Bucharest. Romania's capital city and largest city is also home to the world's largest parliament, which also happens to be one of the world's biggest buildings. The Palace of Parliament was constructed in the 1980s when Romania was under the iron rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and has a height of 84 metres, a floor area of 365,000 square metres and a volume of 2,550,000 cubic metres. Hour-long guided tours manage to take in just a fraction of the building but are well worth the entrance fee. Tons of marble and gold were used in construction despite widespread poverty in Romania at the time.
Bucharest was formally know as the Paris of the East but not so much remains of its Art Nouveau architecture. These days the old town is mainly full or loud bars and tourist-focused restaurants. A hop on hop off bus tour is a good way to see some of the large tree lined avenues that radiate out from the centre.
Brasov. Located in the Transylvania region of Romania and ringed by the Carpathian Mountains, the city of Brasov was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels. You can find gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, as well as the famous Black church (Biserica Neagra), which is the largest Gothic church in Romania. The Great Fire of 1689 blackened its walls, hence the name. It also boasts the largest church bell in Romania. Just a 30 minute bus ride is the resort of Poiana Brasov, a popular ski resort in winter and an excellent base for hiking in the Carpathian mountains in summer. And on the hill above Brasov itself stands the local version of the famous Hollywood sign in California - it can be reached by cable car or hiking
Sibiu. In the 12th century, German settlers, known as Transylvanian Saxons built seven walled citadels, of which Sibiu was the largest and wealthiest. By the 14th century it was already an important trading centre when when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional trade. The Old Town has sections of the medieval wall still guarding the historic area, and narrow streets host steep-roofed 17th century buildings. Great Square has been the centre point of the city since the 15th century. At 142 meters long and 93 meters wide, it is one of the largest ones in Transylvania. Sibiu is a wonderful city to explore on foot with two easily accessible levels: the Upper town, home to most of Sibiu's historic sights, and the Lower town, lined with colourful houses on cobblestone streets.
Sighisoara. Another of the seven Saxon walled citadels, Sighisoara was not the biggest or richest but these days it has become one of the most popular due to its small size and accessibility, plus original medieval architecture, winding cobbled alleys, steep stairways, and secluded squares. Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO it has been described as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. And perhaps another reason for its popularity lies in the fact that it is the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462, the inspiration behind Bram Stoker's fictional creation, Count Dracula.
You can visit his house, and also one of the most famous landmarks of Sighisoara, the 14th century Clock Tower. This tower controlled the main gate of the half-mile-long defensive wall and stored the city's treasures. A visit here is really like stepping back in time.
And finally a secret tip. In the far north of Romania close to the border with Ukraine in the region of Maramures, you will find one of the quirkiest cemeteries in the world. The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta is full of brightly coloured hand carved oak crosses, featuring portraits or scenes from the deceased's life, and inscribed with witty epitaphs that capture essential elements – both the good and the imperfections – of the villagers who rest here. The words and images were chosen by the sculptor Stan Ion Patras (1907-1977), who began carving these epitaphs in 1935 using words and images he thought best represented the person buried there. The crosses feature symbolic colours: yellow for fertility (the subject had many children), red for passion, green for life, black for early death. The townsfolk's ancestors considered death as a beginning, not the end. Therefore, the background is always blue, the colour of hope and freedom.
Travelcoup offers tours all over Romania. Here are some examples:
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