
you are in Bran follow the tourists through a street full of stands
selling things for tourists. The castle is now a museum open to
tourists, displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie.
Tourists can see the interior individually or by a guided tour. At the
bottom of the hill is a small open air museum park exhibiting
traditional Romanian peasant structures (cottages, barns, etc.) from
across the country. As of May 2013, the entrance fee was 25 lei (€5.5)
for an adult, non-professional photo fee included in the ticket. From
the top of the fortress you can see the mountains in a superb panorama.Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains are visually stunning. While there are attractions throughout the mountains, such as Bran Castle, don’t try to simply visit a particular place. Instead, rent a car in Brasov or hire a driver and just go for a ride. The scenery is so overwhelming it is hard to describe. You’ll drive down and up into gorges that seem endless, see rivers bombing down mountain sides and see animals only found in National Geographic documentaries. Go for this drive and I guarantee you will be blabbering about it for at least five days.
Traditional food
Transylvania's cuisine displays a variety of flavors with dishes spiced with thyme, red pepper or tarragon. Meats, such as pork, mutton, veal, are among the most popular ingredient in Transylvania’s cuisine. The soups, to which sour cream and egg yolk are ofted added, also include flour dumplings or homemade pasta.
Romania is one the world’s leading producers of cabbage (varza). Make sure you don’t leave the region without trying the delicious “Varza a la Cluj” – the Romanian version of lasagna - prepared from several layers of finely shredded cabbage (fresh or sour) and minced pork or veal mixed with rice and bacon and baked in the oven.
Despite the many things written about this part of Romania, Transylvania is one of the most romantic regions in the country, so if you plan to travel with your partner, you will discover firsthand why it is a special place for couples.
Transylvania offers the visitor interesting attractions such as ski resorts hiking trails, parks, museums and medieval towns each with their own unique story. But if you're looking to celebrate Halloween in a special place in Europe, Transylvania is definitely that place to be. You don’t even need to wear garlic.
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