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Bulgaria & Romania 2019
  • Darren and Janet

Bulgaria & Romania 2019

A 29-day adventure by Darren and Janet Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 17, 2019
    Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    2Vitosha Boulevard, with a view to Vitosha Mountain
    1Trams go down even the narrowest streets2Beer, plentiful and cheap - 1.9 litre bottle, 2 Lev ($1.60!)Car prepares to give way to tram - no traffic lights requiredSofia - the old, the new and the tramsVitosha Boulevard, lined with bars and eateries in front of the shops

    Sofia - Election and Eurovision Day

    May 18, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We had a night flight from Adelaide which was 15 minutes late into Doha, so our transfer was done at a trot. We made it, and took off on time,then arrived in Sofia 20 minutes early.

    Sofia Airport is reminiscent of Adelaide before it was upgraded, quite small and tired - except they have an underground service into the city - and it's a bargain at 1.60 Lev (A$1.28).

    We arrived at the main station, Serdica, and walked 10 mintutes to our hotel. After a quick freshen up (and catch up with the early election results), we headed out for a walk.

    First stop was a phone shop for a local SIM card (10 Lev/A$8 for 6GB data for 14 days), which we tested by finding a few caches.

    Sofia is an old city, with some beautiful buildings, but many are badly in need of repair, as are many of the footpaths. The trams run down many streets and seem to effortlessly share the road without any traffic lights - the cars just stop as the tram comes whizzing across their path!

    We had a mid afternoon break for pizza and beer, then wandered down the main shopping strip, Vitosha Boulevard, which was still in full swing at 6pm. The view of the mountains in the background was the enduring image of the day, and not what we were expecting in Sofia!

    On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a supermarket for supplies, then stayed in to watch Eurovision live. We had some trouble finding a station that was broadcasting it, as the Bulgarian national broadcaster decided against it for cost reasons, but fortunately the hotel had a large selection of international stations ☺    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Saint Sofia monument
    Alexander Nevsky CathedralChanging of the Guard, Offices of ParliamentThe only remaining section of Roman wall, under Serdica Station1Serdica Roman ruinsMineral springs, popular on a Sunday afternoon

    Saint Sofia... not named after her!

    May 19, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    After breakfast of fruit and cereal we walked into the city centre for a 10am walking tour of Sofia. It's a free tour where you tip the guide as much or little as you like, and we had about 25 on our Sunday morning stroll.

    We visited all the major religious sites - cathedrals, orthodox churches, mosques and synagogue - I reckon Sofia could easily call itself the city of churches - as well as Roman ruins, relics of the communist past, and Bulgaria's brief foray into a monachy after 500 years of Ottoman rule.

    First stop was the Serdica Ruins, Roman ruins uncovered in 2012 when they were excavating for the underground station. These lie below a 6th century church, which is a level below the nearby 16th century church... and all visible from one place.

    Overlooking all of these is the controversial monument of Saint Sofia. It was erected in 2000 to replace a statue of Lenin removed 10 years prior, but isn't of any one person, but rather an amalgam of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sofia) and the goddess Athena... so the locals are at keen to explain that the city wasn't named after her!

    We visited the Offices of Parliament and saw the changing of the guard, and finished at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest completed Orthodox Cathedral in the Balkans (the 2 larger ones are still under construction)

    After the tour finished we had lunch at a soup restaurant, then cached our way back to the hotel via the mineral springs (where locals fill containers with spring water which flows freely at 27 degrees) and the Ladies Market (mostly Fruit and veg).

    Tea was at Happy Bar and Grill, a Bulgarian chain restaurant.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Squirrel in South Park
    1Morning tea, street front bakeryNational Palace of CultureSouth Park, far end towards Vitosha MountainSouth Park entrance1Pork chop, meatballs and garlic bread... mmm, mmm

    Goin' down to South Park

    May 20, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Another day of walking around Sofia, this time to South Park, one of the largest recreation areas in the city.

    On the way we grabbed some morning tea from a hole in the wall bakery, which are almost as prevalent as bottle shops - there seems to be one of those on every corner!

    We walked through the suburbs to the nearest entrance to South Park and visited the National Palace of Culture... which is not quite as it sounds - it's more like a convention centre, so you can't actually go in, but it's a very popular place to drink coffee from one of the numerous cafes on the outside.

    The walk to the far end of the park is about 4km over a variety of terrain, with some bird and squirrel spotting and lots of locals dog walking on the way. As it was starting to rain, we made our way to the metro station and caught the train back to Serdica.

    We made a quick visit to a market, then walked back to our hotel before wandering out to tea at Balito Bar and Grill, a traditional Bulgaria eatery (2 x 500ml beers, garlic bread and 2 mains was 20 Lev/$16)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Rila Monastery
    1Decorations cover every square inch of Rila MonasteryRevival era building, Melnik1View of Melnik with sandstone pyramid backdrop1Start of the walk up to church ruins1Entering Kordopulova House

    Rila Monastery and Melnik

    May 21, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We started our tour of Bulgaria today with our driver/guide Nadya.

    We left Sofia at 9am for the drive south, first stop Rila Monastery, the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.
    First built in the 10th century, the wooden structure was all but destroyed by fire in 1833 - the only part to survive was Hrelyu's tower, because it was made of stone. It is ornately decorated inside and out and is still a working monastery, currently home to 20 monks.

    The afternoon drive to Melnik was through lush green countryside, beginning with a new freeway, then onto narrow roads through numerous villages. Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria, population 390, surrounded by sandstone pyramids and famous for its wine production.

    We visited the largest Revival-era building in Bulgaria, Kordopulova House, a 4 storey mansion built in 1754, which still operates as a family owned winery. It's like a Bond villain's house, complete with a secret cupboard in the dining room which leads to a hidden stairway to the roof - perfect for a quick escape if the business deal is going bad - and 180m of underground passageways.

    After some wine tasting we walked up to a couple of churches on top of the pyramids, which conveniently also had a cache, and had dinner at a local restaurant in the main street (the town really only has one street)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Walk to the pyramids, above Rohzen Monastery
    1Lake Kerkini, Greece1Pyramids, near Rozhen3Mulberry picking on the way to Lake Kerkini, Greece1Storks nesting on top of power polesLeshten village walk

    Impromptu visit to Greece

    May 22, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We only had a short drive planned for today (83km to Kovachevitsa), so Nadya suggested a visit to Greece on the way!

    Melnik is only 20km from the Greek border, so we set our sights for Lake Kerkini, one of the most important wetlands in Europe, is considered to be one of the top European bird watching destinations, with about 300 bird species spotted.

    First stop after leaving Melnik was Rohzen Monastery, where we also went for a walk up the pinnacles, with a spectacular view over the whole area.

    The border crossing to Greece was full of trucks, but we only had to stop for a quick passport check and we were on our way.

    We didn't have any Euro with us, and Nadya only had 15 Euro after paying the border toll, so we knew lunch had to be cheap... and cheap it was! She spotted a mulberry tree in full fruit on the side of the road, so we stopped and picked enough to satisfy us all.

    We continued on to the lake and went for a short walk to do some birdwatching (and eat more mulberries from a tree in the waterfront, this time the white variety).

    We drove through a number of villages (and checked out the stork nests on the top of the power poles), before visiting another bay before beginning our journey back to Bulgaria.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet

    Greece to Kovachevitsa

    May 22, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The road to Kovachevitsa was windy and mountainous, with numerous logging trucks to slow us down. We stopped at Leshten on the way, a historical village of only 10 permanent inhabitants, where we went for a walk (and Nadya found 2 caches!)

    We arrived in Kovachevitsa at 6.30pm, just in time for a delicious tea on the terrace of our guest house (we're the only guests tonight)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    2Eagle's Eye
    Vesko and Suzi's Guesthouse, Kovachevitsa1Traditional house roof, KovachevitsaAnother Communist statue, another cache ☺1Chatting with the locals, GrohotnoKosovo Village, view from our accommodation

    Rain on the way to Kosovo

    May 23, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We were up early again and went for a walk through Kovachevitsa village before breakfast of banitsa (egg and feta cheese layered in filo pastry), homemade yoghurt and coffee.

    The road toward Kosovo (the Bulgarian village, not the country), took us through a gypsy settlement - the contrast to the Bulgarian villages was chalk and cheese, with the gypsy settlement looking more like an African village, with ramshackle houses, rubbish everywhere and donkey carts for transport. The Romani, who are of northern Indian descent, make up about 4% of the population and are generally resented by the Bulgarians, as they believe the Romani give them an unfavorable reputation to outsiders.

    Our first stop was The Eagle's Eye, a lookout overlooking the village of Yagodina, which we reached by four wheel drive. With the weather closing in we made quick time down and headed to Yagodina Caves, a 1.2km walk through a combination of wet and dry caves. We arrived at the entrance just as the rain and hail started, but by the time we emerged 45 minutes later it had stopped.

    We had a late lunch at the restaurant nearby, and the rain started again.

    We were scheduled to visit a yoghurt museum, but unfortunately it has closed down - and I was looking forward to seeing what could possibly be in a yoghurt museum!!

    Our drive to Kosovo was through the Rodope Mountains, with a stop on the way at Grohotno, a predominantly Turkish village, where Nadya got us invited for coffee at the local shop!

    Accommodation tonight is in Kosovo, another tiny village with less than 30 inhabitants.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Assen Church, Assenovgrad
    View from Assen Fortress1Salamander, spotted while looking for a cache, Kosovo village1The Wonderful BridgeBachkovo MonasteryVacha Dam

    All roads lead to Plovdiv

    May 24, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A walk in the village of Kosovo before breakfast, then a 9am departure, headed for Plovdiv.

    First stop was the Wonderful Bridge, a natural bridge created by a cave being eroded by the river. It was a long drive in, and after a short walk, we were soon on our way for the 1 hour drive out.

    We stopped at the village of Narechen for morning tea, then headed toward Bachkovo Monastery. On the way we treated Nadya to some bread and vegemite, but she thought it was so bad she stopped the car to spit it out!

    Bachkovo Monastery was very busy as it's a public holiday today for Graduation Day for all the year 12 students. The graduates family spend a fortune on dresses/suits, flowers, car and a dinner for their family and friends... so much that they call it the "small wedding". Celebrations go late into the night.

    Assen Fortress and church, high on the hills overlooking Assenovgrad, was next stop, before heading to Vacha Dam on the way to Plovdiv, our base for the next 2 nights.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Stadium of Phillippopolis
    1Roman AmpitheatreRevival style housing1Street in the old town2Sgraffito, wall decoration produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colours, then scratchi2Monument of Alyosha on one of the hills of Plovdiv

    A walk through time in Plovdiv

    May 25, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, is Europe's oldest continually inhabited city, and is the 2019 European Capital of Culture... and boy, does it have some culture.

    We went for a walking tour today, starting at the new end of their mall ("the longest walking street in Bulgaria"), built in the 2000's, followed by an area built in the 1800s with a strong Viennese influence, the old town (1700s Revival style), mosques built by the Ottomans, a Roman era ampitheatre (200 AD) and the ruins of a fort on one of the surrounding hills, dating back to 5000 BC.

    Plovdiv is surrounded by 6 hills - it used to be 7, like Rome, but one was destroyed in the beginning of the 20th century and the material was used for the pavement of most streets in Plovdiv, and is now home to a shopping mall.

    The two main ancient sites are the Stadium of Phillippopolis, which was renovated in 2010 and a section is visible in the centre if town, and The Roman Amphitheatre, which was uncovered during a landslide in 1972 and is now fully restored. It seats 3000 spectators and hosts regular concerts and events.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Budludzha from below
    1Budludhza close upMonument of Freedom, Shipka Pass1Veliko TarnovoTsarevets Fortress from the city centreVeliko Tarnovo from Tsarevets Fortress

    From Thracian tombs to Communism

    May 26, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We had an earlier start today, so we went down for breakfast at 7.27am (for a 7.30 start), only to be ordered out of the restaurant by the waitress who angrily pointed to the door told us in surly Bulgarian that breakfast started at 7.30am! Three minutes later, all good to go...☺

    After leaving Plovdiv, our first stop was the Thracian Tombs of Kazanluk (if you don't count 2 caches on the way!). The Thracian people lived approx 5000 BC, and buried their king in a small dome tomb, similar to the Egyptian pyramids, but much smaller and simpler.

    An abandoned Communist flying saucer shaped building was next - Budludzha was built on top of a hill in 1986 to host Communist meetings, and closed in 1989. It was abandoned and left to rot, and now the Communist Party and the Bulgarian government are arguing over who owns it and who pays for repairs, so it is closed to the public and has 24 hour security to keep it secure.

    We drove through onto the Monument of Freedom, erected to celebrate victory in the Battle of Shipka Pass,, between the Russians/Bulgarians and the Ottomans.

    At the northern end of the Shipka Pass is the town of Gabrovo where we visited Nadya's grandparents to deliver some supplies. It was lovely to visit a real Bulgarian house and enjoy their hospitality over a cup of coffee.

    Onto Veliko Tarnavo, the former capital and home to Tsarevets Fortress, the walled fortress of the capital from1185 to 1323. The city of Veliko Tarnavo is built on 3 hills and has spectacular vistas in all directions.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Nessebar, gates to old town
    1Church interior, NessebarOne of the many churches, old town, Nessebar5th century church, old town Nessebar1Street scene, ZheravnaWooden houses, stone walls, Zheravna

    Nessebar, historic... and tacky!

    May 27, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Late departure from Veliko Tarnavo today, so we had some time for a walk and shopping after breakfast.

    Only one scheduled stop today on the way to Nessebar, and it was the village of Zheravna, an isolated village at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, with 500 inhabitants, and 300 houses mostly of the Revival Period of the 18th century. The architecture differs in this village because the traditional houses are made entirely from wood, with the stone used for the perimeter walls.

    We arrived in Nessebar, on the Black Sea coast, in late afternoon, and had a bit of a kerfuffle getting into the old town - only residents and hotel guests can bring a vehicle into the old town, but you have to physically collect an entrance card from the hotel before you can enter, so Nadya had to walk 750m to the hotel to collect the card, then when she got back the card didn't work because the hotel forgot to check it "out"... so the system wouldn't let us in because it thought we were already in. The guard on the gate refused to open it manually and he insisted she walked back to the hotel to fix it, so, with our car now causing a major traffic jam, there was much swearing in Bulgarian and arm waving before it was sorted!

    Nessebar exists in two parts separated by a narrow man-made isthmus, with the ancient part of the city on the peninsula (previously an island), and the more modern section on the mainland side. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and claims to have the highest number of churches per capita in the world - there are 41 churches, the oldest from the 5th century AD. Unfortunately it has also become a magnet for masses of (mainly) English, Russian and German package tourists, and the shops are a seemingly endless stream of tacky souvenirs and overpriced food amongst the spectacular old buildings.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Nessebar, old and new on sale
    Nessebar street markets attract a crowdRoman ampitheatre, NessebarCoast walk, NessebarBozaRoadside cherry vendor, $4/kg... and delicious ☺

    Nessebar morning, Varna afternoon

    May 28, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    We had a free morning in Nessebar, so spent more time wandering the laneways and multitude of churches, as well as the Roman ampitheatre and port. The streets were quiet early but soon got busier when the tourists who stay at Sunny Beach on the mainland, commute across for the day.

    The ampitheatre was disappointing compared to Plovdiv, not only in size, but because it's mostly restored in a modern style.

    We walked the coast track, ďipped a toe in the Black Sea and bought lunch from a small back street bakery, at a fraction of the cost of the central tourist lane.

    We departed for Varna at 2pm, across the Balkan Mountains again, and had a stop for afternoon tea at a roadside bakery. As payback for her trying Vegemite, Nadya insisted we try boza, a fermented wheat drink. It's a Bulgarian breakfast staple, usually with a banitsa (pastry filled with feta cheese), with a pungent odour (like Weetbix Oliver thought), yoghurt consistency and very sweet taste

    We arrived in Varna around 5pm, checked in to our hotel, which is on the main walking street and explored the area on foot before having tea at an outdoor eatery in the walking street.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    The Cathedral, Varna
    Varna TheatreVarna Sea Garden entranceRoman bathsRoman baths, underfloor heating systemSea Garden walking path

    Varna, Sea Garden and Technopolis

    May 29, 2019 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Full day in Varna today, starting with a walking tour of the city.

    We started at Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, known as The Cathedral to the locals, interesting because it was built in 1886 with money raised from a public lottery.

    We walked the length of the walking street to the Varna Sea Garden, which has multiple walking trails, and just as many beach front bars with sun beds available for hire.

    We also visited the Roman Baths, which had a great example of the underfloor heating system in use, and a good series of drawings to envision what was in place in Roman times.

    With a free afternoon ahead of us, and our Samsung tablet failing too often for our liking (especially with the Geocaching app 😯), we made the decision to purchase a new one, so we caught the local bus to Technopolis, a Harvey Norman style tech warehouse on the outskirts of town and bought a new Lenovo tablet. Buying an electronic item in Bulgaria... what could go wrong!!

    We had a late lunch in the walking street, then time for a visit to the Art Gallery and Sea Garden again in the afternoon (of course both had caches), before having tea in a backstreet pub.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Inside the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument
    Madara RiderStill horse and carts on the roads, mainly near villagesFounders of the Bulgarian State Monument, from a distanceFounders of the Bulgarian State Monument, detailCrossing the Danube into Romania

    The grand monument of Communism

    May 30, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Our last day in Bulgaria and we got off to an early start in case we got delayed at the Romanian border.

    First stop was the Madera Rider, an 8th century rock carving 23 metres up the cliff face. There are also numerous caves and plentiful walking tracks, which were mostly deserted when we visited.

    The highlight of the day was the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument, an enormous concrete monument overlooking the town of Shumen. It was opened in 1981 to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the First Bulgarian Empire, and contains an estimated 50,000 civic metres of concrete. The granite lion on top weighs 1000 tons, but disappointingly you can't see it from the top, as it's only visible from the town below. The statues on the inside of the monument are fine examples of the Communist style.

    We continued on to Ruse, also known as Little Venice for its architecture, and had lunch in a local restaurant. The second part of our Vegemite payback was for us to try tripe soup, but disappointingly for Nadya, we didn't mind it (especially served traditionally with garlic and chilli flakes).

    We waited at the border for 40 minutes before crossing the Danube into Romania, just in time for peak hour traffic.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Piata Universitarii sums up Bucharest - part classic, part Communist, part graffiti
    Dambovita River flows through BucharestForner house of composer George EnescuAnother bakery - chimney cake is today's specialtyRomanian Athenaeum, home of classical music in Bucharest1My sweet heaven - a breakfast cereal bar!!

    Bucharest, walk to the north

    May 31, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We had a full day walk today, from the centre of town, north to Herastrau Park, Europe's largest city park.

    The city centre was very quiet as it was in shutdown for the arrival of Pope Francis, and there were a few streets we couldn't walk along. The direct route was 6km, but after diverting to buy a local SIM card, avoiding the Pope, and detouring for caches, we probably did closer to 10km.

    On the way we stopped for chimney cake and coffee, then had a very late lunch (4pm) at Hard Rock Cafe, in Herastrau Park.

    We caught the Metro back to the town centre (5 Lei / $1.70 for a two trip ticket one each), then met some other cachers at a prearranged event, before heading back to our apartment as a thunderstorm was brewing.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Palace of Parliament
    After the overthrow of Communism, most of Bucharest looked like thisCommunist era housing blocksMissing Cross Monument, to commemorate St Vineri church, demolished in 19871Antim Church, moved in 1985 to build the housing blocks behindRebirth Memorial, to victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989

    Palace of Parliament

    June 1, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Another day discovering Bucharest, this time by bike. We were walking toward the Old Town and came across the outdoor office of a bike hire company and discovered that a half day bike tour had just departed. He offered us a discounted price and we could catch up with them at their first stop, so we paid our money, chose our bikes and headed off with another guide to join the tour.

    We toured the Old Town, followed by the Jewish Quarter, a gypsy neighbourhood and Antims Chuch, which was relocated in one piece about 200m to make way for Communist style housing blocks.

    The highlight of the tour was the Palace of Parliament, the second largest administration building in the world (after The Pentagon), and the heaviest building in the world. For its construction, 7 square kilometres of the old city centre was demolished, with 40,000 people being relocated. It has 8 levels underground and 20km of tunnels linking it to other government offices. Of the 3000 rooms, 70% are still empty.

    We rode back to the centre of town to Revolutionary Square, site of Ceausescu's last speech before he escaped the city by helicopter from the rooftop (he was captured later that day and executed live on TV 2 days later).

    We had late lunch in the old town, grabbed some caches and dinner, then returned to our apartment to watch the UEFA Champions League final in Romanian!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    2Peles Castle
    Snagov MonasterySinaia Monastery interior, portrait of Carol I2Papanasi... mmm, deliciousPeles Castle and Carol I statuePeles Castle courtyard

    Peles Castle, papanasi and Sinaia

    June 2, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We left Bucharest this morning to start our 9 day tour of Romania. Our guide Gabriel picked us up at 9am and we headed north, first stop, the town of Snagov.

    Snagov Monastery is built on an island in Snagov Lake and is the alleged final resting place of Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Vlad Dracul) - his head was sent to Constantinople to prove his death to the Ottoman Rulers, but the destination of his body is in dispute... but more about him in a couple of days...

    We continued north via Ploiesti, site of the world's first large oil refinery (1856), to Sinaia, visiting the monastery, notable for the interior painting style, including one of the first king of Romania, Carol I shown dressed as an officer, with his right hand upon a rock pillar with a missing piece symbolising the missing Romanian territories at that time.

    We had lunch at a local eatery, with soup and bread for main, then for dessert a Romanian specialty, papanași (pronounced papanash), a donut made with soft cheese and egg, topped with blueberry jam and sour cream.

    After lunch we walked to Peles Castle, the former summer palace of Carol I. It was built between 1883 and 1914 and has 170 rooms decorated in many different styles, elaborate wood carvings throughout, 2000 artworks, a collection of 4000 pieces of arms and armor, and an electric powered retractable stained glass roof in the entrance hall. It was impossible to take in the detail in each room in the time we had.

    We drove to our accommodation in the upper reaches of Sinaia (it's a ski resort town in winter), then walked 1.5km down to town to grab a few caches and have some tea. We caught a taxi back up to the hotel - best A$2.60 spent!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Brasov, Black Church and "Brasollywood" sign
    Prejmer Fortified Church interior1Prejmer, church and inner wallBrasov town square2Brasov town square2Rope St, Brasov, Europe's 3rd narrowest street

    Prejmer Fortified Church and Brasov

    June 3, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Change of plans today due to the rainy weather - we were scheduled to hike to Seven Ladders Canyon, but it was closed because of the slippery conditions.

    We headed to Prejmer Fortified Church, built in 1240. When invaders entered the Buzău Pass, Prejmer was the first place they encountered and the village was destroyed over 50 times between the 13th and 17th centuries, but the church was never captured. The church is surrounded circular by a 12m high and 5m thick wall. On the interior side of the wall are four levels containing 270 rooms to housr the 1600 villagers in case of attack.

    After visiting Bran Castle, we had a walking tour of Brasov, the largest city in Romania by area. It is a walled city with a large town square and Hollywood style sign on the hill above.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    3Bran Castle, view from our lunch venue
    On the way up...2View over the Bran ValleyUp the secret stairs....2Looking over the courtyardBallroom / music room

    Dracula unpacked

    June 3, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    After lunch we visited Bran Castle, aka Dracula's Castle. But how did it become so...
    Here's all the pieces to the puzzle....

    The castle is a medieval fortress built in 1382 in Bran Pass, a strategic location only metres from the border of Transylvania and Wallachia Provinces. Its main function was customs duty collecting and defending the border.

    Vlad Tepes III (Vlad the Impaler) was the King of Wallachia and famed for his favourite method of torturing his enemies by impaling them on greased poles, ensuring a prolonged death and a graphic display to any other invaders of their likely fate.

    Vlad's father (Vlad Tepes II) was admitted to the Order of the Dragon and was known as Vlad Dracul (dragon in Romanian), so his son became Vlad Dracula (son of Dracul).

    Vlad the Impaler only visited Bran Castle a handful of times with his father when he was young. The most time he spent there was 2 weeks... in the dungeon as a prisoner after he was captured by enemy forces.

    In Romanian mythology, the evil part of a dead person's soul (the Strigoi) doesn't leave the body until it is exhumed, and a wooden stake driven through the heart to release the spirit.

    Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian noble woman, whose family ruled Transylvania for a time, who reputedly killed 650 young girls and bathed in their blood in an attempt to keep her skin young.

    Bram Stoker never visited Romania but took the bits he liked from all of the above, added a vampire and garlic, and Count Dracula was born ☺

    Stoker wrote that Dracula "inhabited a decaying castle in the Carpathian Mountains" - the Romanian tourism authorities in the 1970's thought Bran Castle fitted this description and encouraged the link in the pursuit of tourism dollars... which continue strongly to this day!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    Brown bear, Libearty Bear Sanctuary
    Wet afternoon, Brasov1Rasnov Fortress1Rasnov Fortress, interior1Rasnov Fortress, interiorBrasov, view through a break in the city walls

    Rasnov and bears

    June 4, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Early start for the drive to Rasnov, so we were on the doorstep when Rasnov Fortress opened at 9am.

    Rasnov Fortress was built in 1225 as a safe haven for the villagers, who were forced to live there for extended periods. It was conquered only once, in 1612. The defeat was caused by the lack of water due to the enemy troops discovering the secret spring supplying the fortress. To remove this weakness, they began digging a well, finally striking water 17 years later at a depth of 146 metres!

    To replace the missed hike two days ago, we visited Libearty Bear Sanctuary, a retirement home for bears confiscated from captivity in Romania. Most are so traumatised after years of captivity and being forced to perform that they aren't suitable for release into the wild, so they live their days out in the 69 hectares of (fenced) natural habitat.

    We returned to Brasov for lunch and an afternoon walk, which was curtailed by torrential rain. We returned to the hotel until the weather improved, then went out for an evening walk and dinner in a backstreet bistro.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    2Viscri Fortified Church
    Viscri village features German style architecture1View from the tower, Viscri ChurchSighisoara, clock tower and entrance to the citadelColourful buildings, Sighisoara citadelSighisoara Cemetery

    Viscri to Sighisoara

    June 5, 2019 in Romania ⋅ 🌫 23 °C

    Early departure from Brasov with only one stop at Viscri on the way to Sighisoara.

    Viscri's claim to fame is that Prince Charles owns, and restored a house there...oh, and they have a spectacular 13th century church, fortified in 1500.

    The church and fortifications are much smaller than Prejmer, as the villagers only fled here in times of attack and lived for short periods, but the church and village are both incredibly well preserved. The chuch has an austere interior with an all wooden gallery, with a stone tower with sweeping views across the village and surrounding farmland.

    The Lard Tower in the perimeter wall was used to store the village supplies of cured meats up until the early 1990's, as the village had no electricity for refrigeration. Each family marked their meat with their house number and the tower was opened each Sunday at 7am when families would take their meat supplies for the week. An overseer would ensure they took only their own meat, and the tower wasn't opened again until the following week.

    We arrived in Sighisoara eatly afternoon and had lunch in the main square of the citadel before doing a walking tour. Sighisoara features the only continuously inhabited citadel in Romania, with a small number of families still living in the walled city atop the hill overlooking the city. A majority of the city walls, the clock tower and 9 of it's 16 towers are still intact, along with most of the colourful houses.

    We walked the citadel again by ourselves in the late afternoon, then wandered through the cemetery (in search of a cache), before returning to the citadel for a late tea - and another papanasi, this time made the traditional way and boiled instead of being deep fried.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Salina Turda, lower chamber
    Biertan Fortified Church1Biertan Fortified Church, sancristy doorBiertan Fortified Church interior2Salina Turda, underground amusement patkSalina Turda ferris wheel

    Deep in Turda

    June 6, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We left Sighisoara early to arrive in Biertan when the fortified church opened.

    We were greeted by a group of locals discussing the issues of the day over a beer at the street cafe... and it was 9.30am!

    Biertan Fortified Church (1493) is a huge Lutheran Church, surrounded by 3 levels of fortifications, and only has a handful of buildings within the defensive ring. It's unique feature is the door lock system on the sancristy, the room to protect the village's valuables. It has 19 locks, 4 activated by one key, and 15 by a rotating removable handle.

    The drive to Turda was much slower than planned, as we got caught in some major traffic jams caused by road works on the new Transylvanian Highway.

    The main attraction in Turda is the salt mine, Salina Turda. It was an operating salt mine from the 16th century to 1932, then opened as a tourist attraction in 1992. It now contains an underground amusement park at a depth of 112m, with ferris wheel, row boats, mini golf, a playground, snooker and table tennis tables and ten pin bowling.

    Overnight in Alba Iulia.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    3Corvin Castle, Hunedoara
    Corvin Castle courtyardAlba Carolina Citadel entranceAlba Carolina Citadel gate detailCorvin Castle, detailCorvin Castle

    Hunedoara, home of fairy tale castles

    June 7, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We began the day with a walk around the star shaped citadel of Alba Iulia, known as Alba Carolina Citadel (fortress, fortification... the names seem to be used randomly!). It's the largest citadel in Romania and only contains museums, churches and grand buildings... and swathes of food stalls, cafés and souvenir stalls of course. It was never used for housing and is now used like a town square, for socialising and public events.

    We detoured to the town of Hunedoara, an industrial town formerly kept afloat by coal mining, now one of the poorest towns in Romania since the coal mines were shut overnight in 1990.

    Despite being surrounded by factories, Corvin Castle (1440) is a classic fairy tale castle with pointed turrets, drawbridge, moat and bear pit! The interior has been left mostly empty, but there are a number of rooms over various levels to explore, with plenty of information boards to explain the use and history of each room.

    We drove to Sibiu and did a late afternoon walk of the old town with Gabriel, before having dinner at a traditional Romanian restaurant.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    1Transfagarasan's famous switchbacks
    Frozen Lake Balea1Oliver standing on the road, near Lake Balea. The entrance to the tunnel is on the right.1The reason why it's closed!1The road cutting back and forth across the mountain1Plenty of snow on the road

    Not driving the Transfagarasan Road

    June 8, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    With a shuffle to our itinerary, had a free morning today, so Gabriel suggested a drive to Lake Balea, and a chance to see the famous Tranfagarasan Road, rated by Top Gear as the best road in the world.

    The road is only open a few months a year from July to October (weather dependent), so if you can't drive the road, the next best thing is to see it!

    We drove from Sibiu to the base station of the cable car to take us to Lake Balea, arriving just after it opened at 9am. This was a good move, as queues later in the day were huge.

    The cable car travels up the valley, over the closed section of the Transfagarasan Road, and it was easy to see why it is still closed. When we reached the top, there was still enough snow to ski on (and it had a number of hardy takers, given there are no ski lifts operating), and Lake Balea was still largely frozen over.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetBulgaria & Romania 2019Darren and Janet
    2Sibiu is watching...
    1Sibiu city walls and towersSibiu old townSibiu eyesBridge of Lies, local legend if you tell a lie while standing on it, it will collapse1Sibiu lower town

    The eyes of Sibiu

    June 8, 2019 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After returning to Sibiu we spent the afternoon walking in the old town and city walls, had some tea in the main square (currently hosting a food festival), and hosted a caching event at a local cafe.

    Many of the houses in Sibiu look like they are watching you with eyes on their roof, but it's actually a venting system for their attics. Most were built between the 15th and 19th centuries, when the attic was used to smoke meat. The fireplace in the house vented into the attic where the meat was hanging and the eyes allowed the smoke to escape.    Read more

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