ROAMIN' ROMANIA - A Slow Train Trip around Western Romania

......previously, we loved the countryside and nature in Azerbaijan..........

After our travels in Azerbaijan, we fancied a relaxing jaunt on some trains in a pleasant and easy country. We had flown into Budapest with Wizz Air, and Romania's border was nice and close - only a few hours train ride away. We had lovely memories of a pretty country with gorgeous landscapes and cute villages from our last visit, and we looked forward to seeing some new areas.

On the slow train, Romania

We had a good old go at covering much of South-Western Romania, with many different regions being represented on our travels. We started in the Crișana region where the border town of Arad is situated, and soon after travelled through a corner of Transylvania stopping in Deva and Petroșani. Most of our time was spent in Oltenia, in the towns of Targu Jiu, Craiova and Dobreta-Turnu Severin. We then finished off in the Banat region, home to Băile Herculane, and our last stop, Timișoara.

Follow the dotty yellow line, our route through some of South-Western Romania

We were extremely happy to be on trains again after our long bus, shared taxi and plane trip leaving Azerbaijan. The feeling of stretching our legs out, and the fresh air from open windows was a delight. Romanians don't like taking the trains generally, thinking them too slow, so there is normally plenty of room to spread out. Scenery included fields covered in sunflowers and corn, with haybales neatly rolled up in meadows. Church spires sparkled in the distance and the odd castle ruin sat on a hill. Small orchards and backyards in red-roofed villages were full to the brim of homegrown produce. Contrasting this were the sections of wild forests and dramatic hills.

Some brief highlights from our month's rambles......

Arad- With the aim of doing no sightseeing what-so-ever, and simply recovering from several days of travel, Arad was a great place. We spent a day at the local lido complex, apparently the second biggest in Europe. We alternated between sitting on the grass people watching, and swimming in the freezing, but refreshing water. The brown coloured thermal pool was an interesting Eastern European touch, and we joined the oldies bathing in the warm therapeutic waters. As the visit coincided with Sal's birthday, we also sipped pink champagne and ate nibbles and felt blissfully carefree.

Deva- Without a doubt the best accommodation of our Romanian trip was in Deva. Mostly in Romania we stayed in small apartments of varying quality, almost always going for the cheapest one that was closest to the train station. Not only was the large retro apartment in Deva spacious and neat as a pin, but goodies such as fresh berries, juice and ground coffee were left in the kitchen by the friendly host, and were an unexpected surprise.

Deva's medieval fort sat dramatically high on a hill, visible from most parts of the town. Quite a walk through the forest to the top, we were enthusiastic enough that the hot and sweaty hike passed quickly. Before we knew it, we had reached the pinnacle and could see the town spread out spectacularly in front of us.

Deva Fort, high above the town, Romania

Exploring inside the fort, Deva

Checking out the view, Deva Fort

From the top of Deva Fort, Romania

One of many cool buildings in Deva, Romania

Sacred objects, Deva church, Romania

Petroșani- Unfortunately, most of our time in Petroșani was taken up with dentistry related drama. Poor Rich had an awful toothache, and had to have an extraction. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but we searched all over town, literally, to find a dentist with the time and/or inclination to perform the procedure. We finally found a friendly woman almost next door to where we were staying, and even then she couldn't perform the procedure until the next day.

Once the tooth was out and the pain eased, we had only a day left of our stay. We spent it exploring a rural path along the railway line, a quiet walk culminating in an old rail yard. The delightfully decrepit depot was unlocked and we were free to walk amongst the discarded old engines and buildings.

An abandoned railyard made for an interesting morning, Petroșani, Romania

We were free to explore, Petroșani rail yard, Romania

Old wheel, Petroșani rail yard, Romania

Targu Jiu- Targu Jiu was an unexpectedly attractive town, with the streets lined with character-filled Romanian Revival style buildings from the 1930s. Many were in a state of disrepair, but some had been restored to their graceful former glory status.

Romanian Revival style home in Targu Jiu, Romania

Lovely wood framed doorway, Targu Jiu, Romania

A grander design in the streets of Targi Jiu, Romania

Communist era train station, Targu Jiu, Romania

River Jiu, in Targu Jiu, Romania

One of our best day on the trains was getting to Targu Jiu. We had a couple of changes with a long wait during a stop over, but we weren't at all fussed. It was still better than being cramped into a minibus, and was a good excuse to enjoy a beer, a vișinata (cherry liqueur) and a chicken sandwich at a bar across from the tiny town's train station.

A sneaky dram on the train journey to Targu Jiu, Romania

Never had a receipt from a train station toilet before!

Following this was the most unexpectedly glorious section of railway. The train followed the river slowly through the magnificent forest scenery, through long tunnels and then climbed high into the mountains, with many exciting switch backs. During one particularly impressive part of the journey we passed through 38 tunnels in one hour! This railway trip receives none of the fuss that is made of other famous railways journeys in the region, such as the Montenegro to Belgrade train, but it was every bit as scenic and dramatic.

Onboard a retro Romanian train

Craiova- The markets were the best place for in-season fruits, and Craiova's was the best of our trip. We were really spoilt for choice. Stone fruits were represented by cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches and so many varieties of each. Prices were less than 6 lei/£1 a kilo for all these fruits. Even though we don't really go for melons, the smell of the yellow variety especially was mouth watering. And our favourite, as always, were the bountiful berries. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, black and red currants, and many unknown (to us) types. When we had finished our scrumptious strolls around, we found a seat in a bustling café and enjoyed a mici (Romanian version of ćevapi) and hamsii (battered anchovies), accompanied by a glass of local draft beer. It was a great place for a chat and to watch folk going about their business.

Two odd shoes and some flowers for sale, Craiova, Romania

Market character, Craiova, Romania

Sal kept happy with a beer and hamsii (fried anchovies)

Craiova is well known for it's gardens, the largest two kept us occupied for a couple of mornings. Classic lakes, giant European specimen trees, statues and colourful flower beds were beautiful, and some quirky art and an exotic zoo were something different.

Creepy art in a Craiova garden, Romania

Craiova parks had many sculptures, Romania

A bison enjoying a dustbath at a zoo in a Craiova garden, Romania

Young priest inside a church in Craiova, Romania

Beautifully bright interior of church, Craiova, Romania

Spiral staircase in our Craiova accommodation, Romania

Knackered letters boxes, foyer of our Craiova accommodation

Drobreta-Turnu Severin- A pleasant town, set on the northern banks of the gigantic Danube River. The water levels were reportedly low, but to us it looked huge and lovely, and we enjoyed walking next to it, checking out what the fishermen were catching (not much for the most part). 

Băile Herculane- This unique spa town was complete change of scene, and it was here we discovered where all the summer holiday-makers were in Romania. An ancient town, Băile Herculane has long been a place people come to to heal in the therapeutic thermal waters. It was mobbed with local tourists, mostly of an older age, and many with obvious ailments. It was a bit of shock to see so many visitors, and the crowds combined with the heat saw us heading out early in the morning for our sight-seeing.

Up early in the morning, Băile Herculane

A grand corner of Băile Herculane

Located in a stunning valley, the town had for sure seen better days. But we loved the assortment of wonderfully eclectic architectural styles stuffed into the narrow gorge along the river. Being established during Roman times, there were springs and pools from that era still standing, and much had been added over the centuries. The town was named after the legend that the God Hercules took the waters here in Roman times, and many businesses were named after Roman characters - Apollo, Neptune and Aphrodite, for example. The grandest buildings were without a doubt from the era where the Austrians built many facilities. During this time, the town attracted the rich and famous, even royalty, and beautiful bathing palaces were built for the wealthy. Most prevalent these days, however, are the tatty remainders from the Communist times, when the resorts were popular with workers given vouchers to use the facilities once a year for their health.

Early morning Hercules statue, Băile Herculane

Remains of the day, Băile Herculane

Rich getting the shot, Băile Herculane

Soft morning light, old bathing palace, Băile Herculane

Steep craggy mountains loomed on either side and created a dramatic scene. Unfortunately, there were bad forest fires during the time we spent in the area, and we saw massive helicopters with their big water buckets hanging down flying back and forth all day.

We walked from one end of Băile Herculane to the other, the town being spread out along the Cerna River. There were small hot thermal pools along the way- some free to use and others in complexes with facilities. We eagerly joined in a free bath with a few oldies one quiet early morning, in a pool next to the cold river in a natural setting. We found the water to be warm and comforting, and smelling strongly of sulphur. Sal was horrified to see her silver jewellry turning black in the water (luckily, it eventually rubbed off later with a good hard scrub). The following day we tried a paid pool complex, again mostly older folk- Sal was the youngest there! This rustic place had three pools, all had different temperatures and properties. We were told that the heat and the minerals in the thermal water were excellent healers and pain relievers.

The natural baths near the river, Băile Herculane

Upon departure, we were quite early for our longest train journey on this trip, and took time to appreciate the Băile Herculane train station, built during a past opulent era. It was sad that it looked so unloved, even falling down in spots. But we could see through the shabbiness and imagine it's past glory days.

Sal at Băile Herculane station, Romania

Waiting for our train, Băile Herculane station, Romania

Grand entrance, Băile Herculane station, Romania

Timișoara- Our last stop in Romania, Timișoara was near to the border of Serbia and Hungary, and a close train trip away from Budapest. The city center was chock-a-block with grand and ornate Romanian Revival and Art Nouveau style buildings dating back to the 18th century. The area where we were staying was slightly more on the tatty side, but near the river and markets, and blissfully quiet. It's one of the few cities we've visited to boast a public river boat, and for £0.80 for a hours scenic trip, was unique way to spend an morning, gliding along with the cool breeze, the parks of the city on either side of the banks.

Magnificent fountain in Timișoara city center

Pretty river trip on public ferry, Timișoara, Romania

Our last day was spent at a giant flea market, a very organized and tidy event. On the hunt for warm clothes for our upcoming travels in the UK, we were partially successful, and had a great time nosying around the antiques, junk stalls and piles of clothing (and for some reason, an inordinate amount of wooden walking sticks!).

Rediscovering the amazing food that is so common in Eastern Europe was amazing. We've already mentioned the incredible variety and price of local fruits. The dairy section covered a huge range of products from cottages cheeses, kefir, yogurts, sour creams, butter, cheeses and many more. Obviously, we were in heaven.  We're not huge eaters of bready products, but the Romanians certainly are! Every few steps people lined up at bakeries for the insanely popular covrigi, a round pretzel with sweet or savory fillings. And, it was marvelous to be in a country with a strong café culture, and we loved stopping for a coffee, beer or something more potent almost anywhere in the towns we visited. Meniul zilei was a new one for us- a set lunch menu, usually costing about £4-5 per person, with at least two courses and sometimes including a drink. These were great value and a good way to try local dishes.

Lady was selling a splendid assortment of homemade alcoholic drinks at bargain prices

Very local beer (from the next town, Hateg)

Cherry flavoured covrigi- we had to try it

Mici, cute little sausages popular in Romania

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed a chilled out month in a small area of Romania, and we now felt ready to tackle the UK!

Sal's Commie gallery, Romania

Us enjoying our little trip through Romania

.......next up, we spend some family time in the UK, and explore a new place for us- the Orkney Islands....

TRANSYLVANIAN TRAIN TRUNDLINGS - Sighisoara and Sibiu, Romania

 ......our last blog post from our first thoughts about Bucharest and Brasov........

Old town of Sighisoara, Romania

Rich and a hedge

The train from Brasov further into Transylvania was another visual treat. This time agricultural scenes of green and yellow fields with pretty hills and sheep grazing in the distance formed the view out the window. Small villages with almost exclusively white Saxon-style church spires, red tiled roofs and the odd horse and cart appeared every few miles. We were shocked to see some extremely basic villages with houses made of rough bits of timber and seemingly populated by Roma people. 

Inside the Romanian train, Brasov to Sighisoara

Villages whizzing by our window, train from Brasov to Sighisoara, Romania

Scenic backyards in village, from the train, Romania

We'd booked a hostel online in Sighisoara, liking the look of the ancient building, and hoping there might be some other travellers up for a chat. What we found instead was an empty, soulless place with a cranky and rude proprietor. Since we had already paid for for five nights, we made the best of the situation. The building was indeed a relic of the medieval village, and smack bang in the middle of the old town, but the lack of atmosphere and the bad attitude of the owner was disappointing. 

Our hostel street, Sighisoara, Romania

Pretty Sighisoara is unique for it's completely and intensely intact citadel. The small cobblestoned centre inside the fortified walls and towers is a condensed preservation of the town as it was in medieval times. Only quaint small shops, cafes, restaurants and pensions in the old style are present, with all the main and modern shopping being down the hill in the downtown area. We're not sure how the colouring system works in such protected places, but each building was painted a different shade of pastel, and the results were charming. All traffic except essential vehicles seemed to be banned, so it was delightfully tranquil to stroll around.

Clock tower off the main square, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara was settled in the 12th century by the Saxons, at the request of the King of Hungary, in order to fortify, protect and settle the town. The German/Saxon roots and influence on architecture and culture is still apparent in the town, particularly in the hillside cemetery, where names such as Schmitt, Muller and Wagner prevailed amongst the headstones. Our early morning walk there was enhanced by the twittering of so many songbirds. 

Old Saxon graveyard, Sighisoara, Romania

Spires and turrets of a myriad of houses, churches and fortifications dominated the skyline. The diminutive main square, Piata Cetatii, was home to a few handsome cafe/bars, which were a pleasant spot to sit, watch and enjoy an Ursus (Bear) beer. A few days into our visit there was an influx of young students into the town- if it hadn't been for them, the place would have been nearly empty. 

A pleasant place for a beer, Piata Cetatii, Sighisoara, Romania

An empty Piata Cetatii, Sighisoara, Romania

Although not many travellers about, Sighisoara was clearly a touristy place in busier times. We had a brochure for Medieval Minigolf thrust into our hands in the square, and were left wondering what that was all about. The Dracula tack was in full flow- T-shirts, souvenirs, Dracula's supposed birth room and some sad looking Dracula "experiences" with mannequins, creepy music and the story of Vlad's life (for more information about that myth, see our last blog post here). 

Dracula was here, Sighisoara, Romania

Statue of Vlad, Sighisoara, Romania

We best enjoyed the citadel first thing in the morning, before anyone else was up, and we had the place to ourselves to watch the sunrise and the light gradually glowing onto the medieval buildings on the hill. 

We escaped the centre for what we thought was going to be a stroll in an ancient oak forest on the outskirts of town. MapsMe, however, had other ideas, and took us on a hike up a vertical hill. As lovely as the views were, we were happy to arrive in the actual forest amongst the oak and beech trees, and on relatively flat ground again. A host of bugs accompanied us on our walk- bees, beetles, little flies and the odd butterfly. We had already happily noticed on previous walks how many insects are about in Romania. 

Resting on the hike up a hill, Sighisoara, Romania

Bears about! Sighisoara, Romania

Spring flowers, Sighisoara, Romania

Green oak and beech forest, Sighisoara, Romania

We slept badly at the hostel, especially when a group of Hungarian teenagers descended on the place for two nights, and weren't sad to leave early one morning. We were so excited upon our arrival in Sighisoara, we barely noticed the train station. At 6am on our departure day, however, it was a hovel, full of down and outs, some sleeping, some drunk, and the whole place reeked like sweat. No signs showed departing trains, the only thing that seemed to work in the building was the ear splitting speakers whenever an announcement blasted out. Worst of all it must be the only train station in Romania with no coffee machine! We were NOT happy! Luckily our train was on time and we jumped on when it arrived. Although the trip to Sibiu was only two hours, because of our lack of proper sleep for several days, it was spent in an uncomfortable, un-caffeinated daze, and our bodies ached when we alighted. What we remember of the scenery was misty farmland.

Sal trying not to be grumpy, early morning train Sighisoara to Sibiu, Romania

We were delighted to find our studio in a historic building in the Upper Town of Sibiu to be welcoming, clean, quiet and well equipped for cooking. Accommodation in Romania is a fair bit more expensive than what we would usually pay on our travels, and we hoped cooking our own meals would save a bit of dosh, and also allow us to eat some meals we had been missing. 

Lovely studio, Sibiu, Romania

Sibiu contrasted Sighisoara in it's grander size and it's more "lived in" feeling. The old city was separated in Lower Town and Upper town. Various picturesque lanes, bridges, passage ways and stairs connected the two, and part of a splendid wall with towers surrounded the entire medieval part. The Upper town historically was lived in by the upper class, and was dominated by market squares of various sizes, these days full of ritzy cafes and surrounded by museums. Lower town was primarily inhabited by tradesmen back in the day. Sibiu has the highest German population of all the towns in Transylvania, and has been a centre for the Saxons since it's founding in medieval times. 

Tranquil small streets of Sibiu, Romania

Decorated church archway, Sibiu, Romania

A man and his bike, Sibiu, Romania

Many staircases in Sibiu, Romania

The weather started warming up into a proper European late spring during our stay, and we were able to enjoy wandering, sitting in the parks and partaking in outdoor coffees and ice creams. One special evening was spent in a Baroque hall listening to a young pianist's rendition of Romanian composer George Enescu's sonata, in between Beethoven and Liszt works. Sibiu has always been famous for it's cultural activities- many famous composers of the 19th century played here, and nowadays it has it's own Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bar in a historic tunnel, Sibiu, Romania

Outdoor cafes, Sibiu, Romania

Two churches stood out for us, for different reasons. The Byzantine-style Orthodox Cathedral had an opulent interior, all gleaming with gold mosaics glowing with sunlight entering via the stained glass windows, and deep blue based paintings depicting uniquely Romanian biblical scenes on every surface. We sat happily in this place for some time soaking up the wonderful space and ambience.

Byzantine features, Orthodox Cathedral, Sibiu, Romania

Heavenly light shining in, Orthodox Cathedral, Sibiu, Romania

Freaky painting, Orthodox Cathedral, Sibiu, Romania

Love the carpet in this ceiling scene, Orthodox Cathedral

Conversely, the Gothic stylings of St Mary's Evangelical Lutheran church were downright weird. The colourful tiles on the exterior of the spire were appealing, but inside was another story. We've come across strange cherubs in churches before, most notably in Portugal's Baroque churches. But the baby carvings in Sibiu's Lutheran church were creepy and ugly, and combined with the skeletons, an evil-looking organ and a disquieting atmosphere in the building, we were happy to leave after only a brief look around. 

Interesting church decorations, St Mary's Evangelical church, Sibiu, Romania

Ugly little characters, St Mary's Evangelical church, Sibiu, Romania

At least the exterior was pretty, St Mary's Evangelical church

Repulsive little babies, St Mary's Evangelical church, Sibiu

Our last day in Sibiu saw us becoming carried away at the local flea market, a much worthier affair than we were expecting. An overwhelming place with piles of old junk, clothes, food, tools, and many other items, we happily spend hours wandering and sticky-beaking into what everyone was doing, selling, buying and eating. The best thing was the local Romas dressed to the nines for a Sunday out, with gold, sparkling and colourful clothes and scarves for the women, and a cowboy look for the men with black hats and leather waistcoats. A weirdly huge amount of second hand work clothes, hi-viz vests etc took up a large portion of the items for sale, and we were interested to note, there was only a couple of stalls selling communist-era paraphernalia. Most other post-Communist/USSR countries we have visited have piles of old medals, military uniforms, badges and reading matter from the old times for sale in their flea markets, but Romania doesn't seem so keen on remembering that past. Food was on offer- the choice of BBQ meat, bread and beer. 

Cool dude selling junk, Flea Market, Sibiu, Romania

Pork in different forms for sale, Flea Market, Sibiu, Romania

All sorts for sale, Flea Market, Sibiu, Romania

Roma men looking dapper, Flea Market, Sibiu, Romania

Splendid Roma women's outfits, Flea Market, Sibiu, Romania

We realized the reason we like flea markets so much in foreign countries is the glimpse into the past and the tacky present, the reflection of what locals consider precious and worth keeping and buying. Culturally, it can speak volumes about a place.

Romanian men, in particular, love a hat. Most men favour either a trilby or fedora style, or the cowboy-like black Gypsy style with a broad brim to keep the sun off. 

Romanians love a hat!

We felt like we had only begun to scratch the surface in Transylvania, but from Sibiu we were to travel further north to the Maramures region, and hopefully experience some more wonderful, contrasting areas of Romania.

Loving the Romanian trains!

........next up- our favourite place yet- the little village of Breb in Maramures.......