Best destinations in Romania for Christmas and New Year

Best destinations in Romania for Christmas and New Year

The winter is coming for sure. We are not even on the 1st of December, and outside is falling a cold rain, very close to snow. And it will turn into snow for sure, we are going to have heavy snow falls this winter in Romania, as in the all Northern Hemisphere.

In winter, Bucharest is picturesque and provocative

Very good news for the winter lovers, the other ones shall go South! Thinking on Romania, I can only hope you are going to reach your booked destinations for Christmas and New Year. Under reserve of extraordinary snow falls, I can say that the Romanian road workers are very applicate and do a good job during the winter.

The first option, and of course the easiest one, is Bucharest, as the biggest airport of Romania. You can spend a wonderful vacation in Bucharest, showing a special charm in winter. Take a little walk in the Bucharest snowy parks, visit the Bucharest museums, have a well deserved rest in the many hotels and restaurants of Bucharest. With its more than 2 millions inhabitants, Bucharest is one of the most important and biggest cities of the European Union.

If everything is under control, from Bucharest or other major Romanian city with airport you can try exploring further Romania. Don't climb the Romanian mountains in winter, unless you are a very skilled survivor under extreme conditions. Stay to ski in Poiana Brasov, Borsa, Predeal, Sinaia etc and you will be very happy. It is really an experience you are going to enjoy, but the ski slopes might be full with crowds of other enthusiasthic fans! Avoid, if possible the local feasts, as in these mentioned areas the Romanians are also very fond of ski.

You won't have that problem in Poiana Brasov. It is usually booked by foreign tourists, as being very expensive and exclusive. The Romanians use to say, that only the very rich Romanians can afford to stay in the land and going to Poiana Brasov, other normal people go to ski in Austria or Bulgaria.

Poiana brasov, also known as Schulerau, is the most renowned resort in Romania for ski

If the snow is not very fresh and the wind not too strong, go to a small pension from Bucovina, Maramures, Vrancea and don't miss to ride a horse driven sleigh. It is really fantastic, and you can pretend to live in the past, 200 years ago, visiting your lover from the next village, lieing away at 20 kilometers.

Be sure to receive the locals singing Christmas carols or New year wishes. Everything is like a fairy tale and looks so genuine and original. You know, the half of the Romanian population still lives to the countryside and that is why these traditions are so unbelievable well kept! Very similar, the Hungarians from Hungary  come to the Hungarians from Romania or to the Szekler to rediscover forgotten traditions!

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Most important event in Romania: European  Youth Olympic Winter Festival EYOWF

If you would like to visit Romania, but always find a reason to postpone booking, hesitate or whatsoever, I can give you another serious reason to take the big decision.

Nowadays is taking place in Romania a major winter sports event of this year, namely The International Olympic Youth Festival. It is going to be a brilliant success, judging the flamboyant start from Saturday. As the event is very important, the president of International Olympic Commitee (IOC), Mr Jacques Rogge was present in person to the inauguration, and declared to have found an excellent developed infrastructure.

This is the picturesque Romanian city of Brasov, hosting the EYOWF Festival right now. You can still join the gang.

The Festival is taking place in Poiana Brasov and nearby, there is a lot of snow and the people are all very happy. An Olympic fire is permanently burning in Brasov. Mr Rogge would be delighted if Romania wins a medal, and meanwhile this thing has been already accomplished.

There have been rumors for decades in Romania in many circle to organize the Olympic Games. O,K, for the Summer Games Romania doesn't qualify, but for the Winter Olympic games is perfectly fit. This Olympic Festival is the perfect test and general repetition for the aspiration to organize The Winter Olympic games. At this moment all the hotels in Poiana Brasov are completely booked, and also on a 100 km radius. But if you still want to book and take part to this unique event, I can give some tip and help finding the best solution.

Poiana Brasov/Schulerau and its many slopes are hosting the most of the Festival. 

Once there, don't waste time, please. Besides the normal time on the slope for the sport freaks, you have so many things to do. Visit Brasov, Bucharest, or Sibiu, visit Dracula castle in Bran, or make a few of the recommended tours. Go shopping, go partying, there are so many things to do in Brasov. You are going to love the fantastic animation caused by the Festival, which you can observe in all bars and restaurants from Brasov. The city is once again charming and appealing and turned to a Babilon Tower. Unfortunately, a few restaurants ran out of wine, but will renew the strategic resources. The Festival has attracted many sportsmen and spectators showing to be a success. Prominent Romanian singer Inna sung in the first night of the event and everybody forgot the freezing temperature as any other trouble.

If you are a winter sport freak and fond of events, please join the tribe. If you are not in the mood for overcrowded places, wait two weeks, until the Festival is coming to an end, and the prices fall down.

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The hidden secrets of the Romanian Bran Castle


Going from Pitesti to Brasov (Kronstadt), only 30 km away from the last mentioned city, you can see the huge Bran castle, who was guarding  once, a few centuries ago, the passing from Wallachia to Transilvania. Anyway, please keep in mind that bran means gate, as translated from the Slav language.

Certificated mention of the Castle Bran apear first at 1470, within the Court documents of the Romanian ruler Basarab Laiota. The fortress of Bran was at that time at another location, beyond the pass, towards Transilvania. It was first build in wood, and later replaced by the German saxons with a stone one, when they first settled here, under the King Lodovic of Hungary. By the end of the XVth century another king simply sells the castle to the city of Brasov. Because the custom was next to it, this is going to be a good business for the city of Brasov, lasting up to 1836, when the customs moves to Giurala, and the place decays, losing its wealthy times

Detail map of the Bran Rucar pass

At 1st December 1920, by celebration the first Romanian National Day, Brasov City Council donates the Bran Castle to the Romanian Queen Maria, as a reward and recognition of the Royal contribution to the achievement of the Big Union. Afterwards, the Czech architect of the Royal Court, Carol Liman transforms the castle into a splendid summer residence. The Principess Ileana inherites the Castle Bran from his mother Queen Mary in 1938, and will be his master up to 1948, when the new communist regime nationalized it.

The respected Queen Mary passed the way in Pelisor, in 1938, and her last wil was that his heart shall be conserved and kept in Balcic. When the Southern Dobrogea and Balcic gone to Bulgaria after WWII, the clever Princess Ileana took her mother's heart from Balcic and hidden it inside a stone of Bran Castle. The heart was kept in a wonderful silver box with 307 precious stones. In 1971 the priceless artifact has been moved to the Bucharest National History Museum. Nowadays it is back to Bran, resting finally after so many events.

In the park of Royal Bran Castle you can pretend for a few moments  being a Royal highness.

In the communist times the Bran Castle has been a few decades neglected, but nowadays, after restauration works, it shows again to the enthusiastic visitors its best face. Before visiting the Castle, have please a long walk ito the park, pretending to be the King and the Queen. Please behave yourself in the best possible way, a full country has big expectations for you. Observe in the park the Village Museum, with old houses from Wallachia, made of wood, and discover the fantastic popular technologies of wood and wool working. Inside the castle enjoy the Medieval Art Exhibition, and take a look through the special narrow openings for the archers! Don't miss the Museum of Medieval Custom, opened in 1987, illustrating the diversity of the wares circulating between Wallachia and Transilvania. Also, lots of other documents, maps, measuring instruments, transportation middles etc. For the souvenirs hunters, you can find enough to the main entrance, but most of them are bind to Dracula, who stayed only one night to the Bran Castle.

In summer you can walk and climb the mountains in the neighborhood  and discover breathtaking landscapes with amazing villages

Eating and lodging in the neighborhood  you can find a lot in Moeciu (many smaller or bigger family pensions), or further in Brasov. In summer you can climb the spectacular mountains around, discovering amazing villages of Sirnea, Moeciu, Fundata, Rucar. A lot of work to do for you, dear friends, let me know about your travel planning in the area!

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The best 5 ski resorts in Romania

When I say you can do everything in Romania, I really mean it! Maybe some of us are already aware, Romania is a target for the winter. The Romanian Carpathians, in a certain region well known as the Romanian Alps, cover one third of the country.

There are a lot of possibilities of walking, climbing, hunting in these mountains, which are not so high as the Alps (highest peak in the Romanian Carpathians  is Moldoveanu, 2550 meters, easy accessible for a normal trained traveler.) Maybe not so spectacular like Mont Blanc, the Romanian Carpathians are covered with forest, very well populated with wolves, deers, bears etc. The last European virgin forests are to find in Romania, where else?

But let's limit to the winter sports freaks and spoil them. They ski, skate, sleigh and bobsleigh. When is summer in the Northern hemisphere, they head south in the Andes. They are amazing, these peoples: they really enjoy life, are very fit and stay on the slopes until night falls, making unorganized parties. Wonderful life indeed.

I invite all these winter sports freaks and afficionados in Romania, where I selected a few ski resorts able to organize a good vacations for them. So, this is my personal rankings:

1.Poiana Brasov

The winter in Poiana Brasov is really an event, and not anybody can afford it

Only 50 years ago on these wonderful places and mountains there was nothing, but the forest. Lieing 10 km from Brasov away and 150 from Bucharest, it is a main target on weekends even among Romanians. The foreign travelers are also delighted by the many slopes with different degrees of difficulty, the good hotels and restaurant. But you must take care to the budget, Poiana Brasov is expansive.
2.Predeal

Predeal has a long tradition in winter sports and usually a lot of snow

Predeal is much older and has a good tradition in winter sports. Very close is also Sinaia, with other slopes, so the forecast is simple: if we don't find snow in Sinaia, than we shall find in Predeal. Thus, everybody is really happy.

Important remark: you can reach Sinaia, Predeal, Poiana Brasov from Bucharest on the A1 highway, but you must avoid driving from Bucharest on Friday afternoon, and also driving towards Bucharest on Sunday afternoon, due to the huge aglomeration caused by the week end rush.
3.Paltinis is very close to Sibiu, very nice and picturesque, but seems to be a little neglected. Nevertheless, has everything necessary for a quality skiing and a wonderful time.

Paltinis is nice and traditional, but also very affordable

4.Ranca is much newer, the newest actually, being heavily promoted only since a few years, together with Transalpina mountain highway. The acces is difficult in winter.

Ranca is easy reachable from Targu Jiu, but sometimes in winter the access is almost impossible due to closing of transalpina highway

5. Borsa, Maramures is also still young and also good for  beginners. This is a rising star, slopes for trained skier must come soon.

Borsa is the rising star of the Romanian ski resorts

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