Romania

Viscri – A Seemingly Untouched Romanian Village and Fortified Church

This little village and fortified church were on my list of favorite spots in Romania. The village feels secluded and remote, and the church doesn’t appear to have changed in hundreds of years. This place felt like the “real Europe” and one can quickly imagine what life was like here hundreds of years ago. The village has very few cars and no paved streets (one street was cobblestone). The church is visible as you drive into town, just follow your nose to find it. For a map of main sites visited in Romania click here.

The fortified church of Viscri.

Walking up to the entrance of Viscri fortified church.

While Viscri is not far (only 7 km) off the main route (E60) between Braşov and Sighişoara, the road is a bit rough—a combination of rough, broken pavement and gravel. Since there are few cars in Viscri, the locals probably don’t care that the road is not in the best shape, and the more difficult access means less visitors messing up the place! The only practical way to visit Viscri is with a rental car. The church is 13thcentury, and hasn’t changed much in the last 400 years; the old painted wood loft railings and creaky stairways are original from the 1600’s.

The interior of the Viscri fortified church–frozen in time.

At the top of the Viscri church tower, trying not to fall through the floor boards.

My son and I climbed up the tower of the church, through narrow stone stairways and over wooden boards where we had to watch our step or take a chance on falling through!  The fortified walls, built in 1525, contain storage areas and farm tools from many years ago.  There was an entry fee of 4 lei per person.

Inside the walls of Viscri fortified church.

A view of the village of Viscri and surrounding area from the tower of the church.

The village population consists of a few Saxons and mainly Roma (Gypsy).  We saw some displays of woolen socks as well as other woolen items (hats, etc.), and read afterwards that making these items is a major cottage industry of the village, exporting many of their hand-made goods to Germany.

A typical scene in Viscri.

You pass through the village of Bunesti on the way to Viscri – a view of rural life in Romania.

New home construction in Bunesti.

Children in the village of Bunesti pose for their picture.

See my post “The Fortified Churches of Harman and Prejmer” for a short background on fortified churches in Transylvania. Other references: Lonely Planet-Romania 2010 & Rough Guide – Romania 2010.

The Fortified Churches of Hărman and Prejmer

A great day trip from Braşov is visiting the fortified churches in Harman and Prejmer, towns that still retain their Saxon roots. We visited these churches as we left Braşov before heading to Sighişoara. The easiest way to visit these towns is by rental car, but it’s also possible by train or bus. Hărman is not open Monday and Prejmer is not open Sunday, so if you want to do both, you’ll need to visit Tuesday—Saturday. For a map of sites visited in Romania click here.

Exterior view of Harman fortified church with the walls and towers.

Fortified churches are a unique feature of Transylvania, and there are 280 in Transylvania. Each one has its own different style, but common features include high surrounding walls (sometimes several concentric rings) usually with towers, a church in the center of the fortifications, often with its own tower, and rooms for provisions in case of attack and sometimes boarding rooms for the villagers inside the walls—these fortifications often look like a combination of a castle and church. A whole trip could be spent just visiting these wonderful sights, and maps are available that show driving tours of these churches, which are often in little villages. The two listed here are close to Braşov and close together. Their purpose during medieval times was to provide safety to the villagers in times of attack, often from the Ottomans as they sought to expand their empire westward.

Hărman

The church at Hărman dates back to 1240, the belfry tower was added in the 14thcentury, and the walls were constructed in the 15th century.

Even the church had exterior rooms for protection–ladders could be pulled up.

In addition to the church, the fortifications retain part of the interior living and storage rooms along the walls, giving a feel to what the internal fortifications looked like.

The storage and living quarters along the inside walls.

You can visit some of the rooms and dark walkway around the wall which haven’t changed much from their original state. In the church, women would sit in the center pews and the men on the side pews, in case of attack the women would be in the center protected by the men surrounding them.

The pews where the women would sit in the church.

The men would sit in these side pews to protect the women.

It would have been quite a life to constantly worry about your village being attacked by the Ottomans.  The walls originally had a moat around them, and part of it is still visible.

The caretakers of this church are German, descendants of the Saxons who settled this town.  The entry fee was 4 lei per person (about $3.25).

Prejmer

The village of Prejmer is more rustic than Hărman, with dirt roads in some parts of the village.

A typical street scene in Prejmer–note the horse-drawn “tractor” on the right.

The fortified church has very high walls (12-14 meters high), and given its size, it’s difficult to appreciate from the outside.

Exterior view of Prejmer fortified church.

Reinforced door at the entrance to Prejmer fortified church.

Prejmer was the most powerful peasant fortress in Transylvania. The main entrance feels like a step back in time, just like walking into a medieval village. This fortification also had a moat, which has since been filled in.

The entrance to Prejmer fortifications.

Beyond the initial entrance, there is another entrance into the interior courtyard where the church is located and surrounded by little rooms (272 of them) on four levels attached to the defensive circular walls.

The 13th century Prejmer church.

The interior shelters of Prejmer–where the villagers would live in times of pending attack.

These rooms are well-preserved, and from the courtyard the ring of rooms almost looks like a hotel, with numbers on each door. Each room was assigned to a village family. Many of the rooms are open, and they also provide access to a dark walkway running the length of the walls at the top, where guards and lookouts could be posted.

Typical living quarters inside the fortifications.

The walkway on the upper floor around the walls of Prejmer fortifications.

Some rooms were also dedicated to specific purposes–such as a school, for storage, weaving, etc. The entry fee was 8 lei per person.

A school room at Prejmer. Note the wall paintings.

As with many sites we visited in Romania, we pretty much had these places to ourselves.

References: Lonely Planet – Romania & Information at the sites.

Bran Castle and Raşnov Fortress – The Valley of the Roses

These two great medieval sights are about 16 km southwest of Braşov, and only 10 km apart, so they make a good day trip from Braşov. Raşnov gets its name from the Saxon word Rosenau, which means the Valley of the Roses. For a map of these locations, click here.

View of the town of Rasnov and surrounding “Valley of the Roses” from Rasnov Fortress.

Since we were traveling by car, our Pension recommended a great scenic drive to Raşnov, going by the ski resort area of Poiana Brasov. Driving through the Transylvanian mountains felt a bit like our home state of Colorado. This is a very pretty area of Romania.

Raşnov Fortress

Raşnov Fortress sits at the top of a hill, overlooking the small town of Raşnov, and like Braşov, has a “Hollywood” sign in front of it on the hill.  Why the Romanians like to put these signs up is beyond me, but luckily Braşov and Raşnov are the only places that have these signs, to my knowledge.

View of Rasnov Fortress from the town of Rasnov.

Coming from the north, the fortress can be seen for miles. Since we were arriving through the heavily forested mountain passes from the south, we saw the parking lot before the fortress. We were the first visitors to arrive at the car park on a clear, sunny day in May. From the car park you can either walk up or take a little tractor-train up to the fortress for 3 lei per person (about 3.3 lei to the USD at the time of writing this post). We took the train up and walked down.

Another view of the little village inside the Fortress.

We arrived pretty early (around 9:30 am); the exhibits and shops weren’t open yet in the fortress—which gave the place a very peaceful feel. We enjoyed the views and wandering around the tiny village.

The village in Rasnov Fortress.

We had the site to ourselves. As we were leaving, a few other people were making their way up the hill. The fortress is believed to have been built in the 1200’s and functioned in a military capacity until the 1700’s. It withstood a Turkish invasion in 1335. Today it preserves the folk art of Romania through exhibits and shops; in medieval times the village within the fortress was known for glass making and weaving.There is an entry fee of 10 lei per person.

Walking up to the Fortress entrance.

In the town of Raşnov we wanted to visit the old St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (just to the west of the town center). It’s the oldest Romanian Orthodox Church in southeastern Transylvania, dating to the 1200’s. It contains paintings from the 16th century. Unfortunately, it was closed on Monday, the day of our visit.

Bran Castle

Exterior view of Bran Castle from the west.

Just 10 km west of Raşnov is the famous Bran Castle, long associated with “Dracula” or Vlad Ţepeş. The castle has very little historical connection with Vlad Ţepeş. That said, there is an extensive exhibit on Vlad Ţepeş and the Dracula legend in two of the castle’s rooms.

Hiking up the stairway to the castle entrance.

Information on Vlad Tepes (the inspiration for Dracula) at Bran Castle.

The castle may have been inspiration for the setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bran castle dates from the late 1300’s, and was built to help fortify Braşov from the Ottoman raids. In 1459 Vlad Ţepeş passed through the area and attacked Braşov, which is the only connection Bran Castle has to him. In 1920 the people of Brasov donated the castle to the royal family (Queen Mary and King Ferdinand) of Romania. This act saved the castle from falling into disrepair, and today the castle is in very good condition. The castle is still owned by the royal family’s descendants.

The Large Drawing Room inside the castle.

A secret passage stairway in the castle.

Bran is a very cool castle, and one of the finest in Europe. From the pictures we had seen, we thought the castle would be isolated in a mountain valley. We were a bit surprised to find that it is right at the edge of the small town of Bran, on a small hill. Bran Castle was the most touristy of the sites we visited in Romania—with lots of little shops at the entrance—and you can get your Dracula T-Shirt here! Even so, there were only a couple of small tour groups here in early May. We parked just outside the castle grounds for 10 lei for 4 hours, and the castle entrance fee was 25 lei per person.

A view of the Round Tower (oldest in the castle),courtyard and well below.

We also ate an early dinner in Bran, right across from the entrance to the castle, and had a very good, large meal for 3 people for $27! I would have thought prices would have been higher in this tourist spot. We found the restaurant prices throughout Romania to be quite cheap compared to Western Europe.

On our way back to Braşov, we stopped briefly at the town of Cristian, which is home to one of the many fortified churches in Transylvania. It wasn’t open, but it was fun to see our first of several fortified churches in this non-touristy town.

Cristian Fortified Church, on the road to Rasnov from Brasov.

Reference: Tourist Guide-Bran Castle by Compania de Administrare a Domeniului Bran, Nicoleta Petcu, 2010.

Peleş Castle – Livin’ the Dream

View of Peles Castle from the gardens.

One of the highlights of Romania is a visit to Peleş Castle, located in Sinaia, about 110 km north of Bucharest or 50 km south of Braşov. We visited this fairytale palace on a day trip from Braşov. Although this castle is not old (it was started in 1875 and finished in 1914), it is a testament to what a King can build when money is apparently no object. It was the first European castle to have electricity, central heating—and even central vacuuming—very advanced for its time. It cost about $80 million at the time, and would be almost impossible to replicate today. The craftsmanship is really beyond compare. The main rooms are exquisitely decorated with materials from all over Europe and each has a unique feel – owing to the origin of the decorations as well as the building materials—Italian, German, Turkish, etc. Of special note is the incredible woodwork, and decorated leatherwork on the walls. There are excellent collections of medieval arms too.  A map of sites visited in Romania can be found here.

The German decor and woodwork in the dining room.

Turkish decor and furnishings in a sitting room.

The exquisite wooden circular staircase above the main reception room.

The stunning main reception room.

We owe this marvel to King Carol I and his wife, Elisbeta. It was intended to be their summer residence, and given its location at the threshold to the Transylvanian mountains, I can imagine how the setting and altitude made it a nice escape from the heat of Bucharest on the plains of Wallachia.

Some practicalities: The castle is to the west of the main road (E60) from Ploiesti to Brasov, and I didn’t see any signs to the castle until after we took the northernmost exit off the highway into Sinaia. Parking cost 10 lei (the current exchange rate is about 3.3 lei to 1 USD). Tickets to the castle can be bought in the courtyard of the castle.  It is possible to just view the exterior and wander the grounds by paying the parking fee only, but this would be a serious mistake. Note that it is a steep walk up hill from the parking areas to the castle itself.

View of Peles Castle from the walk leading up to the entrance.

There are 3 prices for tickets (30, 50 and 70 Romanian lei each), and a separate pass is required to take photographs (32 lei). The most expensive ticket includes getting to see the private apartments, a theater where performances are still held, and other areas off limits to the other tours. It also includes nearby Pelişor Palace, which, since we were on the last tour of the day, closed before we could get to it. Allow at least 2-3 hours for your visit. Since Romania is quite cheap by western European standards, the entry fees felt expensive, but in reality are well worth it. Guided tour is the only way to visit the castle interior and tours are offered in English as well as other languages.

One of the private apartments (fine leatherwork on the walls).

An interesting side note—this castle was used as a prop in the 2009 movie “The Brothers Bloom” starring Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo as con artist brothers. In the movie, it was the home of a young eccentric rich woman (played by Rachel Weisz) in New Jersey of all places, and at one point in the movie the castle is blown up! I was happy to see that through the magic of Hollywood, the castle is still there. This movie was a critical hit, but not at the box office.  If you enjoy offbeat humor, watch this movie.

Braşov – A Great Base for Exploring Transylvania

Transylvania contains a number of fortified towns, and Braşov is a great example. The fortifications were begun in 1203 and constructed by the Saxons (Germans) as defenses against the Ottoman Empire. Local Romanians were actually forced to live outside the main town. Some of the old town’s walls, towers and gates remain. Located about 170 km north of Bucharest, Braşov is a great place to call home for a few days to explore this part of Transylvania. We spent 3 nights in Braşov and were able to explore the old town of Braşov and Peleş Castle (about 50 km south of Braşov) on our first day, Bran Castle and Raşnov Fortress on the 2nd day, and Harman and Prejmer fortified churches on our way out of town on the 3rd day. For a map of our tour of Romania, click here.

Mt. Tampa rises above Braşov.

The old town of Braşov is set against Mt. Tampa on the south. The path around the outside of the walls on this side of the city is shaded and a favorite place for locals to stroll on Sundays. There is a Hollywood-like sign on the mountain (“Braşov”). If you want to get  a great view of Braşov and the surrounding countryside, take the tram up Mt. Tampa, located outside the old walls. At the top of the mountain, follow the trail to the west (or right) towards the Braşov sign for an overlook of the old town and surrounding area. The tram costs about $6 round trip. Another option is to take the tram up and walk the trail back down.

View of Braşov and surrounding area from Mount Tampa. The old city of Braşov is in the lower right (the Black Church and the main square are visible).

The old city is well-preserved with a number of interesting streets and buildings.  It is a very lively town, with many people enjoying the outdoors on the plaza and open air cafes.

The pedestrian street of Strada Republicii, looking towards the Black Church. It’s lined with cafes and a great place to spend a summer evening.

The main square is the heart of old Braşov, and has an interesting history.  Some claim the Town Council building is haunted, and given its bloody history, maybe there is a good reason!

The Piata Sfatului, with the council house (built in 1420), and Trumpeter’s Tower, where many tortures took place. This square was apparently the site of the last witch burning in Europe.

The Black Church along with the Council House are the main landmarks in old Braşov. The Black Church is the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul. Construction on the church started in 1383 and lasted almost 100 years. It received its name after a huge fire that blackened its walls and swept through the town in 1689.  It has a 4,000 pipe organ and many Turkish rugs hanging from the balconies, which were gifts from merchants–not something you see everyday in old churches.

The old city of Braşov. The Black Church is center-left, while the city walls are in the foreground, and Trumpeter’s Tower is center-right.

Sforii (Rope) Street. The narrowest street in Braşov and one of the narrowest in Europe (1.32 meters wide and 83 meters long).

Braşov fortifications.

The old city retains some of its original fortifications, with a number of towers and some remaining walls.  The outline of the old city can clearly be seen from Mt. Tampa and also there are old drawings of the city in the Black Church. There are several towers outside the city walls which provided early warning in case of attack.

The Weaver’s Bastion is the best preserved of the city’s fortifications; it sits at the southwest corner of the old city walls. Construction began in 1421. The walkway to the tram up Mt. Tampa is located near to this Bastion.

City gates. There are a few remaining gates to the old city, and one of the most scenic is Catherine’s gate.

Catherine’s Gate retains its original appearance and was a main entrance to Braşov from the Schei District. Outside the city walls was a large moat, which was drained just in the 1800’s.

Schei District.

This is where the locals lived, while the Saxons lived in the fortified city.  We took a walk through this section of town, which also has interesting churches and squares.

St. Nicholas Stone Church (a cathedral) built in 1495, is in the Schei district to the southwest of the old city. This church has great wall paintings from the 1700’s.

References: Lonely Planet Romania, 2010; Braşov by Romghid Press, 2010

A Tour of Romania – The Europe of Yesteryear

We just completed a great vacation to Romania. Most of our friends were asking “Why are you going to Romania? “or even “Where is Romania?” Admittedly, Romania is not the first place one usually thinks of for a European vacation, but that’s because many people don’t know what the country has to offer rather than it not being a good place to go. We flew into Bucharest and traveled north to Transylvania, where we made a loop for about 9 days. This part of Romania has beautiful snow-capped mountains, with green valleys and thick forests, fantastic little villages with fortified churches (which are unique to Transylvania), great castles and medieval towns. We visited in May, and ran into very few tourists in most locations.

Central Romania and the main sites we visited. Transylvania is in the heart of Romania, north and northwest of Bucharest.

The Transylvanian countryside of Romania

The fortress and town of Rupea in Transylvania.

Romania is in a time warp; modern cars are zipping by on roads, passing horse-drawn carts carrying families into the village or hay to the barn. We saw some folks sitting in their horse-drawn cart talking on a cell phone! It is an agricultural society, with huge fields being planted by hand, and horse-drawn plows tilling the fields. And then you have the ugly years of communist rule under Ceauşescu, and a number of burnt-out old factories blighting some of the towns, but luckily these do no mar most of the historic sights.

Typical road – cars, trucks and horse-drawn carts all sharing the lanes.

A typical Romanian village scene.

Women on their way to their fields – working the land is a family affair.

Here are a few things to know if you’re considering this country as a vacation destination. In future posts we’ll describe in more detail the sites we visited.

Cost. Go now. Romania is quite cheap compared to Western Europe. It is not yet on the Euro which keeps costs more reasonable. The cost of gasoline is on par with Western Europe, but accommodations are much less (most rooms were an average of about 35 Euros per room, which is about 1/3 of what you would pay in Western Europe). Food was another bargain; a good meal in a nice restaurant for 3 people was typically around US $35 total, not including alcohol. Entry fees to most sites were $2-3, with a few exceptions.

Roads.  We rented a car, which is the best way to get around, since many of the interesting sights are in little towns. Our guidebooks warned us about the roads, and yet we found most of them to be in good or better condition. Yes, there were a few roads with numerous potholes and lots of patches, but those were really pretty rare, even on the small backcountry roads. Some roads to little villages are still dirt or gravel, or a combination of gravel and some pavement. It was not uncommon for many village roads to be dirt. Everything is well sign posted. We never bought a map and just followed road signs and used Google maps on our iPhone for some directions (although we did discover Google hadn’t mapped some little villages). I found Romanian drivers to be similar to other places in Europe–driving pretty fast, but also highly alert and reasonably patient. I would say they were actually less crazy than places like Italy.

A dirt/gravel road in the village of Viscri, Transylvania, Romania.

Our rental car in Romania.

B&B’s. We found our accommodations through Booking.com. There are not many large hotels, especially in the smaller towns. Our rooms were clean, many were recently remodeled, with good showers and decent beds. Every place we stayed had free wireless internet, a very handy feature.

Our B&B in Horezu, Romania

Inside our B&B room in Brasov.

Food. Another thing we’d correct about our guidebooks (Lonely Planet and Rough Guide) is regarding the food. The books did not rave about most of the food dishes, and yet we thought the local cuisine was very good; many high quality meats served with savory sauces, good salads and soups. Good pizzas and pastas are also available. As mentioned above, you can eat a very well for about $10 per person per meal.

One of our many excellent meals in Romania. (those are bread bowls with tasty soup inside!)