Author: Paul Terry

I love to travel. I've been fortunate to visit about 75 countries so far. I prefer to travel independently to get off the beaten path a bit. I also try to find good deals to make my travels more affordable.

The Ghost Town of Rhyolite

The entrance to Rhyolite.

When I think of “ghost towns” what normally comes to mind for me is a mining camp or old railway stop from the 1800’s with a few wooden structures. By comparison, Rhyolite is a relatively modern ghost town from the early 1900’s. It is located near the small town of Beatty, Nevada on Highway 374, one of the main entrances to Death Valley National Park. The town is now a national historic site. Mining was a major industry in this area in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. In Death Valley National Park, there were an estimated 6,000-10,000 mines.

Rhyolite is about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NV.

The Las Vegas & Tonopah Train Depot, erected in 1909. One of the three railroads serving Rhyolite.

I think this caboose is here for the duration…

Rhyolite was a boomtown whose economic heyday lasted 4 years, although the town survived for about 15 years. It all began when prospectors Shorty Harris and Ed Cross found gold in the area in 1904. The townsite was established in 1905.

Old Mercantile building, erected in 1906.

Funding for the mining decreased due to the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, which destroyed the California Financial District, and then the New York Financial Panic of 1907. Even still, by 1908 the population of Rhyolite was 8,000, a pretty good-sized town for the area and time, but shortly thereafter the mines began to fail. By 1910, the population was declining, and in 1919 the Post Office finally closed. By 1920, there were just 14 people left in Rhyolite.

The Cook Bank Building ruins - it cost $90,000 to build in 1908. Included a Post Office, bank, and business offices. Had electric lights, steam heating and marble floors.

The Cook Bank Building ruins – it cost $90,000 to build in 1908, a small fortune. The building included a Post Office in the basement, bank on the first floor, and business offices on the second and third floors. It also had electric lights, steam heating and marble floors all of which must have made it a showpiece in its day.

Tom Kelly's 3 room bottle house - built by Tom Kelly in 1906, to raffle it off. Use of sustainable materials would make the house popular today!

Tom Kelly’s three-room bottle house (visible wall is built out of bottles) – built by Tom Kelly in 1906. He wanted to raffle it off – not sure if he was successful. Use of sustainable materials would make the house popular today!

The Rhyolite town jail. Erected in 1907. It’s near the Red Light District – hmm…wonder why?

Ruins include a few homes, bank, school, mercantile, jail and train depot. Beatty is about 2 hours from Las Vegas, NV, and Rhyolite is about 5 miles west of Beatty. Keep in mind summers here are HOT. We visited in December and the weather was cool and pleasant.

Sights of Bucharest, Romania

At the end of our wonderful trip to Romania, we spent a couple days exploring Bucharest. We stayed in an apartment on the south side of the city, within walking distance to one of the main squares (Piata Unirii) where the tourist “hop on, hop off” buses depart (25 lei per person for the round trip), and close to several sights. The Bucharest airport is on the north side of the city, about 30 minutes from downtown.

On the open-air hop on, hop off bus tour of Bucharest.

Paris? No, but almost – Bucharest’s Triumphal Arch. Built in 1935 to commemorate the reunification of Romania in 1918. For a fee, you can climb to the top.

The Romanians love the late Michael Jackson, even though when here on tour he said “Hello Budapest, I’m so glad to be here.” Oops.

Having been to many European capitals I will admit that Bucharest doesn’t make my top 10; however, it still has a number of interesting sights, the two primary ones being the Parliament Palace and the Village Museum. I will cover the Village Museum in a separate post.

Palace of Parliament

The front view of the Palace of Parliament.

“Huge” is an understatement. The Palace of the Parliament is the 2^nd largest building in the world after the Pentagon, and was built in 1984 in the latter days of the Communist Regime under the dictator Ceauşescu. On our tour we saw less than 2% of the building. It is 12 stories high, has 1,100 rooms and four underground levels including a nuclear bunker. About 20,000 workers labored around the clock to build it in 5 years.

One of the grand hallways in the Palace.

One of the hallways in the Palace.

One massive staircase had to be rebuilt 3 times before Ceauşescu was satisfied. The saddest part is that for the cost of this immense building much could have been done to help the very poor average Romanian at the time.

One of the grand staircases in the Palace.

A grand staircase in the Palace.

One of the grand reception rooms in the Palace.

One of the Palace’s reception rooms in which foreign dignitaries were met.

The 2.5 ton chandelier in the Human Rights Hall of the Palace.

Tips on visiting the Palace: Tours are conducted regularly and advance reservations are generally required. We lucked in to an English-speaking tour without reservations by arriving about 45 minutes early in the off season (May). Since this is still a functioning government building, they are very strict in regards to picture taking—security cameras are everywhere, and wandering off from the tour group is not allowed. Not wanting to spend time in a Romanian prison, I paid attention to our tour guide’s requirements. The cost was 25 lei per person plus 30 lei for a photography pass (about 3 lei per USD).

Looking east from the famous balcony of the Palace, towards the Piata Constitutiei.

Bucharest’s Old Quarter

Another interesting area undergoing refurbishment is the city’s old quarter, not far from the Palace. There are many restaurants here, and a few historical sites such as the Princely Old Court Church, and some 15^th century ruins.

Princely Old Court Church – the oldest church in Bucharest (1500’s). There are excellent frescoes in this church.

The old quarter of Bucharest.

Phaselis – Where Antiquity and the Blue Mediterranean Meet

One of my favorite stops in Turkey was the quiet beach park and historic site of Phaselis, which is 58 kilometers west of Antalya. Can you imagine anything better than relaxing on the beach of your choice in one of three small bays, each overlooking the calm, clear, blue water–surrounded by pine trees, with Roman ruins right behind you? I can’t! It is a picture-perfect setting. For a map of this location, click here.

A perfect setting – one of the three bays at Phaselis.

Some of the ruins are right next to the water!

History of Phaselis

Phaselis has a long history, having been founded in the 7^th century BC and belonging to many kingdoms over the years. It was a strategic location, with a great harbor. Phaselis was a major trading partner with Syria, Greece, Egypt and other Mediterranean countries. Its main exports were timber, lilium (lily) oil and roses. It was a prosperous community that didn’t worry too much about its overseers. Alexander the Great came through in 333 BC and the city decided that rather than fight him, they would welcome him outside the city gates with a golden crown–a smart move. Alexander spent time here peacefully before moving on.

The Roman Theater at Phaselis.

In the agora at Phaselis.

The main street in Phaselis, heading down to the largest bay and harbor.

Phaselis became part of the Roman Empire in 43 BC and enjoyed 300 years of peace and prosperity. After a brief decline, the city experienced a renaissance of sorts in the 8^th century and continued on until it was abandoned during the collapse of the Byzantine Empire in the 13^th century. Much of what we see today are the Roman and Byzantine-era ruins.

Practical Information

Phaselis is a park, with picnic tables, nice restrooms (with showers) and a few small snack stands. The entrance fee was 8 TL per person (1.8 Turkish Lira to the USD). The best way to reach Phaselis is by car from Antalya, either as a day trip or, (as we did) as a stop on the way to Kaş. Day-trip boats from Antalya also bring tourists to spend the day snorkeling and swimming. The area is big enough that even with a few tourist boats it does not feel crowded—in fact we had the middle bay pretty much to ourselves.

The largest bay at Phaselis with a few boats.

Reference: Information sign-posted in park.

Belém—The Launch Point for World Discovery

Just southwest of the heart of Lisbon, Portugal along the Rio Tejo (River Tagus) is the suburb of Belém (or Bethlehem). This spot was the launch point for many voyages of discovery in the 1400 and 1500’s. In 1498, Vasco da Gama sailed from here and was the first to circumnavigate Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, thereby establishing a sea route to India. Reaching India was of course the goal of Columbus in 1492 when he sailed west and landed in the Caribbean. This feat would soon make Portugal the leader in world trade, displacing the Venetians who ruled the merchant routes in the 1400’s. At Belém, the river becomes wide as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Don’t miss visiting Belém on a trip to Lisbon. For information on Lisbon and a map of sights I visited in Portugal, click here.

View towards Lisbon and the River Tagus from the Belem Tower (the Discoveries Monument is in the distance at the river’s edge).

Getting to Belém

It is easy to get here from central Lisbon. Lisbon has a great subway (Metro) system. Take the Metro to the Cais do Sodre stop and then take a bus right outside the station (about a 15 minute ride) to Belém just along the river front. There is a lot to see in Belem. Since I just had a couple hours, I visited the Belém Tower and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. You can get a combination ticket to theses sights for 10 Euros, there is a kiosk at the monastery. In addition to the main sights, there are some beautiful gardens along the river front and the town is worth exploring too, with several restaurants nearby.

The gardens and fountain in front of the Belem Monastery.

Belém Tower (Torre de Belém)

This tower is a symbol of Lisbon and dates to 1515—it was a defensive structure protecting the harbor of Lisbon. The tower’s decorative stone work is considered a classic of 16^th century military architecture. It sits in the Tagus River’s edge, just in the water although when built it was on dry land—the water level has risen over 500 years. You can climb all the way to the top (6 levels, a great view from the roof level) and at each level there are exhibits about the history of the world explorations that began from Lisbon.

A view of the Belem Tower (built in 1515).

It was here where I learned why Brazil speaks Portuguese and the rest of Latin America speaks Spanish–due to an agreement (the Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494) by King Manuel I (1469-1521) of Portugal and the Crown of Spain. They drew a north-south line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands (off Africa), which was halfway between the Cape Verde Islands (Portuguese) and Columbus’s initial claims in the Caribbean for Spain. This line happened to run through eastern Brazil, although they didn’t know it at the time.

The intricate stonework of the Belem Tower.

Belém Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jeronimos)

This is where the explorers and merchants would worship prior to leaving on long voyages and upon their safe return. The monastery was established in 1496 by King Manuel I, and the church was constructed in 1501. This masterpiece is considered one of the great architectural achievements of the 1500’s. From a technical standpoint, it was so well constructed that it survived a devastating earthquake in 1755 that leveled most of Lisbon. The “Manueline style” of decoration and architecture is an acknowledgement of the King’s influence. Vasco de Gama’s tomb is here.

The intricate decorations above the doorway (south portal).

Inside the Sacristy with many paintings.

Interior view of the church.

The cloisters of the monastery. The tracery decor is Manueline style.

Discoveries Monument (Padrāo dos Descobrimentos)

Built in 1960 to commemorate the 500^th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, the great uncle of King Manuel I. Just east of the Torre de Belém is the Discoveries Monument, paying homage to the many explorers and discoveries to come from Portugal. Inside is a multimedia exhibit on the history of Lisbon.

The Discoveries Monument. Henry the Navigator leads the way.

There are also several museums in Belém, including the Museum of Coaches (beautiful decorated old royal coaches), and the Maritime Museum; given more time these would be worthwhile to visit.

References: Great Monasteries of Europe, by Bernhard Schütz, Abbeville Press Publishers, 2004; informational plaques at Belém Tower.

Termessos – A City That Defied Alexander the Great

A view of the theater at Termessos.

A visit to the ancient city of Termessos is a great half-day trip from Antalya, Turkey. We visited Termessos in the morning and then took a refreshing dip in the Mediterranean Sea at the Konyaalti Beach Park near Antalya in the afternoon. The ruins are about 35 km inland and sits in a narrow and high mountain valley—the road up to the site is good, although winding and somewhat steep. Anciently, this region was known as Pisidia, and due to the fierceness of the people and its strategic defensive location, Alexander could not conquer Termessos (in 333 BC). The Romans who came later chose an alliance with Termessos rather than risk war in 70 BC.

Part of the gymnasium ruins at Termessos.

The ruins include a large theater in a dramatic setting, an agora, temples, tombs, a gymnasium, necropolis and remnants of houses.

The Tomb of Alcetas - note the figure on the horse above my shoulder.

The Tomb of Alcetas – note the carved figure on the horse above my shoulder.

A dramatic backdrop for the theater at Termessos, which held 4,000 people.

A dramatic backdrop for the Termessos theater, which held 4,000 people.

Some of the rock-carved tombs at Termessos.

Practical Information

There are some interpretive signs at the site and also a small map available at the entrance. The ruins are inside the large Termessos National Park, which is known for its abundance of wildlife. At the entrance to the park is a restaurant and small botanical museum. From the entrance, a 9 km paved road takes you up to the parking area at the base of the ruins. You will see ruins of some buildings and the massive walls on the road up to the site, giving a feel as to how large this city was.

There are toilets at the ruins but no water or snacks, so bring these items with you. It is a bit of a hike from the parking lot up to the main site, which is large, and mostly hidden from view from the base. The trails are fairly steep, so be prepared with good hiking shoes. I suggest a loop route, going from the parking lot up to the left of the Artemis-Hadrian Temple (as recognized by the large doorway arch) and returning on the trail to the right (or behind the Artemis-Hadrian Temple). This return trail passes a number of interesting tombs in the rock hillside (see picture above).

The Temple of Artemis-Hadrian near the parking area. The trail behind this temple goes up to some tombs.

Due to the climb from sea level, Termessos is definitely cooler than Antalya and was very comfortable in September. The entry fee was 5 TL per person (1.8 Turkish Lira (TL) to 1 USD in 2012).

Konyaalti Beach Park. On your way back to Antalya, stop at this great beach. There was a 4 TL parking fee, but the beach is free. The water and beach were very clean.

Konyaalti Beach – a great way to spend the afternoon after hiking around Termessos.

Antalya – The Gateway to the Lycian Way

A view of the old town of Antalya with the blue Mediterranean and mountains in the distance.

From Cappadocia we flew to Antalya (via Istanbul). Antalya is on the southwestern coast of Turkey, and has a beautiful setting, centered on a small scenic harbor with pebbly beaches and mountains nearby. It would be easy to spend a week here, by making Antalya your base for exploring this part of Turkey. We spent two nights at the Atelya Hotel in the heart of the old city (parking is tight in the old town, but the hotel had a smal enclosed parking area). For a map of our locations visited in Turkey please click here.

The beautiful coastline of Antalya. We ate at an excellent restaurant overlooking this beach.

Anciently, there were six major cities that made up the Lycian League. The Lycian Way is a pathway that more or less follows the coast from Antalya west to Fethiye, connecting these ancient cities and wandering through the forests and along the coast. We were lazy and made this trip by car.

The interior courtyard of the Atelya Hotel, in the old part of Antalya.

Antalya was founded in 159 BC and prospered in the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. There are remnants from these historical eras scattered around the town including walls, towers, mosques, minarets and gates still standing.

The 13th century Fluted Minaret – a major landmark of Antalya.This minaret was once covered in turquoise tiles.

Hadrian’s Gate – built to honor the visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD. Located at the eastern edge of the old city.

The Hidirlik Tower in Karaalioglu Park, a Roman lighthouse.

Take time to explore Karaalioglu Park, set on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean just to the east of the old town. This side of town is quieter than the western side and has some good restaurants and interesting streets to wander. Antalya is a pretty big city (with a very nice modern airport), but once you’re in the historic area it feels more like a quaint town.

Near Karaalioglu Park. In September, it felt like Spring in Antalya.

Antalya’s old town shopping area.

A house in Antalya’s old town – in need of some siding repair!

Nearby are beaches, waterfalls, and many historical sights. Inland (about 35 km) up in the mountains is the massive ancient Pisidian city of Termessos (which we’ll cover in another post). From Antalya you can work your way westward along the coast (the Lycian Way mentioned above)—with numerous ancient ruins and stunning natural scenery, and of course eastward to the grand restored Roman theater of Aspendos and the city of Side. I would seriously consider returning to Antalya and exploring more of this beautiful part of Turkey.

Göreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia

We spent two very full days in Cappadocia, Turkey and we could have easily spent a week exploring this area. We had our own car, so we could choose the sites we wanted to visit. If you’re planning to take a tour of the area, you can arrange one locally and we noticed there are at least four main tour routes–going northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast from Göreme to cover the varied places of interest in the region. For a map of the sites we visited in Cappadocia, click here. For a map of sites visited in Turkey click here.

The ‘castle’ at Uchisar, near Goreme. This was a fortress and it sits at the top of a hill overlooking the area–rooms and passageways are carved out of the stone.

We stayed in the Canyon View Hotel right in Göreme, which was converted from an old church and built right into the hillside. It’s a decent hotel, and a short walk to the main shopping and dining areas. Göreme itself is a very pleasant and scenic town nestled among the “fair chimney” rock formations of Cappadocia, and a perfect home base during your visit.

Exterior view of our hotel in Goreme. We ate breakfast on the terrace in the upper right-great view!

Our room at the Canyon View Hotel in Goreme.

We visited the Open Air Museum in Göreme on our first day, after our exhilarating balloon ride. The Open Air Museum, which is a collection of rock-cut churches along a path in the Göreme Valley, is just a kilometer or so outside the town—we walked to it from our hotel. The Göreme Valley holds the greatest concentration of Byzantine rock-cut churches in Cappadocia. Originally this area was a settlement for 20 Byzantine monks, then became a pilgramage site in the 17th century.

A view of the Gorme Open Air Museum–a path winds among the rock formations and rock-cut churches and other rooms.

It seemed that the churches we visited mostly date from the 12^th century. This area was a center for religious thought and life from the 3^rd and 4^thcentury onwards. One can get a feel for the life of the monks with all the various types of rooms—storage areas, eating areas, kitchens and of course the chapels.

The monks’ eating area–they would sit on the outer edge and use the table in the middle. Not a lot of leg room!

The Karanlik (Dark) Church–behind the wall is a beautiful chapel with well-preserved frescoes. Note how a part of the chapel is now exposed since the rock exterior has crumbled and eroded away. (Dates from end of 12th century).

Many of the chapels contain frescoes of scenes from the Bible, especially the life of Christ and acts of various saints. In some cases the frescoes are extremely well-preserved (with little daylight to damage them). Don’t miss the “Dark Church” (so-called since it has only one small window), the vivid frescoes look like they were painted yesterday. This church requires a separate entrance fee. Photos are allowed in some churches, but not in the churches with the best frescoes. Don’t miss the Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise) outside the main musuem–just across the road. It is large and one of the finest churches in Goreme. Your ticket for the Open Air Museum includes this church. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures inside.

The frescoes of the Carikli (Sandals) Chapel. (Dates from the end of the 12th century).

Interior of the St. Barbara Chapel. The chapels vary greatly in the detail of the artwork and frescoes.

The Open Air Museum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entrance fee is 15 Turkish Lira (TL) per person and another 8 TL for the Dark Church (the exchange rate is about 1.8 TL per USD). There are well-marked walking paths to the various chapels in the valley with explanatory signs posted at each one. The Museum is open from 8 am to 7 pm April – October, and 8 am to 5 pm November – March. Allow at least two hours to visit the Open Air Museum.

At the entrance to a pottery shop and store near the Goreme Open Air Museum.

References: Area brochures, posted informational signs, Lonely Planet’s Guide to Turkey 2010, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Turkey 2008.

Aachen, Germany – The Ancient Capital of the Holy Roman Empire

Aachen is near Belgium and the Netherlands on the western border of Germany.

On a recent business trip to Eindhoven, the Netherlands, I had an extra day and drove southeast to Aachen, Germany, about 105 km from Eindhoven. Aachen is located in western Germany, near the border with the Netherlands and Belgium. It is an ancient city, dating back to Roman times (1^stcentury AD) when it was known as a spa town for its warm mineral springs. As geographical boundaries have changed over the years, Aachen has been part of France and the former country of Prussia in addition to modern-day Germany.

Aachen town square with a fountain and statue of Charlemagne.

The great Charlemagne (known as “King of the Franks” and the Carolingian Empire) chose Aachen as the site for his palace because of the hot springs. He was a highly educated king who spoke several languages and was also a great military leader. He was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” in Rome by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in 800 AD. Thus began the long history of what is known as the Holy Roman Empire which lasted in some fashion for 700 years. The Palace Chapel, which is now part of the Aachen Cathedral, was built in the early 790’s. The kings of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned here from 813 to 1531.

The unique Aachen Cathedral. The round middle structure is the Palace Chapel and immediately to the left is the Gothic medieval choir (14th and 15th centuries).

The Palace Chapel (also called the “Oktogon”) is where Holy Roman Empire kings were crowned for 700 years. Charlemagne’s throne is displayed on a upper floor.

The Choir of Aachen Cathedral, Charlemagne’s tomb is in the distance below the stained glass windows.

If your time in Aachen is limited, I suggest visiting the unique cathedral and the nearby historic Town Hall, which provide a good overview of the history of Aachen. The Town Hall was built in the mid 1300’s on the ruins of Charlemagne’s palace and contains the Coronation Hall and numerous other rooms. The Aachen town council still meets in the Council Hall of this building. The cathedral houses Charlemagne’s throne and tomb and also has a treasury with beautiful religious artifacts. The old town around these two impressive buildings is also enjoyable.

The medieval Town Hall in Aachen, Germany. This structure was built in the 1300’s on the grounds of Charlemagne’s Palace. There are remnants of his palace incorporated into this structure.

The Coronation Hall in the Town Hall. Completed in 1349, it was the largest secular hall in the Holy Roman Empire. Used for coronation banquets throughout the Middle Ages.

Given the importance of Aachen to the history of Europe, I find it surprising that Rick Steves barely mentions this town in his Germany & Austria guidebook. It is well worth a stop for a few hours at least.

Sources: Tour pamphlets from Aachen, Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia 1986, Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe 1986.

Cappadocia from the Air

I’ve heard people say “we’ve been to Turkey” and when asked about where they’ve been, they may say Istanbul and perhaps Ephesus. My reaction is to think “then you really haven’t seen Turkey.” The Cappadocia region, located in central Turkey, is unique in geography and history. With the spectacular rock pillar formations, and thousands of troglodyte dwellings and churches carved into the soft stone, this area feels like it belongs on another planet, and hence why it’s been an inspiration for a number of movies (see my post on Selime Cathedral). The odd landscape is due to volcanic activity millions of years ago in the form of ash and lava, some of which is very hard and some of which is very soft (called tuff) and easily eroded or carved out. A hot air balloon ride is a great way to get a feel for the topography of the area and was one of our most memorable activities on a two-week trip in Turkey.

The surreal town of Goreme.

We stayed right in Göreme, a fairy-tale looking town with gnome-like homes in the heart of the Cappadocia region. The town of Göreme is ground central for the Cappadocia hot air balloon industry. Having flown all the way from the U.S. to Kayseri (about 80 km from Göreme, one of two airports serving the region) the day before, and after finally getting to bed at 1 am, we arose about 3 hours later to in order catch our 5 am shuttle van to the balloon center. Every morning almost year round about 100 balloons rise above the landscape to give up to 2,000 tourists a one-of-a-kind view. Some balloons hold as many as 20-25 people, ours held eight, and since there were six of us, it was almost a private tour. Our grogginess soon gave way to excitement as we neared the balloon launch area—seeing the balloons being fired up against the pre-dawn clear sky was exhilarating.

Here is a photo timeline of our balloon ride:

The balloons filling with hot air against the pre-dawn sky.

Lifting off…

More balloons take to the air.

Flying over the town of Cavusin, with a myriad of stone-carved houses.

A little groggy, but enjoying the view.

Looking north towards Uchisar castle (the rock formation) from high over Goreme.

From about 1,500 ft up–the town of Goreme and the eroded tuff landscape.

The fairy chimneys of Cappadocia–we floated right through the valley.

The scoop on the balloon rides:

We made our reservations (Ürgüp Balloons) via our hotel in Göreme, prior to our arrival in Turkey. The shuttle van picks you up at about 5 am from your hotel, and takes you to the balloon center, where you’re offered some breads, biscuits, coffee and juice. At about 5:45 am you then head to the balloon launch field, and based on your ID sticker you’re directed to your balloon and crew. At your balloon, you are given a short safety demonstration on how to position yourself for landing and by about 6 am, you’re going aloft. Bring a light jacket, even in the summer. For most of the ride, the balloon is only perhaps 100 feet off the ground, and sometimes less, giving you a close look at the rock formations and dwellings. At one point we went up to about 1,500 feet above the landscape. This ride was a great thing to do on our first day; it gave us a visual overview of the area.

The ride is not cheap, and costs about the same as a ride in the U.S: €130 per person (about $100 US), and this was about €15 more than if we had been in a group of 20. At the end of our ride (60-75 minutes) we made a landing on a flat hill top, and then were treated to champagne and juice to celebrate a safe trip!

At the end of our ride–a safe landing!

Celebrating at the end of our early morning adventure.

Poienari Castle – The Real ‘Dracula’ Castle

Road sign to Poienari Castle-just 1.7 km to the parking area.

After paying the entrance fee the castle comes into view, with only about 150 more steps to go!

North of the town of Curtea Argeş in Wallachia, Romania (about 153 km from Bucharest, for a map click here) are the ruins of Poienari Castle, also known as the Fortress of Vlad Ţepeş. In 1457 (or thereabouts) Vlad “The Impaler” Ţepeş forced Turkish traitors, captured from Târgovişte in western Romania to build this castle. The Turks had supported the invasion of the country by Iancu de Hunedoara (see my post on Corvin Castle in Hunedoara). The story says that Vlad had the town’s people rounded up, and after killing the older people and throwing their bodies around the outskirts of the town, he then marched the younger men and women to Poienari where he put them to work building this castle at the top of a very narrow steep ridge, near the Transylvanian Alps. The square tower was built first and the walls were built later.

At the entrance to the castle ruins, with my poor impaled friends just behind me and to my right.

My son, Sean, on the walls of Poienari Castle.

Vlad the Impaler’s father was ‘Vlad Dracul’ (‘Drăculea’ means ‘son of Dracul’) and this is where the myth begins. Vlad the Impaler was a prince and a ruler of Wallachia in the 1400’s, and was known for extreme cruelty to his enemies (including impaling his victims in such a way that death took 48 hours to relieve the victim), but he did not drink blood nor turn into a bat.

How Vlad earned his nickname–I can think of better ways to die.

The Square Tower–believed to be Vlad Tepes residence at the castle.

The castle fell into disuse by the latter half of the 16^thcentury. It commands a strategic view of the area—looking north towards Transylvania and south to Wallachia. From the parking lot, there are 1,480 steps up to the Castle, but don’t let these steps put you off. The steps are short, and even being out of shape, I made it up to the top in about 30 minutes, doing my best to keep up with my son.

The view looking north to Transylvania from Poenari Castle.

There isn’t too much left of the castle, but it’s worth a visit, partly for the view and also because this was an actual home of Vlad Ţepeş. The entry fee of 5 lei (3.5 lei to 1 USD) is paid to an attendant near the top, where postcards and other memorabilia can be purchased. Bring plenty of water to drink along the way.

References: Rough Guide to Romania 2010 and Lonely Planet Romania 2010.

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers