Our story of driving through Romania is one full of surprises. We got our first when we crossed the Romanian border from Hungary (at Bors — having driven down from Vienna), and glanced at a clock tower. We had lost an entire hour all of a sudden, by merely crossing to the new East European time zone!
Romania is replete with culture, heritage and history. The country’s tourism website proclaims that it has 25 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Of course, we had time to visit only a representative sample.
One of the most impressive is the Wooden Churches of Maramures; Maramures is a province in North Romania, bordering Ukraine. Of the eight churches in the UNESCO list, we visited one of the bigger ones — at Barsana village. Most of the wooden churches have been in existence from the 17th Century, with the oldest, The Church on the Hill at Leud, having been constructed in the 14th Century. These churches are characterised by high roofs and tall, narrow steeples. Everything about them, including the roofs, furnishing, and decorations are made of wood, mostly local oak. Barsana Monastery Complex, perched on a low hill, has a number of ancillary wooden buildings, some as pretty as the church, and the colourful setting of the whole complex is stunning.
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina are another significant cultural heritage spot. Seven of the churches here are part of the UNESCO heritage list. We visited the one at Voronet, near the town of Gura Humorului. A multitude of pictures cover every inch of the external walls of the small church. While some depict the life of Jesus, others portray Orthodox saints, angels and demons, in heaven or hell. They are regarded fine examples of Byzantine art. While some of the pictures on the exterior have faded, those inside are in fine condition. Their beauty will leave you speechless. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the church.
The rugged, lush terrain of Romania offers ample camping and trekking opportunities. It has something to offer for the driving enthusiast as well. The Transfaragasan, running north-south through the heart of Romania, is considered one of the most scenic highways in the world. The northern slope of the highway winds through a series of loops, and the scenic views of barren terrain all around are brilliant.
Some of the Romanian countryside looks like villages in Kerala, with their tiled houses, and courtyards with cows and scampering hens. There is an abundance of flowers around most households. While most Romanians do not speak English, those at hotels and shops manage a few words. In spite of this, they were kind and helpful, trying to guide us with gestures and Romanian words. One of the very interesting visits we made was to the ‘Merry Cemetery’ (Cimitirul Vesel in Romanian), at the village of Sapanta, on the remote northern corner of Romania. The credit for this curious spectacle goes to a local craftsman and wood-carver, Stan Ioan Patras. He wanted to make death an occasion for joy and hope. Hence, in the 1930s, he started to design unique headstones for each of the deceased. The oak slab headstone holds a picture of the deceased, which signifies his/her profession, or highlights a unique moment in his/her life, together with a hilarious, anecdotal epitaph from the person’s life, and topped with a unique cross in blue (signifying heaven, to where the deceased should hope to proceed to). The overall effect is surprisingly merry. After Ioan’s death in 1977, his apprentice, Dumitru Pop, carries on the work even today.
Sighisoara is a medieval citadel, right in the middle of Romania, which too is on the UNESCO heritage list. Dated in the 12th Century, the village has been carefully preserved in its original condition. The Salina Turda, a defunct salt mine, which calls itself the “coolest underground place in the world”, is yet another attraction for the traveller. Indeed, you do feel the chill the moment you step on the stairway leading to the pit. The mine is surprisingly well-maintained, and even offers boating in an underground lake. We also made the obligatory visit to the Bran (‘Dracula’) Castle, near the city of Brasov, which was actually the palace of Count Vlad, a cruel local despot, whose life is believed to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker to create the character of Dracula.
