Excursions from Bucharest

Many times the capital of a country is the most important and most visited city, but in no way should it be the unique visited. If you like Eastern Europe and visit Romania do not stay in Bucharest only.

Although the city is very beautiful its surroundings are something to see. From Dracula's Castle, perhaps jumping to neighboring Bulgaria or walking through the Carpathians, the offer is very varied and interesting. Aim:

The carpathians

With that name I can imagine a movie land. And it is. Only two hours from Bucharest there are the Carpathians, a mountain range through which you can hike or hike. There is a well-signposted network of paths of different difficulties.

For example, from a city called logsAs owner of the longest cableway in the country, you can take a two-hour walk that begins at the station of this means of transport, continues along the river bank and reaches the forest. Perhaps the first few minutes are somewhat steep but after that time the walk softens and you directly enjoy a spectacular walk with a waterfall included.

With the cableway there, another option is to take it and go up to the bucegi mountains. The views are great and you pass a gigantic rock known as The Sphinx within minutes. At the hour you will see the Cross of Heroes which was placed there in commemoration of the soldiers killed during the First World War. The views from this point are wonderful and stretch for miles.

Mogosoaia Palace

Do not stray further from 15 kilometers to visit this beautiful palace. It was built in the early XNUMXth century by the Romanian ruler Constantin Brancoveanu and has a byzantine decor spectacular with baroque and renaissance details.

This ruler was later executed and his fortune was confiscated by the Ottoman invaders. The palace became a guesthouse and only in the following century did it return to the original family. During the Russian-Turkish War of the second half of the XNUMXth century it was destroyed and in the First World War it was up to the Germans to bombard it, so it did not have a very quiet life. Luckily they have always rebuilt it.

Under the communist regime it was nationalized, its owners arrested and part of its works of art were lost. It was in the late 50s, still under the communists, that the palace was turned into a museum. Today is a great destination, a beautiful building with wonderful gardens.

Snagov Monastery

It's close to Bucharest, just 40 kilometers away, in the middle of a dreamlike length, on a small island that is connected to the mainland by a bridge. That is, you either arrive by foot or by boat from the nearby village. He is proud to have a huge mural, the largest in the country inside a church, full of frescoes from the XNUMXth century.

History tells us that this monastery served as a refuge for rulers and fugitives throughout Romania's turbulent history and it is because it was once much more hidden between the forest and the water. A legend says that in this monastery is the real tomb of Vlad the Impaler, right in front of the altar of the church. Excavations were not lacking but for now human and animal bones have been found, although nothing confirms that they are the remains of Dracula.

Today it is a very calm and quiet place. It opens at 7:30 am and 6 pm and admission costs 15 lei per adult.

Bran Castle

It is the castle known as the Dracula's castle but we must remember that it is not such, although it is undoubtedly a tourist magnet. The structure is medieval and it was built in the XNUMXth century, right on the border between the historic Walachia region and the Transylvania region. In the 20s of the last century it was a royal residence so the then Queen Maria of Romania completely renovated it and her heirs received it at her death.

Today it is one of the most visited in the country although it is still a private property and It is 200 kilometers from Bucharest. It is in a beautiful place, surrounded by the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului massifs: high mountains, plains, rivers, canyons, forests. You can arrive by train from the Bucharest Nord Gara A station to Brasov in a trip of three and a half hours for an approximate price of 8 euros.

It opens on Mondays from 12 pm to 6 pm and from Thursday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm (in high season from April to September); and closes two hours earlier in low season (from October to March).

Peles Castle

Ever It was the residence of the Romanian royal family and today it is a museum of furniture and art collections. It's about a neo renaissance style castle It is located on an old medieval road that connects Transylvania and Wallachia.

It was built between the end of the 48th century and the beginning of the XNUMXth century by order of King Carol I and in reality it is more than a castle it is a palace. It is close to the city of Sinaia, just XNUMX kilometers from Brasov and 124 km from Bucharest. Actually It is part of a complex made up of the Pelisor Castle and the Foisor Hunting Reserve.

In some moments of its life it was not very careful: for example, under the Ceasescu government it remained closed and abandoned between 1975 and 1990. It was only after the fall of communism that the castle was reborn and opened to the public. Today there are hotels, restaurants and the presidential residence works in the Foisor Castle.

Visits to the museum are guided And each visit takes you to know a different part, so it is convenient for you to take the complete tour to know the two floors. You will see the Imperial Apartments, the Hall of Honor, the Armory, the Imperial Suite and different rooms in different styles of decoration.

Brasov and Sinaia

We have named Brasov and the city is actually attractive in itself. It has the sad title of Martyr City for the number of martyrs it gave to the Romanian Revolution of 1989. It is 166 kilometers from Bucharest and you arrive by train or bus. If you come here and you will, you can visit one of its many museums, medieval fortifications, temples and churches.

Meanwhile Sinaia is a mountain resort located near the Peles Palace, 48 kilometers from Brasov. You can visit the monastery of the same name, the old train station, a couple of dizzying cliffs and of course the best thing you can do is visit the Peles Palace and the others in the complex in the same trip.

Bulgaria

In conclusion, you can cross to bulgaria. Bucharest is very close to the border so there are many tours Or you can do the visit on your own, although it can be difficult to reach the most border cities using public transport, so tourism agencies are usually recommended.


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