Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Page 20
From Cisnădie, drive west and then north along route 106D for 8km until you see a turn-off to Răşinari, which lies another 5km southwest.
4Sleeping & Eating
Don’t expect luxury in Sibiu’s tranquil surrounds: the guesthouses in Cisnădie, Răşinari and along roads in between are simple, home-run affairs, and all the more charming for it. There are plenty of options listed on www.ruraltourism.ro. More glamorous digs, and efficient hostels, await in Sibiu itself.
Pensiunea Sub CetatePENSION$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0740-220 035; www.sub-cetate.ro; No 252, Cisnădioara; s/d/tr 100/120/160 lei; pW)
Saxon-style furnishings, painted with pretty floral designs, infuse this otherwise simple and homely guesthouse with traditional flavour. The restaurant (closed Mon) serves Transylvanian comfort food such as stuffed cabbage rolls and pork stew. It's between Cisnădie and Răşinari. Breakfast is an extra 22 lei.
Trattoria dei FioriPIZZA$
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.trattoriadeifiori.ro; Str Măgurii 57, Cisnădie; pizza 10-16 lei; h10am-10pm Mon-Fri, from noon Sat & Sun)
This poky pizzeria is excellent value, serving puffy pies with a smile. Consider choosing the pizza named for your nationality: the English has ham and boiled eggs while German is topped with sausage and pickles.
Păltiniş
Modest mountain resort Păltiniş, 35km southwest of Sibiu, is a scenic place for a short skiing or hiking trip. The resort was established in 1895, making it Romania's oldest. The ski area might be small and the mountains long enjoyed by skiers, but Păltiniş' sport facilities are modern and it's served by an array of well-equipped spa hotels. In summer, hikers can enjoy spectacular trails into the Cindrel Mountains.
2Activities
Arena Platoș Pătiniș ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.arenaplatos.ro; day-pass adult/child 58/38 lei; hDec-Apr) has six runs, plus a fun park and tiny 50m beginners' slope, 3km north of Păltiniş. The main chair lift Statie Telescaun (Chair Lift; GOOGLE MAP ; www.telescaunpaltinis.ro; return ticket 10 lei; h9am-6pm) is open year-round and accesses skiing and hiking terrain with stunning views of the Cindrel Mountains.
4Sleeping & Eating
Accommodation in Păltiniş is mostly geared towards midrange (and above) travellers looking to hike and ski, though you'll also find a scattering of budget pensions, usually no-frills affairs run by families. Book ahead for the winter sports season between December and March.
Hotel CindrelHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-574 056; www.hotelcindrel.ro; Str Cindrel; d from 216 lei; pWs)
From the pool and spa centre to billiards, Cindrel has plenty of ways to while away bad-weather days in the mountains. It's 500m from the ski lifts. Standard rooms feel a little small, while superiors (from 279 lei) are huge. Ski storage is available.
Curmătura ŞteziiGUESTHOUSE$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-557 310; www.curmaturastezii.ro; DJ 106A, KM16; s/d/tr 140/160/210 lei; p)
Modern guesthouse with a chalet feel, on the road from Păltiniş to Rășinari (about 3km west of the latter). Rooms are well-maintained and wood-furnished, and there's a pleasant stone-walled restaurant. Owners can arrange bike hire, or horse riding with a little notice.
Cabana PăltinişB&B$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0745-279 789; www.cabana-paltinis.ro; r from 150 lei; p)
Hip guesthouse with an attached wine bar.
Hohe RinneSPA HOTEL$$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-215 000; www.hoherinne.ro; Str Principala 1; s/d from €67/70, superior rooms from €96; pWs)
Eighty-eight modern rooms with writing desks, safes, minibars and mountain chalet accents fill this satisfying hotel, named for Păltiniş' old German name. It's on the main road within easy access of hiking trails. The highlight is the spa area, with a small pool, salt chamber, jacuzzi and three (count 'em) kinds of sauna (day-pass weekday/weekend 69/88 lei).
8Information
The tourist information centre ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-223 860; centre Păltiniş; h8am-5pm) has information on resorts, hiking trails and maps.
8Getting There & Away
Păltiniş is 35km south and west of Sibiu, along route 106A. Bus 22 links Păltiniş with Sibiu (9 lei, one hour, three to four daily).
Sibiel & Around
Surrounded by forest, there’s a hint of fairy-tale menace in Sibiel's stark setting. A rainbow of well-tended houses is strung along Sibiel's main street, while a milk-white 18th-century church rises in front of its main draw, the Glass Icons Museum. This highly memorable collection of religious paintings is a popular detour between Sibiu and Alba Iulia.
From Sibiel, head 6km north to Sălişte, a quaint village with a strong shepherd tradition. Some 2km west of Sălişte are the Saxon houses of hill-backed Galeş, a scenic place to drive through. Exploring Sibiel and surrounding villages is an evocative day trip from Sibiu.
1Sights
oZosim Oancea Glass Icons MuseumMUSEUM
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0269-552 536; Str Bisericii 329; adult/student 5/3 lei; h8am-1.30pm & 2-8pm May-Sep, 7am-1.30pm & 2-7pm Oct-Apr)
This museum of painted icons, named after the priest who collected them, is a true hidden gem. Unlike the sombre wooden icons you’ll see elsewhere in Romania, these religious images were painted using a 300-year-old method: on the back of glass, with gold leaf decoration stuck down using egg white and garlic. Proud St Georges, tearful Virgin Marys and allegorical Bible scenes are among the 700 icons displayed across two floors, most of them in a luminous naive style.
The museum is behind the late-18th-century Sfânta Treime ( GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-1.30pm & 2-8pm May-Sep, 7am-1.30pm & 2-7pm Oct-Apr) church, which has a finely frescoed interior and time-worn graveyard.
4Sleeping & Eating
Sibiel has several budget pensiunes, most of them folksy and family-run. Other guesthouses are dotted along the main road to Sălişte and Galeş.
Restaurants serving home-cooked Romanian food tend to be tied to local guesthouses. Pickings are slim outside summer.
Pensiunea MioriticăGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0740-175 287, 0269-552 640; coldeasv@yahoo.com; Str Râului 197A; r/ste 80/140 lei; pW)
Mioritică sits in a bee-humming garden with a stream passing at its feet. Amid the vivid flowers are intimate nooks for reading and a small communist museum set up by the owner. The chalet-style buildings are enticing, housing a cosy breakfast room and rooms wrapped in verandahs to take in the forest views. Follow the stream for around 700m west from the village centre.
8Getting There & Away
Sibiel train station, 2km east of town, has connections to Sibiu (4 lei, 30 minutes, five daily). The area is best visited by car from Sibiu.
Székely Land
Székely Land's meadows, spa towns and occasional urban sprawl have one thing in common: their distinctly Hungarian spirit. In many places, conversation is almost entirely in the local Hungarian dialect, while signs list place names bilingually across much of Székely Land (that is, Ţara Secuilor in Romanian, Székelyföld in Hungarian). The shift from Saxon flavour in nearby Braşov and Sighişoara feels instant.
Charismatic cultural centre Târgu Mureş (Marosvásárhely in Hungarian), with a population evenly split between Romanian and Hungarian-speakers, should be your first stop. Further east, ethnic Hungarians comprise the majority in Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely) and Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda). Quintessential experiences are soaking in mineral-rich waters, perhaps Sovata's 'Red Sea' or a glossy spa in Băile Tuşnad, and dipping into Székely culture at the fine museums in Sfântu Gheorghe and Odorheiu.
History
The origins of Székely people are disputed. Debates rage as to whether they are descendants of the Huns, who arrived in Transylvania in the 5th century and adopted the Hungarian language, or whether they are Magyars who accompanied Attila the Hun on his campaigns in the Carpathian basin and later settled there. Three ‘nations’ were recognised in medieval Transylvania: the Székelys, the Saxons and the Romanian nobles.
; During the 18th century, thousands of young Székely men were conscripted into the Austrian army. Local resistance in Székely Land led to the massacre of Madéfalva in 1764, after which thousands of Székelys fled into Romanian Moldavia. Following the union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918, some 200,000 Hungarians – a quarter of whom were Székelys – fled to Hungary.
A level of tension still exists between Romanians and Hungarians, who battled each other during WWI and WWII. Mention of Székely Land (in particular ethnic Hungarians not learning the Romanian language in some parts of Romania) can bring out verbal editorials, as can Romania’s treatment of Hungarians in the 20th century.
Today, many Hungarian tourists flock to the area to experience pastoral customs that are fading in their motherland. Meanwhile, protests for Székely autonomy (rather than full independence from Romania) have gathered pace. In 2013, an estimated 100,000 demonstrators formed a human chain across Transylvania, with a protest of thousands in Budapest declaring solidarity. Demonstrations are often timed for 10 March, dubbed Székely Freedom Day.
Sfântu Gheorghe
Pop 56,000
Sfântu Gheorghe – or Sepsiszentgyörgy, as the town is known to its Hungarian majority population – doesn't brim with sights, but it’s an attractive place to delve into Székely culture. Some 32km north of Braşov, this town in Covasna county has an excellent museum on the history and traditions of Székely people, and a park fringed with Habsburg buildings and pleasant cafes. An agreeable detour.
1Sights
The most interesting area of town surrounds the park, Parcul Elisabeta. Just north is Piața Libertății, featuring an impressive equestrian statue of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave). On the park's western flank, Stra Gábor Áron, you'll see a plaque showing the building where Gábor Áron and other local revolutionaries planned their armed resistance against Austrian rule (1848–9).
Strolling east from the park along Str Gróf Mikó Imre, after about 500m you can admire the outside of the Fortificată Reformată Church. Its cemetery contains striking examples of traditional Székely wooden crosses and graveposts.
Muzeul Național SecuiescMUSEUM
(Székely Nemzeti Múzeum; GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-312 442; www.sznm.ro; Str Kós Károly 10; adult/child 10/5 lei; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun Jun-Aug, to 4pm Tue-Fri, to 2pm Sat & Sun Sep-May)
About 200m south of Parcul Elisabeta, this wide-ranging museum has exhibitions on natural history, local history, Székely crafts and costumes, plus displays of archaeological discoveries from around the region. There's also a library with the oldest surviving Hungarian-language version of the Bible. The building holding these varied exhibitions is itself a masterpiece, in the style of a fortified church with colourfully tiled spiked roofs; it was designed by leading Hungarian architect Kós Károly between 1911 and 1912.
The museum's earliest incarnation dates even earlier, to 1875.
4Sleeping
Attractive pensiunes, and a couple of three-star business hotels, are easy to find within walking distance of the park.
Pensiunea LuciaPENSION$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0741-200 165; Str Kossuth Lajos 17; s/d 150/170 lei; pW)
With a grandmotherly furniture style and cheerful welcome, Pensiunea Lucia has a soothing, homely atmosphere. Rooms are large and clean, and breakfast is a spread of homemade jams and omelettes sizzled up before your very eyes.
Ferdinand B&BPENSION$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0740-180 502; www.restatferdinand.ro; Str Decembrie 1918, 10; s/d/q 160/170/230 lei; pW)
This guesthouse, named for the owner's grandfather, is a family affair with modern rooms and a lavish breakfast spread of local products. It's just off the street in a courtyard.
COVASNA'S SPA HOTELS
Known as ‘the resort of 1000 springs’, there is something in the water in Covasna. The largely Hungarian spa town lies 30km east of Sfântu Gheorghe, and 45km southeast of fellow spa haven Băile Tuşnad. While the centre has few attractions, secreted away at the eastern end of Covasna is something of a spa hotel neighbourhood. Visitors flock to immerse themselves in Covasna's mineral-rich waters (along with salt chamber therapy, massage and more). Hotel Clermont ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-342 123; www.clermonthotel.ro; Str Mihai Eminescu 225A, Covasna; d €68-79, ste from €101; pas) has double rooms awash in yellow and gold, surgically clean bathrooms, plus a pool with sauna and whirlpool. Spa treatments include manicures and massages (from 28 lei). Nearby, despite its air of a doll's house, Hotel Mercur ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0367-800 594; www.hotelmercurcovasna.ro; Str Mihai Eminescu 225, Covasna; s/d/ste from 290/330/500 lei; paWs) is one of Covasna's slickest spa hotels. Bedrooms are in soothing beige with marbled bathrooms, while deluxe apartments have a country manor feel. Pick from electrotherapy, heat therapy, or a tried-and-trusted pool and sauna combo at the wellness centre.
5Eating
Sfântu Gheorghe’s dining scene comprises good-value Hungarian cuisine and a scattering of casual Italian and mixed European joints. Piața Libertății, and the stretch of Str 1 Decembrie 1918 closest to the park, have a good concentration of options.
CentralDINER$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0744-757 515; www.centralrestaurant.ro; Str 1 Decembrie 1918, 8; mains 15 lei; h8am-midnight Mon-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun)
Breakfasts, all-you-can-eat lunch specials (22.50 lei), pancakes, do-it-yourself salad buffets, pancakes… This pleasant diner with an outdoor terrace has a filling and fuss-free range of food.
oSzentgyörgy PinceHUNGARIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-352 666; www.szentgyorgypince.ro; St Gábor Áron 14; mains 14-25 lei; h10am-midnight; v)
Vaulted ceilings and brick walls adorned with crests of bygone nobles establish the tone of this restaurant within an old wine cellar. Plates are heavy with Hungarian fare such as deer goulash, Transylvanian pork soup and beef stroganoff. Vegetarians will also need to wear their stretchy pants for rich dishes like paprika mushrooms with cheese-laden polenta.
8Information
Tourist Information Bureau ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-316 474; www.sepsiszentgyorgy.ro; Str 1 Decembrie 1918, 2; h7.30am-3.30pm Mon-Wed, to 5pm Thu, to 2pm Fri Jul & Aug) Summer-only information office providing free city maps and guesthouse listings.
8Getting There & Away
The bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Str Gării) is 50m north of the train station. Direct services reach Braşov (8 lei, one hour, half-hourly), Miercurea Ciuc (12 to 15 lei, one to 1½ hours, five daily), Piatra Neamţ (40 lei, five to six hours, two daily) and Târgu Neamţ (50 lei, six hours, one daily).
From Sfântu Gheorghe station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-325 850; Str Gării), daily trains go to Covasna (4.50 lei, one hour, four daily) and Braşov (5.50 lei, 30 to 45 minutes, 12 daily), with most stopping in Hărman (4.50 lei, 30 minutes). Buy advance train tickets at the Agenţia de Voiaj CFR ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0267-311 680; Str Gróf Mikó Imre 13; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat).
WORTH A TRIP
SIMMERING IN SALTY WATER AT BăILE TUşNAD
Known as ‘Transylvania’s pearl’, dainty Băile Tuşnad is hidden among the volcano-made Harghita Mountains, 32km south of Miercurea Ciuc. Its heart is tiny Lacul Ciucaş, fringed by tall evergreens with invigorating spas close to its shore.
Legends say that in 1842 a shepherd boy's festering ulcers were cured with a splash of Băile Tuşnad’s water. An industry took off only a few years later, bottling these salty, thermally warmed waters and using them to target ailments as wide-ranging as paleness, nerves, and rheumatic trouble.
Wellness Tuşnad ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0756-118 479; www.wellness-tusnad.ro; 3hr session adult/child 30/15 lei, per 30min thereafter 5/3 lei; h10am-9pm Tue-Sun, 2-9pm Mon), bordering the lake, looks a little like a Saxon citadel and has swimming pools, salt chambers, a sauna and a steam room.
Beyond simmering in salty water, Băile Tuşnad has walking trails in the bracing, pine-scented air, and it’s a good base to visit St Anne’s Lake, 24km southeast by road. The InfoTur Stand ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0744-693 814; Str Oltului; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri),
opposite the impossible-to-miss Hotel Tuşnad, offers maps and posts a list of local pensions on the outside.
Miercurea Ciuc
Pop 42,100
Hockey, Hungarian cafe culture and a local beer are Miercurea Ciuc’s three main passions. Despite this appealing trio, it’s a rather benign town. Not that you'd dream of saying so to its face: for Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda in Hungarian) is an earnest, family-friendly place, eager to please but too sleepy to detain you beyond a day. Dally long enough to dip into its Hungarian cafes and the castle, but then press on to Târgu Mureş or Braşov.
Miercurea Ciuc
1Sights
1City HallB3
2Hockey StatueA3
3Mikó CastleA3
4Palace of JusticeB4
5Soviet Army MonumentB3
5Eating
6La JupânuB4
7NovákB2
1Sights
The art nouveau Palace of Justice ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str G Doja 6) and City Hall ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Piața Cetății 1) (1884–98), both built in an eclectic style, and a Soviet Army Monument ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), face Piaţa Cetăţii. Miercurea Ciuc is a hockey town: there’s a heroic hockey statue ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Nicolae Bălcescu) in front of the town’s rink, just 200m northwest of Piața Cetății.
Csiki Sör Brewery TourBREWERY