Arad - Romania

Arad – Romania

Post published:11 September 2016
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Romania

Share it with the world

Westernmost part of Transylvania

On the following day after visiting Timisoara, our main destination for this weekend, and the beautiful city of Szeged right across the border in Hungary, all while enjoying a great time at the Spa Resort Hotel we booked for both nights, we spared Sunday to visit the small yet charming city of Arad, barely 60 kilometres north of Timisoara. The westernmost city in the Transylvania region, home to one of the fortresses built in the Vauban star-shaped style so typical in this area.

After all, we did have the time to visit in full every of the three cities we ended up going to in just 2 days, so the five of us decided it would be a great idea and a good opportunity while taking the chance to see more than originally we planned for this weekend. Distances are short in between the cities, and with a rental car booked for the length of our stay made it even much more convenient. However, after having visited both Timisoara and spectacular Szeged, our expectations were perhaps too high and did not see from Arad its beautiful historic centre as such but instead a more laid back place, where we were the only tourists in the entire city. We did not cross with any other foreigner at all! Not that we would mind, to be honest even better. You get the chance to take some nice pictures people-free.

Disregarding a bit my comment before, the city has charm and hosts a great collection of beautiful old buildings, more typical of a Central European city than East European, but as I described a bit on the Timisoara and Szeged guides, this was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire hence such urbanism and architecture, same you see in Vienna or Budapest, the main cities by excellence back in these times. (more…)

Share it with the world

Timisoara - Romania

Timisoara – Romania

Post published:10 September 2016
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Romania

Share it with the world

The Little Vienna

After a while since our first, and only visit to Romania before with Bucharest, Bran and Brasov; we return right in time benefiting from Ryanair’s new route from London Stansted on their introductory fare. Something we could not resist, furthermore their flight times could not be any better! Giving us the entire weekend over there, without having to rush away from work on Friday evening to the airport. I wish many of the European routes with any airline would be as good as this timetable.

Timisoara is Romania’s third largest city, yet second after Bucharest in regards to tourism, industry, economy and education. It’s location is also very favourable on the west of the country, very near the border with Serbia and Hungary; and its architecture, heritage from the times it was part of the Hungarian Empire has resulted in receiving the nickname of Little Vienna. The entire historic quarter retains almost intact its original fabric, with beautiful late 19th and early 20th century buildings among older palaces, cathedrals and churches.

It is very wrong when sometimes we think about Romania and come to our minds what we get through the news, unfaithfully believing that either the country is poor, their people untrustful or “not much” to see and do. It is actually all the opposite! And I already knew this after visiting the beautiful capital and the idyllic Transylvania villages and castles through Bran and Brasov; and now strengthen with Timisoara, (and Arad the following day). This leads me only to want more of this country and having a great potential here with so many destinations to go. (more…)

Share it with the world

Bran and Brasov - Romania

Bran and Brasov – Romania

Post published:27 May 2013
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Romania

Share it with the world

The home of Dracula

Coming to Romania for the first time at the time of writing this guide, then it could only mean one thing. It had to include both Bran and Brasov, located in the beautiful Transylvania region. The only downside, well, being the major tourist destinations in the country, hence quite a lot of hordes of tourists. From the beauty of the landscapes, mountains and forests; to the beauty of the villages and the many castles. A first time visitor to Romania should definitely include these places in their agenda. You cannot miss the world renown legend on the very same place it is set.

What is best, is that you can easily do both places in a day trip from Bucharest if you are staying there as a base. This will save you in fact a lot of costs, since hotels in this region are way more expensive and more limited than in the capital; and so the basic costs for everything like food, drinks, going out, etc. This is as you can imagine, the main tourist spot in Romania.

By the time of the year we went there, May, it was still great to enjoy the site with not so many tourists, since just few more days later and the site would become packed every day. Also the weather and the sun really made of it a perfect day out, even though the heavy thunderstorm at Brasov later in the afternoon almost did spoil the rest of the day.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Bucharest - Romania

Bucharest – Romania

Post published:26 May 2013
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Romania

Share it with the world

Paris of the East

It’s always great to travel anywhere, but when that includes going to a country never been before, it gets even more exciting. Romania it is then, starting at its crawling capital Bucharest. Although the whole main plan for the trip itself would of course be the travelling to the amazing Transylvania region in search of the world famous Bran Castle and the beautiful city of Brasov. And now, after the trip I will not hesitate in saying I will be returning to this wonderful country soon to keep visiting the countless great cities and places it has to offer.

It is important to remember a fact that changed the history of the city and the country. The earthquake of 1977, which epicenter was at Vrancea, locality not far from Bucharest that destroyed a huge part of the city. Signs can still be seen across the old town with some dilapidated buildings and others falling apart in peaces and ruin. Thankfully there is currently a great effort to rebuild and restore many of these old historic constructions along the old town and beyond, turning it back again into a thriving, beautiful East European and greatly gentrified city.

From its nickname, the Paris of the East, anyone can wonder why but it’s not hard to discover. Wide tree-lined boulevards, great buildings from all eras and styles, elegant and beautiful, the city has much more to offer than what you expected before you came, considering the incredible wonders lost forever after the earthquake.

(more…)

Share it with the world