Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Page 26
From Cluj, a scenic approach to the Apuseni is by driving west to main highway town Gilău (16km west of Cluj) and on to Lake Beliș-Fântânele (60km total). There's accommodation around Beliş and neighbouring Mărişel.
Apuseni Mountains
Southwest of Cluj-Napoca, the Apuseni Mountains are sheer drama. Beneath silhouettes of mountains lie thatches of conifer forest, while sinkholes and grottoes are secreted away in the karst plateaus. Some 760 sq km here are protected as the Apuseni Nature Park, best accessed from Oradea. Meanwhile the Padiş Plateau is the park’s central point, and a popular outdoor excursion from Cluj.
2Activities
The Apuseni Mountains have challenging hiking terrain, so it’s worth considering going with a guide; Pan Travel ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0264-420 516; www.pantravel.ro; Str Grozāvescu 13; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) and Green Mountain Holidays in Cluj can help, as well as organise other adventure activities such as caving and biking.
Hiking
Cabana Padiş, signposted just off Str Principală running through Padiş, is a starting point for several good hikes. One popular circuit leads southwest via Glăvoi to the fantastic Cetăţile Ponorului or 'fortress cave' (2½ hours one way, blue circles), so called because of its 76m entrance, like the portal to a magical underworld. While much of this walk is on road, the last part is down an uneven path winding through forest. As the path veers sharply downhill you'll have to pick your way across boulders and sprawling tree roots and, for the final 200m descent, you'll need the aid of a ladder and cables to get you to the great mouth of the cave (those prone to vertigo should stop before this point).
The cave itself, with a main gallery 2km long, and one of the country's largest underground rivers – fraught with whirlpools and sinkholes – is only advisable with a guide and equipment including good boots, a helmet and a torch.
Another trail, a long full-day trek, is marked first by red stripes then by red circles, leading from Cabana Padiş north for three or four hours to a meadow at Poiana Vărăşoaia. From here, red circles continue two hours to the Rădesei Citadel (Cetăţile Rădesei), another underground chamber with impressive rock formations (and tent sites). The route then circles Someşul Cald, a river in a deep gorge, after which you can head back south to the cabana.
4Sleeping & Eating
Padiş has simple chalet accommodation, there are pensions aimed at hikers elsewhere in the park, and camping is possible at Glăvoi, 2km southwest of Padiş. Check ahead, as some accommodation is seasonal.
Pack a picnic or eat at your guesthouse; the Apuseni Mountains are wild, and guesthouse-restaurants open erratically.
La 5 CasuteCHALET$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0732-833 783; Padiş; d 130 lei; pW)
On the main road through Padiş, this tourist complex's five pinewood cabins are simple but romantic, with comfy beds, TVs and mountain views. Wi-fi doesn't extend to all the cabins. Payment is in cash only.
Cabana Cetaţile PonoruluiCHALET$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0740-007 814; www.padis.ro; r with/without bathroom per person €15.50/13.50; pW)
The double and quad rooms at this friendly chalet are a good place to rest your head after adventures to the caves of Apuseni Nature Park. Staff can prepare picnics to take on hikes. It's 1.7km downhill from Glăvoi, past the turn-off for the fortress cave.
8Information
Apuseni Nature Park Visitors Centre (Sudrigiu Main Branch; GOOGLE MAP ; %0748-126 924, 0372-702 242; www.parcapuseni.ro; Sudrigiu 136; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri) An immensely useful stop if you are visiting the Apuseni Mountains independently, rather than on guided tours or hikes. The park's administration office sell maps (15 lei) and offers excellent advice for activities and accommodation. It is just west of Sudrigiu village, on route 763 into the park.
8Getting There & Away
From Cluj-Napoca, it's possible to reach Padiş by car along the 108C from Huedin via Rachiţele, though the road wasn't in good condition when we rattled in. Ask locally for the latest road advice, and don't even think about it in bad weather. You may wish to take the long way around, entering the park from the western side. Much nicer is route 1R south from Huedin, though it doesn't plough as deep into the park; still, there are numerous roadside guesthouses along the way.
Public transport from Cluj-Napoca isn't straightforward: board a bus from Cluj to Huedin (7 to 10 lei, one hour, 12 daily). Infrequent local minibuses run from Huedin to Rachiţele, from where you can hike into the park (some travellers hitchhike).
WORTH A TRIP
BáNFFY CASTLE
Thirty kilometres northeast of Cluj and 3km east of the highway, the village of Bonţida holds the manicured gardens and orchards of the 17th-century Bánffy Castle (Castelul Bánffy de la Bonţida; GOOGLE MAP ; www.heritagetraining-banffycastle.org; Bonţida; 3 lei; h10am-8pm Tue-Sun) -- once referred to as ‘Transylvania’s Versailles’. The aristocratic Bánffy family resided between these thick walls; but where once stood ornate windows and stucco, today you see only exposed brick and cracked stone awaiting restoration. In summer, it hosts the Electric Castle (www.electriccastle.ro; Bonţida; hmid-Jul) music festival of house and electronica.
WWII was cruel to the castle: the long-resident Bánffy family had fled, and the castle’s renowned library and archive was lost when the retreating German army set fire to its main buildings. Slow, painstaking restoration works have been in motion since 1999.
There are buses from Cluj-Napoca to Bonţida (6 lei, one hour, three daily), while trains reach the station 3km north of the castle (4.50 lei, 45 minutes, five daily).
Bistriţa
Pop 113,260
Travellers following the Transylvanian vampire trail may be quietly disappointed by amiable Bistriţa. Spangled with pastel-coloured Renaissance buildings and whitewashed churches, the town bears little resemblance to the Bistritz (its German name) described in Bram Stoker's Dracula. In the novel, Jonathan Harker stays in Bistriţa before heading to the Count's lair in Borgo (Bârgău) Pass, despite locals' anguished warnings of the horrors ahead.
Modern Bistriţa has barely a garlic-clutching villager in sight. Cobbled streets lined with cafes radiate from its Gothic centrepiece, the 14th-century Evangelical Church. Several well-preserved Renaissance buildings attest to its history of Saxon merchants and renowned silversmiths. It's a relaxing place to stay before pressing on to Lake Colibiţa or the forbidding Bârgău Valley.
1Sights
Walk from Piaţa Unirii south along Str Teodoroiu through narrow alleys to Parcul Municipal ( GOOGLE MAP ). The park has long boulevards for cycling and walking, and a lily pond with giant goldfish. Amble southwest along its leaf-lined promenade, past the buttercream-coloured Centrul Cultural building. You'll soon see the Turnul Dogarilor (Cooper's Tower; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Dogarilor), part of Bistrița's 13th-century fortifications.
County MuseumMUSEUM
(Muzeul Judetean; GOOGLE MAP ; B-dul General Grigore Bălan 19; adult/child 4/2 lei; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 9am-5pm Tue-Sun Oct-Mar)
Did you know that Bistriţa is the only place in Transylvania where men’s traditional headwear involves a crown of peacock feathers? Inside a former garrison, Bistriţa’s County Museum offers interesting tidbits of local history around its three exhibition spaces: ancient history, with Thracian bronze tools; the rural past, with handicrafts and farming tools; and a collection of modern art.
Evangelical ChurchCHURCH
(Biserica Evanghelică; GOOGLE MAP ; Piața Centrală; tower adult/child 10/5 lei; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, noon-6pm Sun)
Bistriţa’s number one landmark is the Evangelical Church, whose 76m Gothic tower dominates its main square. Construction began in the 14th century, and Italian architect Petrus Italus de Lugano gave it a Renaissance-style makeover in 1563, adding its portals. It’s worth climbing the tower for views over the town.
Silversmith's HouseMUSEUM, GALLERY
(Casa Argentului; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Dornei 5; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun)F
Formerly the home of Bistriţa’s most renowned jeweller, this restored Gothic and Renaissance building is worth a peep for its rotating exhibitions of art and local history.
4Sleeping
Bistriţa has a small choice of mostly budget and midrange hotels, with a couple that stand out for charm and good service.
oCoroana de AurHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0263-232 470; www.hotelcoroanadeaur.ro; Piaţa Petru Rareş 4; s/d/apt 185/210/330 lei; paW)
It's named for the guesthouse where Jonathan Harker stayed in Bram Stoker's Dracula, but this is a faultless business hotel rather than a forbidding old inn. Its prettily lit cream decor, plush beds and bright modern bathrooms are very pleasant indeed. There's an occasional nod to the vampire theme, though 'Jonathan Harker Conference Room' doesn't spook us. Peasants brandishing crucifixes not included.
Hotel BistriţaHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0263-231 154; www.hotel-bistrita.ro; Piața Petru Rareș 2; s/d/apt from 130/175/350 lei; paW)
Guarded by a phalanx of conifers, this imposing hotel has a plush '80s feel and friendly staff. Rooms are down-lit and come with a perky coral colour scheme, clean en suites, safe deposit boxes and, in some cases, balconies.
5Eating
There is a fine selection of cafes and restaurants in Bistriţa, from fast-food spots to refined Romanian fare. Hotels and guesthouses have the most upmarket cuisine. Pietonalul Liviu Rebreanu, extending east from Piaţa Centrală, is lined with cafes and casual eats.
oCrama VecheROMANIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0730-011 812; www.crama-veche.ro; cnr Str Albert Berger & Str Dogarilor; mains 22 lei; hnoon-midnight; W)
Feast like a medieval noble in this stone-floored restaurant, where walls are slung with guild regalia and lights twinkle beneath low-slung beams. Bring a healthy appetite for paprika chicken, veal stew, meatballs and sausage (by the metre). With 24 hours notice, they'll roast you a piglet. We'd advise leaving room for jam-crammed pancakes or fruit dumplings, but it's almost impossible.
Coroana de Aur RestaurantROMANIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0263-232 470; www.hotelcoroanadeaur.ro/restaurant-bistrita; Piaţa Petru Rareş 4; mains 20-45 lei; h10am-11pm)
Setting aside the decidedly retro feel to the Coroana de Aur hotel’s restaurant, it’s considered the finest place to eat in town. Indulgent game dishes include wild boar leg with venison sauce, while Romanian classics such as grilled trout are faultlessly prepared. Otherwise there’s a daredevil dining choice: pork brains with egg and onion.
8Information
Tourist Information Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0263-235 377; www.primariabistrita.ro; Piaţa Centrala 13) Information office equipped with brochures, maps and more, but whimsical opening hours.
WORTH A TRIP
DRACULA'S BâRGăU VALLEY
Writing his timeless Gothic novel Dracula, Bram Stoker gave his count a lair overlooking the forbidding forests of Bârgău Valley, 45km east of Bistriţa. Today, a themed hotel has sprung up at this very spot, near Piatra Fântânele village. While Hotel Castel Dracula is camp compared to the fictional den of Dracula and his bloodthirsty sirens, it’s an awe-inspiring location, especially when night falls and wind whips across the valley.
The hotel draws as many day-trippers as overnight guests. Snap a selfie with the bust of Stoker outside, peep inside to shiver at taxidermied hawks and wolves and – if you don’t have a heart condition – visit ‘Dracula’s tomb’.
Bârgău Valley is difficult to explore without private transport. On request, buses between Bistriţa and Vatra Dornei (20 lei, two to 2½ hours, two to four daily) stop in Piatra Fântânele for Hotel Castel Dracula.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Bistriţa has a busy bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-493 471) serving numerous Transylvanian destinations.
Destination Cost (lei) Duration (hr) Frequency (daily)
Alba Iulia 44 4 3
Cluj-Napoca 20 2½ 9
Oradea 50 6 2
Suceava 45 6 3
Târgu Mureş 25 2½-4 3
Vatra Dornei 20 2-3 6
Train
The train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0256-491 696) sends daily trains to Sibiu (from 26 lei, 6½ hours, one daily), Cluj (16 lei, 2½ to 3½ hours, five daily), Vatra Dornei (21 lei, five hours, one daily) and Braşov (70 lei, six hours, one daily direct, many more via Saratel).
Crişana & Banat
Crisana & Banat Highlights
Banat
Timisoara
Crisana
Oradea
Baile Felix
Arad
Crişana & Banat
Why Go?
Western Romania, with its geographic and cultural ties to neighbouring Hungary and Serbia and its historical links to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, enjoys an ethnic diversity that much of the rest of the country lacks. Timişoara, the regional hub, has a nationwide reputation as a beautiful and lively metropolis, and for a series of 'firsts'. It was the world's first city to adopt electric street lights (in 1884) and, more importantly, the first city to rise up against dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu in 1989.
The three major centres of Timişoara, Oradea and Arad all boast some wonderful examples of art nouveau (or Secession) architecture and many buildings are now getting a long-awaited facelift. Outside these metropolitan areas, there are spas at Băile Felix, while the remote and pristine western ranges of the Apuseni Mountains are criss-crossed with kilometres of isolated hiking trails and dozens of amazing caves that cry out for exploration.
When to Go
AApr–May Budding tree blossoms make a striking backdrop to a city break in Timişoara, Arad or Oradea.
AJun–Aug Summer brings warm, sunny days perfect for hiking in the western Apuseni Mountains.
ASep–Oct Timişoara's cultural scene awakens from its summer slumber with a full schedule of events.
Best Places to Eat
A Caruso
A Casa Bunicii
A Graf
A Don Restaurant
A Nora
A Picasso Restaurant
Best Places to Sleep
A Picasso Boutique Hotel
A Hotel Elite
A Vila La Residenza
A Hostel Costel
A Hotel Arad
A Casa Noastră
Crişana & Banat Highlights
1 Museum of the 1989 Revolution Getting a riveting lesson in Romanian history in Timişoara.
2 Oradea Exploring the city's stunning and increasingly renovated art nouveau monuments.
3 Timișoara Enjoying a night of opera, dinner at a fine restaurant and a nightcap on Piaţa Victoriei or Piaţa Unirii.
4 Bears Cave Looking at the ancient stalactites and stalagmites in this magnificent limestone underworld.
5 Apuseni Mountains Hiking around or simply gazing at the Apuseni's western ranges.
6 Băile Felix Taking to the thermal waters at this spa resort.
History
The western Romanian regions of Crişana and Banat have always been the stepping stone between east and west. The area was first settled in the 6th century BC, and by AD 106 had become part of the Roman province of Dacia. The two regions fell under Hungarian rule around the end of the 9th century and remained part of the Hungarian kingdom until the Ottoman conquest of Crişana and Banat in 1552.
The Turks ruled these parts for around 150 years, losing control of Crişana and Banat to the Austrian Habsburgs in 1716 after the Turks were defeated in battle by Habsburg prince Eugene of Savoy. Two years later, the regions formally became part of the Habsburg Empire, ruled from Vienna.
Austria lost no time in shoring up the regions against any possible return of the Turks, building state-of-the-art military fortresses in Arad, Oradea and Timişoara, which remain standing to this day. As a way of furthering their claims to Banat, the Austrians opened the area to settlement, and today you'll still come across small scattered communities of ethnic Czechs, Croats, Slovaks and others, l
iving much as they did 100 years ago. Most Schwab Germans, who settled here after the expulsion of the Turks, have emigrated to Germany.
The anti-Habsburg bourgeois uprisings of 1848 were felt keenly in these parts. Independence-seeking Hungarians fought to make the areas part of a newly formed Hungary, against armed resistance from the Austrians and, in some cases, bands of Romanian brigands. The Austrians eventually prevailed, but ultimately ceded the territories to Hungary when Austria and Hungary agreed to form a 'dual monarchy' in 1867.
Crişana and Banat largely thrived in this dual monarchy up to WWI. The amazing art nouveau and Secession architecture of the major cities, especially Oradea, is evidence of this prosperity. Under the terms of the Treaty of Trianon after WWI, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory, including Crişana and Banat, which were awarded to newly independent Romania.
Banat
Timişoara
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Romania’s third-largest city (after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca) is also one of the country's most attractive urban areas, built around a series of beautifully restored public squares and lavish parks and gardens. It's known as Primul Oraş Liber (The First Free City), for it was here that anti-Ceauşescu protests first exceeded the Securitate’s capacity for violent suppression in 1989, eventually sending Ceauşescu and his wife to their deaths. With western Romania's nicest hotels and finest restaurants, it makes a perfect base for exploring the Banat region.