Romania Road Trip: Time Traveling in the Medieval Cities

24 Sep Romania Road Trip: Time Traveling in the Medieval Cities

On our road trip, we stopped at three, distinct, medieval cities – Brasov, Sibiu and Alba Iulia.

Brasov

Brasov is a city nestled between the Southern Carpathian mountains making for a very scenic environment. It was founded by the Transylvanian Saxons (Germans that settled in Transylvania in the 12th century) and still features the remains of the medieval walls and bastions that helped guard it. Upon arriving, we learned we picked a very good time to visit – as the German heritage meant the celebration of Oktoberfest!

Duration of our stay: 8 days

Time of Year: end of August/early September

What did we find notable?

The historic center is compact and very walkable. We stayed where the action was – near the old Town Hall Square (Piata Sfatuliu). Here you’ll find colorful baroque-style buildings, plenty of restaurants and Biserica Neagra (the Black Church – dubbed so due to fire damage).

There are several spots around the city that you can visit for eagle-eye views:

– The Bastions – The White Tower (Turnul Alb) and Black Tower (Turnul Negru or Fekete Torony) and Graft Bastion (Bastionul Graft) are three of the original bastions that guarded the walled city. Today, you can visit them to take great photos. Daniel visited the White Tower (Turnul Alb). For more information on visiting these Bastions and on Brasov, check out the Romania Tourism site.

 

– Brasov Fortress (Catetuia de pe Straja) – One day while walking, we discovered a woodsy trail that led us up to this fortress. It was closed, so we couldn’t go inside but still enjoyed walking the perimeter and looking out on the city. On the way down, we took the roads and found ourselves near the lovely, petite city park of Nicolae Titulescu.

 

– Mount Tampa – One Monday afternoon, we sought out the hiking trails that led to the famous Brasov sign. Before embarking, we stopped at the cable car building to buy a return ride on the cable car (10 Euro/ per adult for 1 way or 16 Euro/per adult round trip) so we could experience both options. Then we took the staircase to the side of that building and started ascending the trail following a red triangle. About 15-20 minutes later, you reach a point where you can stay on the red trail or take the blue trail. We stayed on the red trail and our total hike time was about 45-50 minutes to the top. The path is a bit rocky in some places, so it’s good to be in proper footwear (sneakers or hiking boots). It’s well shaded with plenty of trees, so we didn’t feel too bothered by the summer heat. When you reach the top, make a right and the ‘Brasov’ sign is about a 1-minute walk. If you continue to hike up, you reach a few additional lookout points. The cable car ride down was about 2 minutes and a bit underwhelming. The hiking trails are the way to go!

 

Oktoberfest! – Brasov’s impressive Oktoberfest celebrations ran from August 25th-October 4th in 2016 – that’s 11 days, including two weekends. After several days of seeing jolly (okay drunk) folks with flower boas parading around town, we knew it was our turn to play. We arrived in the afternoon when there was a small crowd and as the hours went by, the event became more and more crowded and boisterous. There were tons of stalls selling food and goods, mini games promoted by beer brands, and in the center, an enormous tent with tables and a stage with performance acts throughout the day. Immersing ourselves in the experience, we drank loads of beer, ate freshly roasted pork, found a stall selling Romanian TRUFFLES and bought two jars of truffle salt, Daniel managed to break his belt using the port-o-potty and I danced to C&C Music Factory’s ‘Everybody Dance Now’ with two inebriated gentlemen that were carrying the party! It was nice to let loose in a place where no one knows you!

 

 

 

Food in Brasov:

We didn’t have much luck finding a food market near our apartment. Well, we found them, but…

– we were afraid to even walk into this one produce shop because a swarm of bees was buzzing about all the fruits

– another small market was mostly selling packaged chips, cookies, cereals and canned soups.

So, we were very grateful there was a good restaurant scene. Our favorite restaurants were Vino E Sapori and Dei Frati. Unabashedly we ate at each of these several times. Especially at Vino E Sapori. We were hooked by the very friendly service and well-crafted, high-quality meals they prepared.

 

We also found this small cafe, Opus 9, that was innovatively using cardboard as furniture. We went here a few times for coffee and smoothies. It also seemed like a hot local spot for grabbing a beer & glass of wine.

Our takeaway:

We loved the charm of the place and our 8-day stay. But I’m not sure how livable it would have been longer-term without a car to shop for groceries and other items outside of the historic center. We could be wrong though. If a longer stay interests you, we recommend you connect with other digital nomads that have experience with a longer-term stay here via digital nomad Facebook groups.

 

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Brasov:

The historical center has a lot of one-way streets and parts of it are pedestrian only. If you’re sticking to this area only, you don’t need a car.

Although, there are some great half day and full day trips from Brasov, like a visit to Bran Castle, that having a car would be ideal for.

If you do have a car in the center of Brasov, you’ll likely have to find a paid parking lot, which charges a hefty price for the day.

The train service between Brasov and Bucharest was an easy and comfortable mode of transportation. (We know, because after our visit to Bran castle and the end of a 6-day road trip, we wanted to shed the car and relax a bit. So we returned our rental car to Bucharest and took the train back to Brasov.)

Some of the taxi drivers give an unfair markup to tourists, especially as you exit the train station.

For example, we were told the ride back to our apartment in the historic center would be 30 LEI. We knew that price was too steep for the 10 minutes it would take. So we challenged it and even then they wouldn’t offer a better rate and told us to take the bus. As we walked toward the bus, another taxi driver that had witnessed the conversation followed us and offered us 15 LEI. Dreading having to figure out the correct bus route, we accepted. A few days later when we left our apartment our host called us a taxi to the train station. We paid 9 LEI for that trip.

It’s frustrating to discover the discrepancies. Whenever possible, try to do a quick search in advance to find out the standard pricing of a taxi from your pick up and drop off locations, so that you’re armed with the knowledge and can help minimize the level of ‘ripoff’ you endure.

While it’s unique to stay in historic housing, investigate a little bit. For us, our apartment was on the ground floor of an area that didn’t get much light so unfortunately, it was quite damp and cold.

 

Sibiu

Sibiu is another medieval city founded by the Transylvanian Saxons in the 12th century.

Duration of our stay: a few hours

Time of Year: late August

What did we experience?

We pit stopped in Sibiu for a few hours to walk around the historic center and have lunch.

 

While here, we visited a stunning Orthodox cathedral, Catedrala Sfanta Treime.

 

We also encountered the preparations and set up for a medieval festival in the Great Square.

 

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Sibiu:

The historical center is pedestrian only. You can find street parking and parking lots and take a short walk into it.

There is plenty more to see and do here, check out the Romania tourism site to learn more.

It seems that this medieval festival is an annual tradition, taking place the last weekend in August.

 

Alba Iulia 

Alba Iulia is home to a remarkable Citadel, a large fortified old town with immaculate grounds and several points of interest.

Duration of our stay: a few hours

Time of Year: late August

What did we experience?

Upon arriving in Alba Iulia we checked out the Old Town to see the famed Citadel.

 

We entered by the Orthodox Cathedral of the Reunification and happened upon a wedding procession. As to not disturb the ensuing ceremony, we walked around the grounds and then over to the neighboring Roman Catholic Cathedral.

 

From there we walked around the upper level of the citadel and passed through one of the arches. Seeking some shade and a cold drink, we entered the fort via the Pub 13. While enjoying a glass of refreshing Romanian wine, we admired our surroundings.

 

Despite the heat, we couldn’t pass up the adult two-seater tricycles. So we rented one and took it for a few spins around the old moat.

 

A few helpful planning tips for visiting Alba Iulia:

It was a treat to see this Citadel, so we would highly recommend a stop in Alba Iulia on your way to or from Turda or Cluj-Napoca

There’s plenty of parking on the side close to the Orthodox Cathedral.

For more information, visit the Romania Tourism site

Return to the Romania Road Trip post or read about the points of interest by clicking on the below categories:

Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scenic Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

Castles

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Have you visited any of Romania’s medieval cities? If so, which was your favorite? Alternatively, what is your favorite medieval city, regardless of which country it’s in?

Leave a comment!

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