Rest in Romania - the mysterious Transylvania

What do we know about holidays in Romania? Yes, perhaps nothing, and meanwhile, Romania has a full range of entertainment for tourists. Here you and beach tourism on the shores of the Black Sea, and skiing on the slopes of the Carpathians, and therapeutic, and, of course, excursions to numerous medieval castles. At any time of the year there is something to do. Romania compares favorably with the rest of Europe with beautiful nature, crystal clear air, a variety of entertainment and moderate prices for rest. The country lies on the majestic Carpathian mountains, and through it flows the picturesque river Danube. The climate here is moderately continental with hot summers and mild winters.

Romania is a rare representative of the country where the most tasty attractions are in the province, not in the capital. You can explore Bucharest in a couple of days, and in order to truly enjoy nature and feel the mysterious atmosphere of a country with a difficult, sometimes bloody history, you need to travel through its medieval cities scattered on the spurs of the mountains among the virgin forests.

The atmosphere of mystery

Romania is a real "Terra Incognita" for tourists, and from the word Transylvania and blows thick fogs, and before your eyes flash dark shadows on the walls of medieval castles. Territorially Transylvania is located on a plateau between the Eastern and Southern Carpathians and is a mountainous area covered with impenetrable forests and a veil of secrets. The nature of Transylvania is a miracle, especially when milk mist flows from the slopes of the mountains and envelops coniferous forests. But the fame for the whole world, the local land received not for the fabulous forests and spruce cheese factories, in which since time immemorial cheese was traditionally brewed from sheep's milk.

The ball is ruled by the mysterious castle of Bran, which heads the list of the most terrible castles in Europe and is located 30 km from the medieval town of Brasov.

Dracula's Castle

Once upon a time Transylvania was a separate principality ruled by the cruel Wallachian prince Vlad Dracula. But perhaps only meticulous compilers of Romanian history books would know about this historical figure. But Mr. Bram Stoker intervened. It was from under the light hand of the Irish writer in 1897 that the novel about the gloomy life of the main vampire sprouted and spread around the world.

It is known that the famous Count Dracula from the pages of the novel by Bram Stoker had a real prototype, which was born in 1431 in the city of Sighisoara. He was the heir of the land, and he became the lord of it. But was he really that bloodthirsty?

Bram Stoker took some historical facts about the Wallachian prince Vlad the Tepes and weaved it into the ornate pattern of his novel. And now the life stories of a real prototype and a literary hero are so intertwined and overgrown with rumors that even the most gassy guides do not take to unravel this tangle. Is it worth shedding light on this dark story?

Pictured: The medieval village of Biertan

But to be fair, Dracula is hardly related to the castle of Bran, except that he slept once in its basement, and then being captured either by the Hungarian king or Saxon merchants. But this fact is not historically confirmed. Who cares, though?

Visiting Bran, some tourists remain in a slight bewilderment because a visit to Dracula Castle you expect to be shocked to the core of the horror that has settled there, but only the heartbreaking cries of animators on Halloween, acting out bloody scenes from the life of the count, can shake there. In the castle itself there are no bats, no traces of brutality of the cruel prince, nor even webs, but there is a torture chamber with an impressive collection of tools. And in order to torture according to the rules, you can get acquainted with the engravings-instructions hung on the walls.

Castle Bran today.

Bran stands on a hill surrounded by picturesque nature. The castle is compact and even romantic. From the setting and interior, you can guess that the Prince of Darkness had nothing against home comfort. In addition to its inspection with a guide, you can listen to stories, believable and not very, but certainly curious. Tourists can even order a romantic dinner at the castle.

It is unlikely that the secret of Vlad Tepes should be sought in the walls of the castle, neatly painted in light colors. It seems that the legend lurks in the impregnable forests of Transylvania among the peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, its echoes flash between the streets of medieval cities.

Ski resort Payana Brasov

Just such an atmospheric place is the town of Brasov, with its intricate architecture and winding streets. The city is beautiful in itself and makes a strong impression with Gothic buildings. The cherry on the cake of Brasov is the monumental Black Church, its construction lasted a century, starting from 1383. Another characteristic sight of the city is the Black and White Towers.

Enjoying the views of Brasov and buying false teeth in the souvenir shop to remember the visit to the possessions of Dracula, you can leave only 13 km and find yourself in the ski resort of Payana Brasov, where buses run daily from the city.

And in the Southern Carpathians there is another ski resort town Sinai in which the absolute must see of Romania is the royal palace Pelesh. It is difficult to find words to describe its beauty, you can only notice that Pelesh is a palace for all palaces. It was commissioned by the Romanian King Carol I as the summer residence of the royal family and was completed in the early 20th century. For a long time, the palace remained the most-most in terms of technical equipment and luxurious decor, and now you can get there strictly as part of the excursion group from Wednesday to Sunday. To explore the city, you need to allocate at least two days, despite the fact that it is a small one of it does not want to leave.

At this point, the sights of Romania are just beginning, they cannot be fit in one article. But coming to the country, you will make sure that traveling around it is easy, safe, not very expensive and definitely not scary. A little hell can only begin with hotel service, it should be understood, remembering the modest economy of the country, as Bram Stoker has already transparently hinted: “We are in Transylvania, and Transylvania is not England, our roads are not your roads...”

Romania is not spoiled for attention, but a large flow of tourists will not take long to wait. So hurry to know her real, sincere and original!

Pictured: Transfagarash Highway

Text by Diana Yusupova

Photo: livelyplanet.ru, entravel.ru, visaget.ru, readbymail.ru, Nicu Hoandra, Ben Taylor