In the land of the deep forests and high mountains, on the bank of the Wasser river and just a few kilometers south of the Ukrainian border the last forestry narrow gauge steam railway in Europe operates. The Mocăniţa narrow gauge steam train is used all year long since 1932, each day the...
We spent the whole afternoon in Rodnei Mountains around Borșa. Rodnei Mountain National Park has been designated a biosphere reservation by UNESCO for its abundance of glacial features and profusion of flora and fauna species. Borșa is a small ski resort and tourist complex in the...
The Rarău Mountains create a landscape of weird-shaped rock formations and panoramic views, all in the space of a former prehistoric tropical sea. Famous for the unmistakable silhouettes known as the ‘Lady’s Stones’, Rarău offers some of the most scenic mountain views in Romania, despite...
In the morning we have arrived at the most famous and stunning of the painted monasteries – Voroneț (parking 7 ROL / hour). The monastery was founded in 1487 by Stephen the Great to celebrate a victory over the Turks. Widely known throughout Europe as “the Sistine Chapel of the...
After a day filled up with monasteries visits, we have parked next to the church in Gura Humorului (parking fee 2 ROL / hour, Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00). The city is located in the northeastern part of Romania, in southern Bukovina. Between 1774 and 1918, Gura Humorului belonged to the Habsburg...
The highlight of the small Arbore church is a scene from Genesis (entrance 10 ROL), which adorns the western wall. It is the only church in the region with no belfry towers because it was not built by a prince, the monastery was founded in 1503 by Luca Arbore, the advisor of Stephen the...
Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (in northeastern Romania). Their painted exterior walls are decorated with elaborate 15th and 16th-century frescoes featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of...
Agapia Monastery is one the most important Orthodox nuns convent in Romania, initially built between 1641-1643 and later expanded. The monastery is famous around the world due to its interior frescoes painted in 1858 by the great Romanian painter Nicolae Grigorescu. There are two...
Cloudy weather followed us to Iași – the second largest city in Romania. It is situated on the Bahlui River near its confluence with the Prut River in the Moldavian plain, just 13 km west of the border with Moldova. In 1565, Iasi became the capital of Moldavia and for a short period of...
Our next stop was the capital city of the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Piatra-Neamƫ is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania. It lies in the valley of the Bistriƫa...