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.
Continue reading “Biserica Neagră”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’.
Continue reading “Kronstadt”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.
Continue reading “Castelul Peleș”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.
Continue reading “Ceaușescu”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.
Continue reading “Arcul de Triumf”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.
Continue reading “Parcul Carol”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.
Continue reading “Cimitirul Șerban Vodă”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.
Continue reading “Tineretului park”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.
Continue reading “Stavropoleos monastery”Palatul Parlamentului
The palace of parliament is one of the biggest buildings in the world by space. It was built between 1983 and 1989 by order of the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. To create it historical buildings containing 40,000 flats and a dozen churches were destroyed. The building costs were around 40 % of the gross national income of the country.
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