Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Page 13
Simple rooms for hikers, a 20-minute walk from Lake Bolboci.
Cabana Gura DihamCABIN$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0244-321 108, 0731-354 100; www.gura-diham.ro; d 110 lei; W)
There's been an inn on this spot since 1910, but what stands today is a thoroughly renovated modern chalet and restaurant. Rooms are simple and it serves protein-rich hiking fuel like roast lamb and soup in bread bowls, along with warming fruit brandies.
Hotel PeșteraHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0372-733 321; www.hotelpestera.ro; d from 220 lei; p)
Comfortable modern rooms with safes, mini-bars and balconies with mountain views fill this 1600m-altitude hotel, near the cave monastery.
Cabana SchioriB&B$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0244-313 655; www.cabana-schiori.ro; Str Drumul Cotei 7; d/ste from 190/225 lei; pW)
Some 3km from central Sinaia, this alpine lodge offers plain though homely rooms with modern fittings like flat-screens, fridges and nice bathrooms; the best rooms have balconies with mountain views. There's a chic on-site restaurant that serves schnitzels, grilled trout and (save space) papanasi (donuts).
Cabana Stâna TârleCHALET$$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0731-131 953; www.stanatarle.ro; Cota 1400; d €85; W)
With open fires, stone walls, the scent of pine, and even a small spa (€10), this outdoorsy lodge offers a hint of luxe at 1578m altitude. Ask the welcoming owners about climbing and mountain biking.
5Eating
Most cabanas have a cafe of some description but it's strongly advisable to bring food supplies on hikes.
8Getting There & Away
The easiest way into the Bucegi from Sinaia is by cable-car. Telecabina Sinaia goes from the centre to the Cota 1400 station. From here, Telecabina Cota 1400-2000 reaches the top. In the centre, the 30-person cable-car leaves half-hourly with two station points marked by elevation. A taxi from the train station to Cota 1400 is a matter of negotiation, though expect to pay about 50 lei for the whole cab.
Roads wind up from route 71 south of the mountains all the way to Cabana Babele – although much of the road as far as Cabana Piatra Arsă is in just about passable condition, ordinary cars may struggle.
Predeal
Pop 5615
Folks have been carving up mountainsides for well over a century in Predeal's ski resort. This small mountain town has a higher base elevation than neighbouring winter sports areas Poiana Braşov and Sinaia, though its runs aren’t as long. Dappled with purpose-built ski lodges and three-star hotels, along with modern churches and a sci-fi-style train station, the town doesn't match the majesty of its surrounding mountains. But it's well equipped as an outdoor hub, with plenty of sports gear rental and ski schools. Hikers pace through Predeal in summer, and there are a few trails from town that are easy to do within a day.
2Activities
There are great hiking options right from town; pick up a map from the Tourist Information Centre.
Carinthia Ski SchoolSKIING
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0723-931 259; www.tabere-carinthia.ro; Str Liviu Rebreanu 2; instruction per hour for group of 1/2/3 learners 80/70/60 lei; c)
This winter sports school offers expert instruction for skiers and boarders of all levels; book ahead. Carinithia also offers multi-day winter sports training camps for children.
Ski and snowboard rental is also available here.
Predeal Ski ResortSKIING
( GOOGLE MAP ; day-pass adult/child 140/72 lei; hlifts 8.30am-5pm Dec-Mar)
Across an altitude difference of 480m, more than half of Predeal's 8.5km of pistes are suitable for intermediate skiers and snowboarders, with a couple of kilometres each at beginner (blue) and advanced (black) levels.
4Sleeping
The road to the lift is increasingly crowded with new three- and four-star places, but simple pensions (often with attached ski hire or hiking guide outfits) are the norm. A couple of plush hotels are in the Trei Brazi district, 6km northwest.
Vila ŞoimulmGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0745-150 995, 0368-104 260; www.vilasoimul.ro; Str Şoimului 4; d/tr 90/120 lei; pW)
With its faux log-cabin exterior and excellent self-catering area, this 18-room guesthouse is a winner. Rooms have fresh white walls, even fresher linen and mini-fridges, and ski storage is available. It's up a street behind the white church, the opposite side of the main road to the train station.
As in many places, rates are 10% lower during the low ski season (November to December). Minimum two-night stay at weekends.
Fulg de NeaHOTEL$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-455 463, 0741-259 565; www.cabanafulgdenea.ro; Str Teleferic 1; d/tr/q 150/175/210 lei; pW)
This pleasant three-star has no-frills rooms and an inviting restaurant with grotto-effect walls, strung with skiing paraphernalia. Next to the button lift.
8Information
SalvamontMEDICAL
(%0-SALVAMONT, 0725-826 668)
Mountain rescue emergency helpline.
Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-455 330; www.predeal.ro; Str Intrarea Gării 1; h10am-6pm)
Helpful information kiosk facing the train station, offering maps, hiking advice and updates on winter sports conditions.
8Getting There & Away
The train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; B-dul Mihail Săulescu) and bus/maxitaxi stop are right on the main street, B-dul Mihail Săulescu, which goes north to Braşov and south to Sinaia and Bucharest. The lifts are a 10-minute walk southeast.
Predeal is on the main Cluj-Napoca–Braşov–Bucharest line and you’ll never wait long for a train heading to Braşov (13 lei, 40 minutes, 20 daily) or Bucharest (18 to 40 lei, two to three hours, 19 daily). Outside, buses or maxitaxis show up almost half-hourly in the train-station parking lot heading for Braşov (6 to 8 lei, 30 to 50 minutes) or Sinaia (6 to 8 lei, 40 minutes). Less frequent buses reach Bucharest (38 lei, three hours, four daily).
Braşov
Pop 275,000
Gothic spires, medieval gateways, Soviet blocks and a huge Hollywood-style sign: Braşov’s skyline is instantly compelling. A number of medieval watchtowers still glower over the town. Between them sparkle baroque buildings and churches, while easy-going cafes line main square Piaţa Sfatului. Visible from here is forested Mt Tâmpa, sporting ‘Braşov’ in huge white letters.
According to local legend, the Pied Piper of Hamelin reemerged in Braşov. Indeed, this playful town has many tales as colourful as its pastel-hued streets. Locals will eagerly spin a yarn about Vlad the Impaler’s romantic dalliances, a noblewoman revived from her grave, and the time a bear waddled into the main square (at least the last one’s true).
Braşov is a good base for skiing in nearby Poiana Braşov, or trekking in Piatra Craiului National Park, 30km west. Most travellers use it as a gateway to castles in Bran and Râșnov.
History
Though sporadically settled since 100 BC, the town was established on an ancient Dacian site in AD 1211 by Teutonic knights. Its old Roman name, Corona, is still reflected in the crown on the town's coat of arms. Braşov grew into a German mercantile colony named Kronstadt (Brassó in Hungarian). The Saxons built ornate churches and townhouses, protected by a massive wall that still remains. The Romanians lived at Schei, just outside the walls, to the southwest.
One of the first public oppositions to the Ceauşescu government flared up here in 1987. Thousands of disgruntled workers took to the streets demanding basic foodstuffs. Ceauşescu called in the troops and quashed the uprising, though it paved the way for protests across Romania that would topple the regime two years later.
Braşov
1Sights
1Art MuseumC2
2Black ChurchB4
3Black TowerA4
4Braşov Historical MuseumB3
5CitadelB1
Ethnographic MuseumC2
6First Romanian School MuseumB7
7Heroes' CemeteryC2
8Hirscher HouseB4
10Piaţa SfatuluiB4
11Schei GateB5
12St Nicholas' CathedralB7
13Strada SforiiC5
14Weavers' Bastion MuseumC5
15White TowerB4
2Activities, Courses & Tours
16Mt Tâmpa Cable CarD4
17Walkabout TourB4
4Sleeping
18Bella MuzicaB4
19Casa ReimsD2
20Casa RozelorC3
21Casa WagnerB3
22Centrum House HostelC3
23Pensiunea Curtea BraşoveanăA7
24Rolling Stone HostelA7
25Select City CenterB3
5Eating
26Bella MuzicaB4
27Bistro de l'ArteC3
28Casa RomâneascaA7
29Keller Steak HouseB4
30PratoB3
31SergianaB3
6Drinking & Nightlife
32Deane's Irish PubC3
33Festival 39C2
3Entertainment
Filarmonica BrașovC4
34Puppet TheatreC4
7Shopping
35HimalayaC3
36Transylvania Folk ArtB4
1Sights
Central Braşov
Black ChurchCHURCH
(Biserica Neagră; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-511 824; www.honterusgemeinde.ro; Curtea Johannes Honterus 2; adult/student/child 9/6/3 lei; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat & noon-7pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-3pm Tue-Sat & noon-3pm Sun Nov-Mar)
Romania’s largest Gothic church rises triumphantly over Braşov’s old town. Built between 1385 and 1477, this German Lutheran church was named for its charred appearance after the town’s Great Fire in 1689. Restoration of the church took a century. Today it towers 65m high at its bell tower's tallest point. Organ recitals are held in the church three times a week during July and August, usually at 6pm Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Draped across the church's spare interior are 16th- to 19th-century Anatolian rugs; these were once placed on pews reserved for church donors. Look closely at the columns, a couple of which bear scars from projectiles fired into the church during the events of 1989. Find also a collection of ornate funerary stones and a 4000-pipe organ (1839).
The exterior of the church bears scrape marks, thought to be from soldiers sharpening their swords – after all, who better than God to prime a weapon for battle?
Piaţa SfatuluiSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This wide square, lined with cafes, was once the heart of medieval Braşov. In the centre stands the 1420 Council House (Casa Sfatului), topped by the Trumpeter's Tower, in which town councillors would meet. These days at midday, traditionally costumed musicians appear at the top of the tower like figures in a Swiss clock.
Braşov Historical MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.brasovistorie.ro; Piaţa Sfatului; adult/student 7/1.50 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun)
The old City Hall houses the two-floor, by-the-numbers Braşov Historical Museum, in which the region's history from Roman times via medieval military history to the Saxon guilds is recounted (sometimes in English).
Hirscher HouseHISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Apollonia Hirscher)
The Renaissance Hirscher House, completed in 1545, was once the largest building in Braşov. It was commissioned by Apollonia Hirscher, the widow of Braşov mayor Lucas Hirscher, so that merchants could do business without getting rained on.
Strada SforiiHISTORIC SITE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.stradasforii.ro)
Formerly an access route for firefighters, Strada Sforii is one of the narrowest streets in Europe at 1.2m wide. Lurid tales have sprung up about Vlad Țepeș snatching a kiss from his future wife in this very lane, but it's mostly modern-day lovers who squeeze through.
East of the Centre
Mt TâmpaMOUNTAIN
(Muntele Tâmpa; GOOGLE MAP )
Rising 940m high and visible around Braşov, Mt Tâmpa is adorned with its very own Hollywood-style sign. Hard as it is to imagine, it was the site of a mass-impaling of 40 noblemen by Vlad Țepeș. Banish such ghoulish images from your head as you take the cable car (Telecabina; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-478 657; Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu; adult one way/return 10/16 lei, child one way/return 6/9 lei; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun, noon-6pm Mon), or hike (about an hour), to reach a small viewing platform offering stunning views over the city. There's a slightly drab cafe at the top.
North of the Centre
Running north of Piaţa Sfatului, the pedestrianised Str Republicii provides respite from the traffic that detracts from the charm of the rest of the Old Town. At the promenade’s northern end is the wooden-cross Memorial to Victims of the 1989 Revolution ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Str Republicii & B-dul 15 Noiembrie). Across B-dul 15 de Noiembrie is the Heroes’ Cemetery ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; B-dul 15 de Noiembrie), a memorial slab listing 69 local victims.
A block west of the memorial, the Art Museum (Muzeul de Artă; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-477 286; www.muzeulartabv.ro; B-dul Eroilor 21; adult/student 5/1 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) and the Ethnographic Museum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0268-476 243; www.etnobrasov.ro; B-dul Eroilor 21A; adult/student 5/2 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun summer, 9am-5pm Tue-Sun winter) adjoin each other. The former has a mishmash of Romanian paintings and decorative arts. The latter has laminated handouts in several languages explaining how hemp and goat hair were transformed into Transylvania's traditional scarlet and white village-wear.
CitadelHISTORIC BUILDING
(Cetatea; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Dealul Cetatii; h11am-midnight)F
In 1524 a new wooden citadel was built in Braşov, on top of Citadel Hill just north, though the stone wall ruins you now see are from the 16th and 17th centuries. It's a steep trek from the old town, but these old walls are a pleasant spot to watch the sun set over Braşov.
Around the Walls
Old Braşov was once enclosed by mighty fortified walls, 12m high and more than 3km-long. Built in stages between 1400 and 1650, these walls and defence towers were built in anticipation of attacks by the Turks. The most popular viewing area is along the western section, which runs along a stream and pedestrianised Str După Ziduri, north towards B-dul Eroilor. A good access point is 200m south of the Black Church.
Seven bastions were raised around the city at the most exposed points, each one defended by a guild whose members, pending danger, tolled their bastion bell. Above on the hillside are two towers – the Black Tower (Turnul Negru; MAP GOOGLE MAP ) and White Tower (Turnul Alb; MAP GOOGLE MAP ) – offering nice views, particularly when the setting sun casts a golden hue on Braşov.
On the wall’s southeast corner, past the Schei Gate ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Poarta Schei), is the 16th-century Weavers’ Bastion. Visit the Weavers’ Bastion Museum (Muzeul Bastionul Ţesătorilor; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str George Coșbuc 9; adult/child 7/4 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun), housed in Braşov’s only 15th-century building. The simple exhibits – in German and Romanian only – include an impressive cityscape model of Braşov in the 17th century, made in 1896 by a German teacher.
Schei District
In Saxon Braşov, Romanians were not allowed to enter the walled city but were banished to the Schei quarter in the southwest. Entry to this quarter from the walled city was marked by the Schei Gate.
St Nicholas’ CathedralCHURCH
(Biserica Sfântul Nicolae; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piaţa Unirii 1; h7am-7pm)
With forested hills rising behind its prickly Gothic spires, St Nicholas’ Cathedral is one of Braşov's most spectacular views. First built in wood in 1392, it was replaced by a Gothic stone church in 1495 and later embellished in Byzantine style. It was once enclosed by military walls; today the site has a small cemetery. Inside are murals of Romania’s last king and queen, covered by plaster to protect them from communist leaders and uncovered in 2004.
First Romanian School MuseumMUSEUM
(Prima Şcoala Românească; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.primascoalaromaneasca.ro; Pia�
�a Unirii 2-3; adult/student/child 10/5/5 lei; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun)
This venerable museum near St Nicholas' Cathedral time-travels into the history of Romanian education. Students have been educated on this site since the late 16th century. The museum houses recreated schoolrooms, a library of 4000 antique books, and one of the country's oldest Bibles.
2Activities
Hikes are everywhere – from atop Mt Tâmpa in town, Poiana Braşov or Zărneşti, or into the Bucegi Mountains. Pick up maps from Himalaya ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.himalaya.ro; Str Rebublicii 23; h10am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat, 11am-2pm Sun) or talk with a travel agent specialising in hikes. You can also ski on day trips to Poiana Braşov, Predeal and Sinaia.
oTransylvanian WolfTOURS
(%0744-319 708; www.transylvanian.ro; hyear-round)
This family-run nature-tour company, with award-winning Romanian guide Dan Marin at its helm, leads walks on the trail of animals such as wolves, bears and lynx (€40 per person, minimum two people). Adventurous rambles in pure nature are guaranteed, though sightings aren't. Alternatively, sightings are very likely on excursions to a bear hide (€55 per person for two-hours; price includes transfers).
Transylvanian Wolf can also arrange cosy accommodation and traditional, organic food in the family's guesthouse in Zărnești.