My Romanian Rhapsody: Visiting the land of Dracula
Published on: 19th December, 2009
By Natalie Lacson
Town Square in Brasov, Transylvania
Mention Romania and people immediately think of Dracula and gypsies roaming around prying on other peoples belongings. Well, why did I visit Romania? The straight answer is because “it’s is one of the most beautiful and elusive countries in Eastern Europe!“
Recovering from years of economic misery, Romania is rapidly developing into a thoroughly modern country, without losing sight of the history and traditions which has made it one of the most exotic countries in Europe. It is considered by many as the hidden jewel of Eastern Europe with its medieval castles, trendy spas and resorts, quaint rural villages, painted monasteries, romantic Danube delta and of course, the majestic and visually stunning Carpathian mountains that run through the center of the country bordering its 3 different regions: Transylvania, Moldova and Wallachia.
Their people are quite interesting too. They are the only country that speaks “Latin” in Slavic Europe. That’s because Romania was the easternmost corner of the Roman Empire and the Slav invaded Eastern Europe after the fall of the empire but never quite got around to conquer it linguistically. They did leave their genetic footprints however, which means that the people are a beautiful mix of Latin and Slavic features.
One of the regions that attract thousands of tourists each year is Transylvania which in English means “Land Beyond the Forest”.
Our first stop was “Cluj Napoca”, a small city in Transylvania a few hours away from the Hungarian border. This city is the academic capital of Romania. We visited the house where King Matthias of Transylvania was born and passed by some elaborate cathedrals with a Russian feel. Nearby the city are the paranormal woods of “Hoia-Baciu”. We were guided through the misty woods by Prof and Dr. Adrian Patrut of the University of Cluj-Napoca. He spoke about the weird phenomena in the Hoia-Baciu woods from UFO entities, split space (recorded there since 50 years). The area according to scientists has short bursts of gamma and beta rays, and is one of the strongest magnetic fields on earth. That probably explains why the woods with its dense population of trees had no habitation at all, even birds. Walking through the woods gave me goosebumps. The place is just weirdness and all.
“Sighisoara”, the most enchanting of all the Transylvanian towns whose medieval buildings, gilded roofs and towers
at the Castle Bran, Popularly know as the Dracula's Castle
have been unspoiled by war or modern industry. The famous Vlad Tepes, popularly called Dracula, was born in this town. The city has a walled citadel on the hilltop with secret gateways and passages, a 14th century Clock Tower and the house where Prince Vlad Tepes “Dracula” lived.
“Brasov”, also called the “Prague” of Romania is another good place to visit. It is located in the hilly terrain of Transylvania. The city is a resounding example of old world Romania with its ancient center city square, museums and little cafes throughout. Here you will find the Black Church, the largest gothic building between Vienna and Istanbul built in 1385, which houses a collection of unique oriental carpets. Its name comes from its black walls after the “Great Fire” of 1689, when a large part of Brasov city went into flames. The church also survived the Turkish raids in 1450.
Nearby Brasov, is “Bran Castle” also popularly known as Dracula’s castle (beautiful but in an eerie sort of way). Back in the early 20th century, someone at Bran Castle hit upon a brilliant plan to lure in tourists: market Bran Castle as Dracula’s Castle. It worked and today Bran Castle is Romania’s top tourist attraction regardless of the fact the castle has nothing to do with Dracula. The gothic castle’s only connection to Dracula is that he was imprisoned in the castle by the Turkish invaders for a week. The castle indeed is impressive and hovers like a malevolent force above the city. With civilization beneath the castle and centuries of mystery up there, I felt like I was in Roman Polanski’s movie, “Dance of the Vampires”. At its feet, you looked through a small village, preserved intact, with bedrooms, kitchens, stone ovens, tapestries, and a mill arranged in a circle. A stone walkway leads you away up to a sheer rock face. I especially enjoyed climbing the steps of the chilly secret stone corridor. I vowed to read up on poor Vlad, a hero to many, a villain to others. It all depends on how you look at it. Actually, the real vampire at that time was his cousin, the “blood countess” Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary.
In spite of efforts to distance Bran from Dracula, the connection is reinforced by dozens of souvenir shops outside selling T-shirts printed with the all-too-familiar fanged smiley faces with dripping blood, Dracula key chains, etc. My guilty purchase is a small etching of the castle at night complete with clouds, a full moon, and a horde of bats.
The fear of werewolves and other superstitions played a huge role in why the village came to be so fortified. We can go home and laugh about Bram Stoker’s induced story. But the villagers know there are still some places you wouldn’t want to be found alone…….outside……after dark!
Two hours away from Bran village is the “Peles Castle” in the city of “Sinaia”. It is considered by many as one of the most beautiful castles in all of Europe. Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture built by King Carol I from 1873 to 1883. The simplicity of its exterior is in contrast with an opulent display of elegant interiors and historical artifacts. The 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art: Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls coverings with Cordoba leather, Meissen and Sevres porcelains, ebony and ivory sculptures.
When we said goodbye to Transylvania, we crossed the Carpathian Mountains into Moldova, where the best of Romania awaits!
We feasted on our eyes on the long scenic drive through the wild Carpathian rivers flowing down mountain sides, lakes and forests with the soothing colors of autumn. The Bucovinian churches and monasteries we visited from this part of the country are in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape. Only here have I seen intricate frescoes painted inside and outside the walls, up to the steeple! The most interesting monasteries we saw were Voronet (1488) considered the Sistine Chapel of the Orient, Moldovita (1532) and Agapia (1581).
Our visit to the “Monteler Magic” (Magic Mountain) is the best part of the trip. This in my opinion is the most spectacular part of Romania (still impenetrable to common tourists). The scenery is so overwhelming it is hard to describe. You’ll drive down and up into gorges that seem endless. The annual “Magic Mountain Festival” which dates back before Christianity is still celebrated by the locals. The celebration starts when the villagers would climb up to the mountain at sunset and stay there to greet the sunrise of the new day. Legend has it that those who climb the mountain together will be spelled into everlasting friendship or love. It is a perfect place for honeymooners. I am sure all the ladies in my group wished they had with them their lovers.
On our visit to Bucharest (Wallachia) during the last day, we marveled at the vastness and grandeur of the House of the People built by Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu from 1984 to 1989. This magnificent, yet controversial building of 6,000 rooms reflects the work of the country’s best architects and over 20,000 artisans who built it using only Romanian materials and products such as marble, cherry and walnut paneling, crystal chandeliers, hand-woven tapestries, carpets and draperies. Now renamed the Palace of Parliament, it is the world’s second largest building after the US Pentagon.
Food and drinks were always served so generously. Not to be missed are bors de pui cu smintina (soup with sour cream and chicken), sarmale in sauerkraut (leaves and meat with maize and potato mash on the side) and placinta cu bringo dulce (bread with cottage cheese and lemon). Yummy!!! Czech Republic may have the most variety of beers, but the “Sylva” from Romania is certainly one of the best tasting beers in the world! My cousin just couldn’t get enough.
On the whole, I consider my visit to Romania as a once in life-time opportunity. So if you have the chance to do it, do not hesitate because you won’t regret, not even a minute spent there. And you don’t need to wear garlic.i