The Mysterious Land of Romania

Knackered

Our time in Romania began two countries previous, leaving Istanbul late at night on board the Bosphorus Express service; a 23 hour train journey that turned out to be an experience that we'll never forget. The journey was steeped in a cruel irony. We found it perplexing how a 23 hour trip, travelling seemingly slower than a tortoise on crutches and stopping for on the tracks for hours at a time, could've been labelled as an express service. The route was also exclusive to the famous Orient Express, although the days of luxury and comfort have long since been vanquished. Instead, unfriendly, miserable and unreasonable conductors prowl the trains corridors; eager to cause you grief and complication at the first opportunity. However, our fellow passengers provided some level solace, of which we reciprocated and, in the end, plenty of stories were swapped and good friendships formed. After almost an entire day spent travelling, on two buses and two very dated trains, through the entire length of Bulgaria, we arrived at our destination with hunger, thirst and exhaustion all battling it out to be satisfied first.

Casual

Bucharest is a fascinating place and, as we had just one full day there, we were determined to make the most of it - although Mother nature did its best to cripple us, this time with blistering 40°C heat! The city's main focal point is the gargantuan People's Palace, a phenomenal building (and the 2nd biggest in the world) that we found easy to admire but, after learning of it's history, difficult to like. It's construction was ordered by Romania's communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu in the early 80's and, thirty years on, it is only just approaching completion. It's name couldn't be less appropriate. Costing a total of almost €4 billion it almost bankrupt the country and the building plans themselves required the demolition of almost a quarter of the city, with houses, churches and the city's entire market district wiped out. From the locals we spoke to, although it serves a purpose as government offices now, it still acts as a constant reminder of their turbulent past and the sacrifice thousands of residents had to make by forced relocation... so much for the people's palace. Nevertheless, it still remains a remarkable building, with the sheer scale of it difficult to truly comprehend. On a tour of the palace, it's interior has been lavished with tonnes of marble, thousands of chandeliers, ornate oak doors and hand stitched carpets and we ascended several stories to the roof where we gained a stunning panoramic view of the city. As beautiful as it comes across, however, at the end of the tour we both found it challenging to overcome the astronomical price tag and what could have been achieved instead.

People's Palace and the view from the roof

Later that evening we participated in a free walking tour given by a friendly, knowledgeable and passionate Romanian. We discovered Bucharest's rather hidden Old Town and, in stark contrast to what we'd seen so far, was small, quaint and full of character & intrigue, scattered with beautiful centuries old Orthodox churches, historical houses and streets layered with fantastic bars and restaurants. It offered a real insight into Romania's fascinating history, both during communism and long before it - from the Roman Empire founding the country to their most famous historical figure, Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula). 

Romania's national theatre.

Bucharest, and it's old town in particular, was equally as appealing during the evening. The aforementioned restaurants, bars and pubs were thriving, a variety of street performers lined the streets entertaining the masses and we even stumbled upon a crowded Euro 2012 fanzone after having meal, staying for a while to enjoy the latest match. The searing heat of the day had transformed into extreme humidity at night, intensifying our exhaustion but quelled mercifully by our hostel's air conditioning, a rare bonus of which we took full advantage.  

Hollywood?

The following day we left Bucharest with a touch of melancholy, feeling touched by such a surprisingly impressive and intriguing city. However, such feelings were rapidly reversed by the excitement of our next stop, Brasov, Romania's cultural and historical home and situated within the magnificent and breathtaking Carpathian mountains. Arriving around midday and eager once more to make the most our day,  we took to the mountain that towered over the city and climbed. Consisting mostly of narrow, worn in paths, the ascent was long and tiring and brilliant fun! The hillside was steep and layered with massive trees all within close proximation; their snaking roots rising slightly from the earth and of which we utilised to 'scramble' up the mountainside. Exhausted and with limited water, we had reached the summit running seemingly on adrenaline alone and none more so than when misjudging the steepness of a few of the 'scrambles' between paths. The climb up became more challenging, but retreating back to the path we'd started from was a far more treacherous option! Regardless of our methods, the decision to scale the mountain was rewarded with some absolutely incredible views of the city below and the mountains that continued beyond the horizon. 

Incredible views

Through fear of collapsing on the way back down, we took mercy on our aching feet and took to the funicular to the bottom, ready to discover the delights of the city's old town. Brasov has a distinctly medieval feel about it, with small castle forts, moats and towers spread throughout and surrounded by the old defensive wall encircling the majority of the city. Once again we partook in a free walking tour which was equally as fascinating as our one in Bucharest. It added substance and history to the city's weird and wonderful buildings and landmarks and, as we wondered down cobbled narrow streets or around the base of dense mountainous forests, it felt like you could've been anywhere in the world, such is Brasov's uniqueness. 

Top; Town Hall, Middle & Bottom; Churches.

We departed in a swirl of dark clouds, thunder and lightening on the evening of our second day, destined for Budapest on our second, and thankfully much shorter, overnight train (Just 10 hours this time!).


When planning our trip back during winter, Romania was essentially just the big gap between Istanbul and Budapest, two of the places we were desperate to see. However, having entered the country knowing nothing about it, Romania was such a pleasant surprise with a fascinating history, stunning landscapes, great beer and delightful residents.