Sights Archives ⋆ Page 50 of 156 ⋆ The Passenger

September 30, 2021December 25, 2021

Castelul Bran

Who doesn’t know the famous tale of Bram Stoker? The story of Dracula, slightly rooted in the history of voivode Vlad Țepeș (or Vlad III., Vlad Dracul, Vlad the Impaler), brings lot of tourists to the castle of Bran. Vlad III. was member of the Order of the Dragon, giving him the byname Dracul. He probably never visited Bran castle, but as everybody is searching for traces of the story in Transylvania, the castle owners use this as good marketing. Within the castle you can find a small exhibition about vampires and other fictional creatures known in Romania.

September 30, 2021December 25, 2021

Biserica Neagră

The Black Church is the main sight of Brașov, Romania. It is a protestant (formerly catholic) church in Gothic style built in the 13th century CE. In 1689 the city was burning, and the walls of the church turned black by the fire, therefore it received its current name. As an important church of the Siebenbürger Sachsen you can discover German inscriptions in several places.

September 30, 2021April 14, 2022

Kronstadt

Transylvania (or Siebenbürgen) is a region of Romania where different languages are spoken. It was once part of Austria-Hungary, and the Siebenbürger Sachsen have settled there, bringing the German language and culture to this area. Therefore, the cities always have at least two names: Bran is also Törzburg, Sibiu can be referenced to as Hermannstadt and Brașov is also known as Kronstadt (city of the crown). Transylvania itself translates as ‘through the forest’.

September 30, 2021December 25, 2021

Castelul Peleș

The castle of Peleș is beautifully located in the mountains above Sinaia, belonging to Wallachia. It was built for king Carol I. and was finished in 1883. The castle was built by Austrian und Czech architects and is massively decorated in different European styles. You can see a weapon collection, sculptures, and a lot of historic furniture. The paintings inside the building have been done by famous painter Gustav Klimt.

September 29, 2021December 22, 2021

Ceaușescu

The city quarter Primăverii of București is the place where the rich people are living. During Communist times it was what we today would call a ‘gated community’. While the people outside had only electricity for two hours every day and remained hungry, the fat cats were living a good life there. You can validate this by visiting the Casa Ceaușescu, the former home of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

September 29, 2021December 21, 2021

Arcul de Triumf

Everyone knows the famous Arc de Triomphe at Paris, France. But did you know that Romania has its own copy of it? After the country gained independence, a wooden version was constructed in 1878. After World War I the current version copying the original in France was finished in 1936. It is twenty-seven meters high, and it has a roof terrace that you can access free of charge.

September 29, 2021December 21, 2021

Parcul Carol

The public park named after Carol I. is a brilliant example of brutalist architecture and a demonstration of the power of the Communist party. Originally, it was a park opened in 1906 that was created to commemorate the reign of the first king of Romania. In Communist times after World War II the park was used for a different purpose.

September 29, 2021December 21, 2021

Cimitirul Șerban Vodă

Burial traditions vary across the world very much, even within religions. Having a look on local cemeteries is therefore always interesting. But if you visit the biggest cemetery of București, the Cimitirul Șerban Vodă, you might get a wrong picture: until the 1970s the cemetery was reserved for ‘important’ people and is therefore seen as the national pantheon of Romania.

September 29, 2021December 21, 2021

Tineretului park

Vast, that’s the best word describing the Parcul Tineretului, the youth’s park. 94 hectares of land have been dedicated to being the main recreational space of the capital city. It was opened in 1974 and an impressive boulevard for pedestrians lead you into the green starting in the north at the metro stop Tineretului.

September 29, 2021December 21, 2021

Stavropoleos monastery

The Biserica Mănăstirii Stavropoleos is a magical place in the city center of București. It is a Romanian-orthodox cloister in Brâncovenesc style standing between the more modern buildings of the old town. It was built by a Greek monk in 1724 and is beautifully decorated on the inside, but also outside around the tiny door.