The weirdest museums in Romania

Romania is a country like any other, and the Romanians normal European people like any others. Or not actually? Among my compatriots there are for sure a few ones who are above, or bellow the average, but it is still normally.

Collecting strange things is not a Romanian invention, and the people just do it, maybe aiming to be different compared to the neighbors. When other weird people find the collection interesting enough, to spend money for watching them, we can set up a museum. There are enough weird museums in the all world, and you might know them better than I do. Limiting to Romania, I made a personal selection, allow me to present it.

The Watch and clock  museum from Ploiesti is unique in Romania

A Museum of clocks and watches became one of the landmarks of the city Ploiesti. A clock, or watch, measures something doesn't exist for real, we can't feel with our senses. Similar museums are only a few in the all world, and its exhibited artifacts are very precious. His grounder Nicolae Simache, has been for decades the Director of the Ploiesti History Museum. An attraction to watches or clocks, a strong special one, hit me, and probably even you (no offence, please). Professor Simache was very special, and succeeded to follow his weird collecting mania, but we didn't!

The Railway Museum is interesting, educative,  and the guides fabulous!

Another museum I love is in the Capital Bucharest, next to its central railway station (Gara de Nord) and you can figure already what is all about. I am trying to tell you about The Railway Museum. You can see there magnificent steam locomotives, which are indeed spectacular ready to go, just in case, after almost 160 years of history. Very spectacular, epic and encyclopedic are the museum guides and curators, telling you unbelievable stories about there exhibited artifacts. Still wonder what was true in all of them, but I really enjoyed it!

The Pharmacy museum in Sibiu is actually a department of Bruckental museum

You can find in Romania even a Pharmacy museum, actually a department of the notorious Bruckental Museum from Sibiu/Hermannstadt. It is opened in a special chosen location, a better one is simply impossible: the oldest drugstore on the territory of today Romania, opened in 1644. If you are a history freak, and you are a little sick of conventional History museums, dotted all around Romania, in every city being a district residence, this pharmacy Museum (actually a a Museum of the History of Pharmaceutics in Romania) could be the right thing for you.

A very slow, yet unsignificant museum, but maybe the most attractive, is the Amber Museum, opened in Colti/District Buzau. The amber has been exploited here up to 1945, and you can see many strange forms to your delight. If you are lucky enough, you still can find by the locals wonderful pieces of amber, which they are still able to collect in secret places. My tip: if the museum is closed, search the key to the mayor, please!

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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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