| Romania |  |
| August 14 to September 03, 2009 |
Romania as travel destination is still unknown to many people, although it offers a rich variety of tourist attractions: medieval towns in Transylvania, the world-famous Painted Monasteries in Bucovina, traditional villages and wooden churches in Maramureş, the magnificent architecture of Bucharest, the romantic Danube Delta, fairy-tale castles, Dracula, the Saxon fortified churches, the Black Sea, the majestic Carpathian Mountains, rich wildlife, and so on.
Since the bloody revolution of December 1989 against the Ceauşescu regime, Romania now finds itself in an economical transition. Many of the 22 million inhabitants are living under difficult conditions - some cities are truly Western Europe-like while in some villages locals live as they did a few centuries ago.
Romania is a country full of contrasts - contrasts that make it interesting, that make it exciting and that account for its charm.
During our 3-weeks-long loop around Romania, we were able to sample nearly all parts of the EU's newest member: lovely medieval towns in Transylvania (Sibiu, Sighişoara and Braşov), the majestic Carpathian mountains (Transfăgărăşan Road, Busteni, Bicaz Gorge), the Danube Delta where the mighty Danube River spills into the Black Sea, fairy-tale castles (Corvin's Castle, Bran Castle), the Saxon fortified churches (Biertan, Saschiz, Viscri and Bazna), the coast of the Black Sea (Constanţa, Vama Veche), many of the monasteries in Bucovina and Moldavia, the wooden churches and rural life in Maramureş (Bârsana, Budeşti, Surdeşti, Deseşti, Săpânţa, Sighetu Marmaţiei), vibrant Bucharest and much much more in between!
We were exploring Romania in our car and against all warnings, we safely returned to Austria together with all our belongings. We never had an unpleasant moment in Romania, rather felt safe all the time. The streets themselves weren't as bad as predicted, but Romanians drive crazy as hell. Drive defensively and you will be fine!
We experienced Romania as a cheap country to travel in, but where people hardly speak English. But then on the hand, this makes travelling so much more thrilling :-)
All in all, we had a fantastic time in Romania, experienced a region in Europe, where tourism isn't big yet. Go now, before it changes!
Last but not least, special thanks go to our lovely host Irina and her family in Bucharest!
For all of you out there who are interested, here's our route around Romania:
| August 14 |
Vienna, Austria Hungary Timişoara, Romania Total distance covered: 537 km |
| August 15 |
Timişoara Iron Gate Drobeta-Turnu Severin Târgu Jiu Total distance covered: 310 km |
| August 16 |
Târgu Jiu Densuş Sarmizegetusa Hunedoara Alba Iulia Total distance covered: 270 km |
| August 17 |
Alba Iulia Sebeş Sibiu Total distance covered: 75 km |
| August 18 |
Sibiu Mediaş Biertan Saschiz Viscri Sighişoara Bazna Sibiu Total distance covered: 329 km |
| August 19 |
Sibiu Total distance covered: 0 km |
| August 20 |
Sibiu Transfăgărăşan Road Poienari Castle Curtea de Argeş Total distance covered: 176 km |
| August 21 |
Curtea de Argeş (via Campulong) Bran Râşnov Braşov Total distance covered: 146 km |
| August 22 |
Braşov Total distance covered: 0 km |
| August 23 |
Braşov Buşteni Sinaia Târgovişte Bucharest Total distance covered: 207 km |
| August 24 |
Bucharest Total distance covered: 0 km |
| August 25 |
Bucharest Total distance covered: 0 km |
| August 26 |
Bucharest Total distance covered: 0 km |
| August 27 |
Bucharest Adamclisi Constanţa Vama Veche Total distance covered: 359 km |
| August 28 |
Vama Veche Constanţa Tulcea Total distance covered: 191 km |
| August 29 |
Tulcea Danube Delta Total distance covered: 6 km |
| August 30 |
Tulcea Bicaz Gorge Red Lake Bistriţa Piatra Neamţ Total distance covered: 510 km |
| August 31 |
Piatra Neamţ Neamţ Rasca Fălticeni Voroneţ Humor Suceviţa Moldoviţa Vatra Dornei Total distance covered: 333 km |
| September 1 |
Vatra Dornei Sighetu Marmaţiei Total distance covered: 177 km |
| September 2 |
Sighetu Marmaţiei Săpânţa Bârsana Budeşti Surdeşti Deseşti Sighetu Marmaţiei Total distance covered: 173 km |
| September 3 |
Sighetu Marmaţiei Satu Mare Hungary Vienna, Austria Total distance covered: 699 km |
| More pictures... on the Road! | |
| Timişoara |  |
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| Iron Gate | |
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| Drobeta-Turnu Severin | |
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| Târgu Jiu | |
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| Densuş | |
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| Sarmizegetusa | |
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| Hunedoara | |
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| Alba Iulia | |
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| Sebeş | |
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| Mediaş | |
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| Biertan | |
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| Saschiz | |
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| Viscri | |
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| Sighişoara | |
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| Bazna | |
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| Sibiu | |
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| Transfăgărăşan Road | |
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| Poienari Castle | |
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| Curtea de Argeş | |
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| Bran | |
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| Râşnov | |
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| Braşov | |
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| Buşteni | |
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| Târgovişte | |
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| Bucharest | |
| Palace of the Parliament & surroundings | |||
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| Other sights | |||
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| Going out | |||
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| Signs & Graffiti | |||
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| Adamclisi | |
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| Constanţa | |
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| Vama Veche | |
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| Tulcea | |
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| Danube Delta | |
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| Bicaz Gorge | |
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| Red Lake | |
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| Bistriţa | |
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| Piatra Neamţ | |
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| Neamţ | |
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| Rasca | |
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| Voroneţ | |
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| Humor | |
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| Suceviţa | |
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| Moldoviţa | |
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| Sighetu Marmaţiei | |
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| Săpânţa | |
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| Bârsana | |
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| Budeşti | |
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| Surdeşti | |
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| Deseşti | |
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| More pictures... on the Road! | |
| Houses | |||
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| Shops along the way | |||
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| Industry scattered throughout the country | |||
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| Vehicles on the roads | |||
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| Road work | |||
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| Monuments along the way | |||
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| Various signs | |||
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| Animals along the way | |||
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| Stray dogs (they are everywhere!) | |||
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| Dirt | |||
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| Our car | |||
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| Impressions along the way | |||
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