Former Romanian capitals

Romania as a success story celebrates this year 100 years from the Unification, which is actually our national day. But our history goes far beyond and is really troubled and interesting, no doubt.

Campulung, the first Capital of Wallachia

I won't go in the details, which are not very relevant for the today tourist. The today tourist must see something, taste a special food and have a place to sleep. We have plenty of them, and many travel agencies offer more or less outstanding travel to Romania.

I would go further and send you outside from the beatten path mentioning something about our former Capitals. Briefly speaking, during Middle Age, there were three Romanian countries, known as Wallachia, Moldavia and Transilvania. The today Capital, Bucharest, is rather a new city, grounded during the XVth Century. And of course we had our regional Capitals before Bucharest. In Wallachia we had Curtea de Arges, Campulung and Targoviste; in Moldavia Suceava and Jassy; and in Transilvania/Siebenburgen Alba Iulia and Medias.

The city of Campulung at 1900

Oops, I hope is not too detailed and still interesting, don't wanna bore you with unnecessary knowledge. All of these former Capitals are today rather little towns, which are nevertheless worth to a visit. You can still discover within their ancient walls the arrogance and pride, and imagine the ceremonial of the Court. Brave wariors, beautiful ladies, and a lot of people on the streets, really a golden brilliant age.

Happy Romanians celebrating the national day, 1st December

Any of these old cities would be glad if you visit them. They have a lot to show you, e.g. wonderful pieces of architecture, maybe something of their modern life. I will try to introduce you all these cities and release travel guides for every one, which is not an easy task!

Read more »

Et in Arcadia ego! It was actually Romania

Is really nice to live in Romania for sure. Sometimes not very easy, when thinking to politics or other big problems and issues we must face, but any country must experience something similar, I guess.

The ancient history and its many legends: Sarmizegetusa is the former Capital of Dacia

Anyway, I love this country of mine very much, and I like introducing it to the foreigners, my beloved guests. Really think sometimes to have a dream job: wonderful country, friendly interested guests and the strongest Romanian incoming agency as an excellent partner. Thus all the necessary conditions are being filed.

Only 5 % OF THE OLD FORTRESS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO LIGHT, AND THE REST IS WAITING FOR YOU

And as a supplement we have something more: the spell, the legends, the history. It is really amazing, the guests are really fascinated by this country of mine, and I am very grateful to them for this thing. Of course, all other Romanians feel the same. We are a strong proud nation, sharing gladly the natural beauty of this country.

Another simply fact: since the oldest times was Romania the same. The ancient Romans led by Traian conquered the Daciams, and so came to light the Romanian people. And the same Romans used to call the province Dacia felix. Quod erst demonstratum.

You can discover in the Romanian Carpathians the ancient citadels of our ancestors, and the best known of it is Sarmizegetusa Regia. The acces road is being rebuild, and that means you have the best conditions for the next year (not all the plans run in Romania smoothly, but let's hope this one will do).

Landscape in the Romanian Carpathian, a natural fortress

You will find there a round sanctuary having an unknown astronomic signification. You can digg, as some treasure hunters also do, for the gold collection of the old King Decebal. By the way, Decebal is a national hero, who commited suicide after the Roman conquest. Be sure to find in any Romanian city a Decebal street and a Traian street, together with  a Lupa Capitolina (The wolf female from Rome nourishing Romulus and Remus) as a remember to the Roman roots of the Romanians.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction in the Romanian history, and hope to come again soon with other chapters. Besides, there are many other things to discover in Romania, it is also a country for the today people, and not only for history fans.

Read more »

Insider tips for a Romania travel

If you come to Romania, you should know prior the basic things about this fascinating and fantastic country. E.g., today, on the 1.December we celebrate, it is our national day.

Bucharest, the Romanian Capital in winter

Consequently, before any other else, I would advise you to visit Romania on its national Day. You will see everywhere smiling faces and a sincerely genuine joy of life coming from inside to the most of Romanians. It is really a privilege for us living in this country and we also invite you to visit this piece of paradise on Earth. You can even watch the impressive military parade and take part to the useful popular distribution of the portions of beans and sausages, a sort of national meal.

Maybe you should know, the Traian Grand Hotel from Iasi, Romania has been designed by Gustave Eiffel 

You can party further in a night club, there are a plenty of such locals in Bucharest and throughout Romania. It means excellent food with plenty of drinks at fantastic low prices, really a bargain for sure. Besides, you can be treated like a king/queen in a first class hotels, e.g  Ramada Parc Bucharest, with swimming pool, sauna etc.

And else, what can I do else, I can almost hear your next question? Well, there are two possibilities: first of them, there is a lot of snow in the country, you can ski, skate or do other winter sports, in renowned resorts like Poiana Brasov, Predeal, Paltinis to name only a few. Second of them, there is no snow, no trace of winter, that means you can discover thoroughful Romania at its best, making a cultural trip through this country of mine.

If you want to learn more about the Romanian history, the National Museum of Bucharest is the right place for sure

And you can discover first historic Capitals of the former Romanian states, e.g cities like Iasi, Suceava, Curtea de Arges, Campulung Muscel or Alba Iulia, last but not least. Some of them might seem totally decayed, being actually today very small towns, wearing nevertheless a certain pride and arrogance. Visiting them you will perfectly understand what I mean.

Or you can try to discover the fortified churches of the German Saxons of Transilvania. Most of them are sad and deserted, this community is diing, they only mean 0,2 % from the Romanian population. Despite it, a member of this community, namely Klaus Iohannis, has been freshly elected as Romanian President, with a lot of hope and expectations. He must be really a charismatic leader to succeed, the task is not easy to fulfil, we all wish him good luck and will try to help him in this entreprise!

The painted churches from Bucovina are simply fantastic, a part of the world heritage as described by UNESCO

No matter if the winter is cold, hot, rich or poor on snow you can find the best of Romania to the countryside. There you can find the best of Romania, the eternal Romania!  Don't be afraid of the bad winter, any Romanian on the street will invite you inside in his bigger or smaller house   with a natural born kindness and courteousy. You are going probably to resent the same feeling to the Romanian countryside: the time stays still, and you can really enjoy the present moments.

Read more »

The other Romanian Capital

Next to Bucharest, for any Romanian the small town of Alba Iulia proudly stays as a historic and cultural Capital of Romania. Alba Iulia has hosted a few crucial event for the history of Romania, specially for the heroic fight of the Romanian from Transilvania for social and national freedom, as for reunification with the other Romanians from Wallachia and Moldavia.

The Fortress of Alba Iulia hosts everything you must see in this significant town

Alba Iulia waits its guests unavoidable with its communist blocks of flats and a few industrial factories. Visiting them might be a bargain, specially the porcelain factory. Going deeper inside the town and digging better is any pain worth. Namely, you must find the Fortress (Cetate), concentrating all the must do and must see in this interesting town.

The Ceremony of changing guards in Alba Iulia is an historic evocation of the Habsburgic times

Alba Iulia is also known as Gyulafehervar in Hungarian or Karlsburg in German. The Austrians build the Fortress in the XIth century in the Vauban style, on the remaining of the antic city of Apullum. During Middle Age, under Hungarian occupation it becomes the Capital of Transilvania until 1690. It grew substantially economically and culturally, reaching its peak under the authority of Gabriel Bethlen. The University of Alba Iulia was renowned in the all Europe.

A few interesting touching events of the history of Romania took place in Alba Iulia, and that's why this town is very important to any Romanian:

-the antic town of Apullum was renowned for the prowess of their Dacian inhabitants. After the Roman conquest the town kept on growing, reaching impressive 30 000 inhabitants.

-in 1784 the oppressed Romanians rose to fight for their rights under the leadership of Horea, Closca and Crisan. It should have been a sign for the Hungarians and Austrian landlords, but they totally missed and did only to catch the heads and execute them through wheel hauling, a humiliating and painful torture. The Romanian showed a lot of character and are today celebrated as heroes by any of us.

-in 1918 after WWI and dissolution of Austrian-Hungarian Empire and Monarchy, the representatives of all Romanians from this obsolete kingdom decided to unite with the rest of the country. Besides the mentioned representatives 100 000 people came here to seal for ever this decision, in Romanian national ports mostly. After that they celebrated or cried for hours, it was the peak of a long heroic fight.

The Bathyaneum Library from Alba Iulia hosts a few rare books with a fantastic value

The Museum of History from Alba Iulia is one of the best and most touching in all Romania. You can find it of course inside the fortress. Follow there all these crucial moments of the Romanian history and discover others too. Every Romanian is overwhelmed stepping there, please try to understand, accept and respect it, even if you can't feel the same.

Observe the fantastic guards change where the people wear original uniforms from the Habsburgic Empire, and discover further the impressive Orthodox cathedral with its very high bell tower. Only a few steps away the Catholic Cathedral is very old, dating back to the XIth century. No less impressive than the Orthodox Cathedral, it host the remainings of a few prominents, e.g Iancu de Hunedoara, Stefan Bathory, Isabela Zapolya.

Much easier to admire for any culture afficionado is the Bathyaneum Library, where the Bishop Bathyany collected a few rare and very precious books. Just to raise your curiosity, I will mention only the Codex Aureus from the VIIIth century. Very interesting the history of this Codex, as our library hosts only a half of the book, while the other half is in Rome and the covers in London.

If you are hungry, be sure to find there, inside the fortress a few interesting restaurants for any budget, while for staying I would recommend the Hotel Cetate (The Fortress) in order to keep the same Medieval note.

Read more »

Alba Iulia, a symbol for any Romanian

Visiting Alba Iulia means a lot to any Romanian, and I could compare with some well known pilgrimages. Even if you are not a Romanian, the town of Alba Iulia is a visit worth.

Roman walls in Alba Iulia, antic Apullum

Alba Iulia (hungarian Gyulafehervar; German Karlsburg or Weissenburg) has a wonderful fortress, build by the Habsburgs in the XVIIIth century. Much earlier, in the antic times, on the place was the city of Apullum, already a capital and the most important local city. In Middle Age,during  the XVIth century, Alba Iulia was again the  capital of The Transilvania Principality. Newer, on the 1st December 1918, 100000 people representing the Romanians and the Saxons of Transilvania, the unifying of Transilvania with Romania. Maybe you understand now why is the town so important in the Romanian history.

The main entrance gate in the Fortress of Alba Iulia has a baroque tower; pls observe back the Orthodox Cathedral

Much better for you if visiting Alba Iulia have not this very high emotional charge. Drive in the city, see the impersonal blocks of flats, pass through center to the fortress (Cetate) and take a wonderful walk in the area. Admire the Catholic Cathedral, build in the XIIIth century, a model of Medieval architecture. Admire the Orthodox Cathedral, bild in 1921, where the King Ferdinand was crowned in 1922 as King of all Romania. Admire the gate of the fortress. All these walls are full with history, allow me giving another example: in 1784 the Romanians lead by Horea, Closca and Crisan fought for their social and national rights against the leading Hungarians. Very successfully in the beginning, but at the end the Hungarians defeated the Romanians and executed the leaders inside this fortress, through lugging on the wheel!

The Catholic Cathedral from Alba Iulia is very old (XIIIth century) and constitutes a model of Medieval architecture

Visit the interesting Unity Museum, and if you need a rest after all these cultural adventures, you are welcomed one of the many Restaurants inside the fortress. Please avoid fast-food, and make a wiser choice, take a Romanian menu (soup, main dish,desert), with a glass of wine, costing 9-10 Euros.

Replacing the Guards in Alba Iulia is a coloured show

After that relaxing lunch, if you are still in the mood, continue discovering the town of Alba Iulia, searching the well known Bathyaneum library, a really sanctuary hosting a vast collection of Medieval books. Really a must for any culture freaks. From Alba Iulia you can drive to Arad, or in the neighboring mountains, offering some interesting places (need only to hurry up,the winter is coming!). Jidvei and Blaj are also in the area, and you can take part there to exquisite wine tasting!

Read more »