Photos from Romania

The Tartaria Tablets

2011-02-27T09:22:00.007+02:00

The famous tables are inscribed with symbols that, at the time of their discovery, were considered to be samples of Sumerian proto-writing. Newest methods of dating them entitled some researchers to state that the tablets could represent the oldest writing in the world. Subsequent radiocarbon dating on the Tãrtãria finds pushed the date of the tablets much further back, to as long ago as 5500 BC, more than 1000 years before the first Sumerian form of writing.

Tărtăria is a rural village from Romania of 5,000 inhabitants. It is located in Transylvania in the Western area of Romania famous in roman times for its gold mines.

The tablets were found in 1961 at about 30 km from the city of Alba Iulia by Nicolae Vlassa, an archaeologist at the Cluj Museum. At the bottom of a hill in a pit filled with ash he found three inscribed but unbaked clay tablets, together with 26 clay and stone figurines and a shell bracelet, accompanied by the burnt, broken, and disarticulated bones of an adult male.

The real size of the tablets can be observed in the following photography:

The tablets can be found now at the National Transylvanian History Museum from Cluj-Napoca.

If the symbols are indeed a form of writing, then the writing in the Danubian culture would far predate the earliest Sumerian cuneiform script or Egyptian hieroglyphs. They would thus be the world's earliest known form of writing.
This mind blowing hypothesis would revolutionize the ancient history as we know it now.

The Salt Mine from Cacica

2011-01-02T12:05:00.015+02:00

Cacica is a village in Northen Romania, Suceava county, in the region called Bucovina. It is not far from the major Bucovina's attractions (the painted monasteries).

Situated 18km away from Gura Humorului, the Cacica salt mine represents an important tourist attraction of the region.

The access road is pretty good with only a few minor tricky parts.

In the village lives also an important Polish community (more than 20% of the population).

Cacica has an impressive history, for a small village. Because it is located at the boundary between the mountains and hills regions, the climate made possible the formation of salt deposits many thousands years ago.

The name of "Cacica" has its origins in the Polish "kaczika", meaning "duck", because there used to be many lakes with wild ducks in the region.

The salt extraction was not a mystery in these regions even from the prehistoric ages (many primitive objects used for salt extraction were found by archaeologists).

Cacica Salt Mine is one of the oldest exploitations of salt recrystallized from brine from Europe.

Salt extraction dates back from the period of Cris culture from early Neolithic (5th millennium, before Christ).

Begun by the order of Empress Maria Theresa, the salt mine was manually dug out and opened in 1791.

The salt mine is open to tourist visits. The ticket costs 10 Lei (around 2.5 €) for an adult.
The temperature inside the mine is a constant 10°C.

In the first room, 25-29 meters deep, a Roman-Catholic chapel was built in 1806 from the initiative of the Polish priest Jakub Bogdanowicz. It’s called the Church St. Barbara (Varvara), and was a praying site for all the miners who worked there, and even today service is held. To reach the chapel, you have to go down a ladder with almost 200 steps.

The orthodox chapel situated 35 meters deep was built in a gallery dug directly into the salt.

Sculptures carved in the salty rock were created by young artists. The sculptures have religious themes, some being similar models with the ones from Wieliczka salt mine near Krakow.

On the right side there is the icon of St. Daniel the Hermit

Adam and Eve, biblical scene.

Further below, more steps… and another gallery (35 meters deep) that leads to a small salty lake manually dug by miners. The Brine Lake is located 42m underground, its dimensions being 10 x 6m and 1,5 - 2,5 m deep. The saturated brine in which salt crystals formed throughout time can be seen in the poor light.

There is a wooden raft on the lake, which used to carry guests invited at the parties organized in the Ball Room.

King Carol I had a row on this raft in 1902.

The young people who were about to get married publicly confirmed their intentions with a row on the lake.

Next comes the Ball room, or festivities room.

The dimensions on the hall are 24x12x6 m. It is manually sculptured and the dowels, which once supported the lightening chandeliers can be seen on the ceiling.

There are 8200 galleries that were all manually dug out, reinforced with wood and in a perfect condition today.

In 1886 the underground transport facilities were modernized. At that time the mine was one of the modern mines of Europe. The productions of salt in 1886 was of around 5500 tones.

At the bottom of the mine there is a sport field with a wooden floor used for volleyball, football or handball.

The giant salt mountain in Cacica can provide enough salt for the entire Europe for the next 400 years!

This is great place to spent a few days in relaxation and cure at the salt mine which treats a lot of pulmonary and rheumatism diseases.

Humor Monastery

2010-12-31T10:20:00.015+02:00

While the Voronet Monastery is well known for its frescoes dominated by a distinctive blue color, the Humor Monastery is renowned for the reddish color (obtained from oriental madder pigment) used to paint the biblical scenes on its outer walls.

The master painter responsible for Humor's frescoes, which were painted in 1535, is one Toma of Suceava.

Humor Monastery is located in the village with the same name, Mănăstirea Humorului, about 5 km north of the town of Gura Humorului. It is a monastery for nuns dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary. It was constructed in 1530 by Voievod Petru Rareş.

Petru Rares and his wife are both buried in the monastery church as well.

The monastery was built over the foundation of a previous monastery that dated from around 1415. The ruins of the first church of Humor can be found at a distance of 500 meters from the new one.

The monastery, located on the Humor river, is surrounded by hills with forests. The beautiful site attracts thousands of tourists every year. There are numerous accommodation possibilities in the village or even in the Gura Humorului town. The accomodation prices start from 20€ for a double room.

This is a great spot from which you can visit all the famous monasteries from the north of Moldova region of Romania.

The small church, with a wide open porch arched on three sides, has a vault which is similar to the one at Moldovita except that the one at Humor seems to be floating, a sample of Byzantine art highly appreciated by architect experts. The open porch is separated from the nave by three columns connected through broken arches which have crossed vaults. The windows frames are Gothic. The open porch with arcades was the first of its kind to be built in Bucovina, an innovation influenced by both the local building tradition (veranda, terrace) and the foreign Renaissance (the lodge found later in the Brancovan style). Another innovation is the tainiţa (a hidden place) above the burial-vault, precious objects were kept there, especially in difficult times.

The defense tower was built by Vasile Lupu in 1641.

Humor was one of the first of Bucovina's painted monasteries to be frescoed and, along with Voronet is probably the best preserved.

The Last Judgment, placed on the wall beneath the unusual open porch, is similar to the Voronet one, but, unfortunately, the Tree of Jesse has been effaced by erosion. The significant difference is that the Devil is portrayed as the Scarlet Woman, though this patch is now so faint, that it has become nearly invisible. Such misogyny had its counterpart in the peasant conception of Hell, assumed to be a cavern upheld by seven old women who had surpassed Satan in wickedness during their lifetimes. Since the women are mortal, the legend goes, the Devil (Dracul) must constantly search the world for replacements - and he never fails to find them.

Another famous exterior painting, Hymn to the Virgin, has been inspired by the poem written by Patriarch Serghei of Constantinople, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who is reputed to have saved the city during the attack of the Persians in 626. The Persians are, however, depicted as Turks which is a common device in these monasteries, their paintings being used in part for political propaganda in addition to their spiritual meaning. The Siege of Constantinople, displayed on a large surface, in a central position, also suggests Moldavians’ wish to defeat their enemies, the Turks.

If you pay a visit to the monastery you can also admire or even buy the handicraft objects sold by the locals just outside the monastery walls. Wooden carved icons, colorful carpets, regional costumes, wooden kitchen cutlery and many more handmade objects can be purchased as a memory of this beautiful place.

Romanian Tourism Map from 1938

2010-09-03T07:23:00.005+03:00

This old map depicts Romanian territories and cities in the period between the first and the second World War.
The beautiful cities icons show what was the most representative fact about those places.
From the wooden churches in Maramures (north-west side) to the seaside resorts at the Black Sea, the country is full of touristic attractions. Considering the year, 1938, this is an extraordinary fact.
You can also observe by looking on the map different customs and traditions of people from different regions of the country.
A country with so old touristic sites, of course, worths some visits.

Moldovita Monastery

2010-02-23T21:01:00.006+02:00

The Moldoviţa Monastery (Romanian: Mânăstirea Moldoviţa) is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviţei, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania.

The Monastery was built in 1532 by Petru Rares, who was Stefan the Great's son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East.

It is one of the five monasteries in Northern Moldavia with frescoes painted on the outer walls.

Moldoviţa's frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well preserved. The predominantly yellow-and-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox art: a procession of saints leads up to the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her lap, above the narrow east window; the "Tree of Jesse" springs from a recumbent Jesse at the foot of the wall to marshal the ancestry of Christ around the Holy Family; The "Siege of Constantinople" commemorates the intervention of the Virgin in saving the city of Constantinople from Persian attack in A.D. 626.

In 1607 Bishop Efrem of Rădăuţi built the solid precinct wall with three towers. The gate tower and the southeast corner tower are square, but the northeast corner tower is round. A vaulted gateway leads through the gate tower into the compound. The arch of the gateway is decorated with carved stone rosettes. In the northwest corner of the compound is a two-store building, the former "clisiarniţa", or treasury house. Now the building is the monastery museum.

The museum of the monastery holds manuscripts dating the 15th century, manuscripts which make references to the way the monastery school used to be organized and to any other general cultural activities.

Although the monastery is visited by hundreds of people daily, the nuns that live there can hardly be seen, as they lead a very reserved life. They either work in the household, in the painting and embroidery workshops or they use their talent to create icons in miniature from porcelain dust.

Salistea de Sus village

2010-02-20T08:01:00.013+02:00

Săliştea de Sus is a village situated on the Iza river in Maramures region of Romania. Traveling from Borsa to Sighetu Marmaţiei I stopped for a while in this place, attracted by the tower of a wooden church built on a hill.

There are two wooden churches in this village both of them named after Saint Nicholas.

One was built downhill in 1722 by the Bâleni family on the place of an older one that was burn during a Tatar invasion. It has original paintings on the interior walls and icons from 18th century.

The other wooden church (the one in the pictures) dates from 1650 and was built by the Nistor family. This church was burned too by the Tatar in 1717 and rebuilt after that.
The legend says that when the church was set on fire a women hiding in the bushes waited for the Tatars to go away and then carried water with a bucket and extinguished the fire.

Built in the specific Maramuresian architectural style with wood brought from "Gruiul Rusului" it is the only wooden church in Maramures with two towers. From the initial paintings you can hardly see any parts nowadays.
Anyway, some wooden icons are still kept inside.

The church is surrounded by a cemetery with the particularity that on every cross along with the name of the man buried there is also written his profession.

The settlement name appears for the first time in 1365 in a diploma given by Hungarian king Ludovic the First to voievode Balc, son of Sas. The village was given to Balc among with other territories from Maramures. All these lands belonged earlier to voivode Bogdan and to his sons.

The main occupation of the people here, was, and still is, the agriculture and mainly the animal growth.

The first documented mentioning of a school here dates back in 1792 in a report of the bishop Andrei Bacinschi

The beautiful village struggles between the traditional way o life learned from their ancestors and the use of all the new technologies.

Romania, simply surprising

2010-02-16T19:31:00.006+02:00

These videos are part of a campaign that promotes Romania as a tourism destination.
Enjoy the movies.

Voroneţ Monastery

2010-01-09T18:39:00.007+02:00

The monastery is located in the northern part of Moldova (in Bucovina) in a in the town of Gura Humorului.
The church inside the monastery, named after the Great Saint George, is possibly the most famous church in Romania. It is known throughout the world for its exterior frescoes of bright and intense colors, and for the hundreds of well-preserved figures placed against the renowned azurite background.

The church was built in 1488, in only 3 months and three weeks as it is written on the commemorative inscription placed above the original entrance.
The interior paintings were completed in 1496.
The architecture is representative for the Moldavian style.

A legend tells us that Stephen the Great, in a moment of crisis during a war against the Ottoman Turks, came to Daniel the Hermit at his skete in Voroneţ and asked for advice. After he won the battle against the Turks, keeping his promise to the monk, the Prince built a new church, dedicated to Saint George, the "bringer of victory in battle".

The small windows, their rectangular frames of crossed rods and the receding pointed or shouldered arches of the interior doorframes are Gothic. The south and north doors of the exonarthex of 1547 have rectangular frames, which indicate a transition period from Gothic to Renaissance. But, above them, on each wall is a tall window with a flamboyant Gothic arch.

On the north façade is still visible the original decoration of the church, the rows of ceramic enamelled discs in yellow, brown and green, decorated in relief. These include heraldic motifs, such as the rampant lion and the aurochs' head of the Moldavian coat of arms, and creatures inspired by Western European mediaeval literature, such as two-tailed mermaids. The tower is decorated with sixteen tall niches, in four of which are windows. A row of small niches encircles the tower above them. The fragmented roof probably follows the shape of the original roof, which doubtless was made with shingles.

Often known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East", the frescoes at Voroneţ feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as "Voroneţ blue". The exterior walls — including a representation of the Last Judgment on the west wall — were painted in 1547 with a background of vivid cerulean blue. This blue is so vibrant that art historians refer to Voroneţ blue the same way they do Titian red.

The church is one of the Painted churches of northern Moldavia listed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.

The Sapanta-Peri Monastery

2009-04-26T09:55:00.012+03:00

Very close to Sapanta village there is the Peri Monastery which has the tallest wooden church in the world, 78 meters tall.

This monastery lies in a very picturesque dendrological garden, in the middle of a fairy-tale old forest.

The church is placed on a stone pedestal and is built of oak in the style typical of this region.

The monastery was newly erected in 2003 to replace a very old one, destroyed and plundered by the Hungarian Protestants in 1703.

On top of the very tall wooden roof there is an iron cross, 7 meters tall, weigthing 400 kilos.

Prislop Pass

2009-04-17T09:05:00.013+03:00

Prislop Pass (in Romanian : Pasul Prislop) is a mountain pass in northern Romania, connecting the historical regions of Maramureş and Bucovina over the Rodna Mountains, in the Eastern Carpathians.

The Prislop Pass is situated at an altitude of 1,416 meters, being the highest pass in Romania.

Having a length of 50 km and a width that varies between 30 and 40 km it offers you a great view of the Maramures and Rodna mountains with the Ineu (2279m) and Pietrosu (2303m) peaks.

The road that goes through the pass (DN18) connects the localities Borsa from Maramures with Câmpulung Moldovenesc from Suceava county.

In the second Sunday of August here it takes place the folk festival "Hora de la Prislop" celebrating the descending of the sheeps flocks from the mountains.

Cetatuia monastery in times of war and peace

2009-02-15T10:09:00.008+02:00

Surrounded by vineyards, orchards and forests Cetatuia monastery is located on a hill next to the city of Iasi.

The monastery was built in 1669 by Duca Voda a Moldavian leader.

Used in times of war as a defense rampart the monastery is surrounded with a thick stone wall with loop hole openings, used in medieval times for shooting at approaching enemies.

The church and all the other buildings around served as a hospital for the wounded Romanian soldiers of the World War I.

The monastery was also a shelter of culture having it's own printing house. Dimitrie Cantemir and the metropolit Dosoftei stayed and worked here.

Chiril Village - A corner of heaven

2009-01-31T10:08:00.013+02:00

Placed on the Chiril valley, the village with the same name is a little corner of heaven.

Situated at an altitude of 740 meters, the village is a starting point for some of the climbing routes on the Rarau mountain.

From Chiril you can get easily to Vatra Dornei (24 kilometers), Zugreni lodge (5 km) Lady's Rocks and Rarau Hotel by climbing on the mountain.

Bistrita river crosses the village along with the road.

The houses are made of wood, with stone foundation.

There are some guesthouses where you can stay for prices around 20€ for a room per night.
The conditions are very good and they can provide meals too.

Barboi Church

2009-01-17T21:17:00.013+02:00

The Barboi Church, Iasi, January 2009

The Saint Peter and Paul Barboi church it's a historical monument of art and architecture.
The first founder was Ioan Ursu Barboi who built a church on this spot in 1615 and called it the "Holy Friday".

The church was rebuilt between 1841 and 1844 from the order of Dimitrie Sturdza. It now houses the graves of important Sturdza family members. The poet Alecu Russo is also buried here.
Between 1863 and 1865 in the parochial house lived as a "diacon" the great writer Ion Creangă .
In the tower was found the library of the writer Costache Conachi .

The architect that built the Byzantine church was Andrei Caridi (Karidis). The interior of the church was built of stone and brick.

Being located in the center of Iasi city the church was surrounded with buildings, loosing a part of it's beauty.

Ion Creangă's Memorial House

2009-01-11T10:53:00.015+02:00

Ion Creangă was one of the greatest Romanian writer and storyteller.

He was born in the village of Humuleşti, located in the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians, in northern Moldavia, in 1837 as himself describes :

"I am born at March 1 1837 in Humulesti village, Neamt county, from Romanian parents: Stefan of Petrea the shoemaker and his wife Smaranda, born David Creanga, from Pipirig village, Neamt county..."

The house in the picture above is the house in which he was born and lived before leaving for school.

This is the wooden cradle in which his mother was lulling him as a baby while she was spinning the wool.

As the first child of eight, Creangă's mother wanted him to be educated for Orthodox priesthood, traditionally a prestigious position in the village community.

Details of Creangă's youth can be extracted from his greatest autobiographic work Amintiri din copilărie ("Memories of My Boyhood"). He began his education in Humuleşti, then he studied briefly at Broşteni before returning home and enrolling at a school in the neighbouring Târgu Neamţ. After a year at the seminary in Fălticeni, Creangă left for Iaşi, the Moldavian capital, where he continued to prepare for priesthood at the school of the Socola Monastery.

The house from Humulesti was built by Petrea Ciubotariul, Creangă's grandfather in 1830.
From 1951 it was turned into a museum opened to the public.

Romanian Traditions : Net Fishing

2009-01-03T11:33:00.013+02:00

In a poor village like Ranzesti fishing is the main way to make a living. The young boy in the above picture is using a fishing line to catch fish.

A better way to catch fish is using a fishing-net. This usually involves more than 3 people, depending on the length of the net.

Children and old people are often involved in fishing too. In these pictures the whole family participates.

The net has to be very well stretched to catch as many fish as possible.

Because the river is shallow they can enter the water easily. The net has to be fixed strongly in the ground to resist the stream.

After some time the net is carefully removed from the water to gather the fish caught.
Unfortunately they weren't so lucky, they caught only a few small fish .

Other Romanian Traditions :
Smoked Meat Preparation

Quiet Village

2009-01-02T23:24:00.002+02:00

Ranzesti Village, Vaslui County, August 2006

Frumoasa Monastery

2008-12-29T11:44:00.002+02:00

Frumoasa Monastery, Iasi, November 2008

A village

2008-12-25T16:27:00.002+02:00

Chiril village, November 2008
Chiril is a very beautiful and quiet village situated near Rarau mountains.

Lady's Rocks

2008-12-24T18:42:00.002+02:00

Lady's Rocks ("Pietrele Doamnei" in Romanian), Rarau Mountains, November 2008

Art Museum

2008-12-06T09:49:00.002+02:00

The Art Museum, Piatra Neamt, November 2008

Deers in Winter

2008-11-28T19:00:00.005+02:00

"Rezervaţia de Zimbri Dragoş Vodă", Neamţ County, November 2008

"Rezervaţia de zimbri şi faună carpatină Dragoş Vodă", was opened in 1968. It is spread on a 11.500 ha area, being one of the four protected areas in the Natural Park Vânători-Neamţ.
More pictures from the natural park here.

Neamt Monastery

2008-11-27T20:50:00.002+02:00

Neamt Monastery, November 2008

Old Houses

2008-11-19T20:15:00.002+02:00

Brasov, August 2006

More about Brasov.

Roznovanu Palace

2008-11-15T14:34:00.004+02:00

The Roznovanu Palace, Iasi, October 2008

The palace that hosts today the City Hall was built at the end of the XVIII-th century. Between 1830 and 1833 the building was restored by the well--known architect Johan Freywald.

Frumoasa Monastery

2008-11-02T20:52:00.001+02:00

Frumoasa Monastery, Iasi, November 2008
In Romanian language "Frumoasa" means "the beautiful"

Romanian Traditions : Smoked Meat Preparation

2008-10-18T09:26:00.013+03:00

The work started early in the morning when the sun showed it's face over the hills.

The first thing we needed was water.
Since this custom takes place in winter the water was frozen.

Since that winter a lot of puppies were born i had to feed them.

As you can see they were very hungry ...

Since the sun got higher and higher into the sky we had to hurry and start the work.

First we started the fire.

The smokery is made by a tunnel dug into the ground. At one end of the tunnel in a bigger hole a iron barrel is mounted. At the other end of the tunnel the fire is lit. The smoke produced by the fire goes through the tunnel into the barrel.

The meat is hung with some hooks on some iron thin bars in the barrel.

The meat was kept for several days before the smoking in salty water with spices (garlic, pepper, thyme, etc ). We smoked pork that day, but all kings of meat can be smoked.

After the meat is arranged the barrel is covered with some old blankets or rugs.
The meat is kept there for several hours. Once in a while you can check if it's done.
Meanwhile the fire must be maintained at a steady level.

After the meat is done it should be left to cool down.

The hooks can be removed ant the delicious meat can be tasted.

On the road to Durau

2008-10-05T11:07:00.003+03:00

Durau, May 2008

Black Church Walls

2008-10-03T18:45:00.004+03:00

The Black Church, Brasov, August 2006

The Black Church is one of the most important and doubtlessly the most imposing monument built by the German people from Transylvania in Their 850 years of history. The name "Black Church" was conferred to the main Evangelic - Lutheran Church of German language from Brasov after the catastrophic fire in 1689, when the whole city was actually burnt. The flames and the smoke blackened its walls, but the sumptuousness and the greatness of the church couldn't be destroyed.
The Black Church, having a length of 89m, is the biggest Gothic church between Vienna and Constantinopole. It's building was begun in the Gothic style in 1383 on the place of a church from the first half of the 13th century; its first head being the priest Thomas Sander. Being finished to a great extent, the church was seriously damaged during the first Turkish invasion in 1421. The building was finished and the church was dedicated until 1477, its patron being the Holy Virgin.
Nowadays the church has only three from the six bells which existed at first. The big bell, having a 6300 kilos weight, is the biggest church bell in Romania. It has an extremely beautiful sound and it can be heard on the occasion of the great church holidays.

Red Roofs

2008-09-13T08:44:00.002+03:00

Brasov, August 2006

Grand Hotel Traian

2008-09-06T09:41:00.004+03:00

Grand Hotel Traian, Iasi, August 2008

Back in 1882, Gustave Eiffel, the "master of engineering", was finishing the last details of an architectural masterpiece. Not in Paris or Vienna, nor Saigon or the United States, but in Iasi, on Romanian land, one of centers that gathered the knowledge and forces of the whole country.
Two years before Gustave Eiffel became famous for the Statue of Liberty, the American symbol, and seven years before erecting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the master from Cote d’Or gave birth to a neoclassical masterpiece here in Iasi, Unirii Square: TRAÍAN Grand Hotel.

Dance of the bear

2008-08-30T22:18:00.005+03:00

Dance of the bear, New Year custom, Targu Neamt, January 2007

"Walking with the bear" custom is meet only in Moldavia, region of Romania, in Neamt, Suceava and Bacau counties."The bear" is a young boy wearing on his shoulders a bear pelt. It is followed by other boys singing with whistles and drums. It is said that the dance conjure the gods to bring fertility for the soil in the new year.

Lake

2008-08-30T00:07:00.001+03:00

Rezervatia de zimbri, Neamt County, May 2008

Coach Walks

2008-08-26T07:43:00.001+03:00

Coach for renting, Botosani, August 2008

The Poet

2008-08-20T07:52:00.003+03:00

National theatre and Vasile Alecsandri statue, Iasi, February 2006

Museum

2008-08-18T18:50:00.002+03:00

Museum, Botosani, August 2008
The building was built between 1906 and 1914 after the plans of the architect Petre Antonescu

prefectura

Catholic Church

2008-08-15T22:36:00.002+03:00

Catholic Church, Iasi, April 2008

Old Buildings

2008-08-12T22:13:00.002+03:00

Brasov, August 2006

The Palace

2008-08-11T19:42:00.002+03:00

Culture Palace, Iasi, May 2005
About the Culture Palace here.
More photos of the palace.

Deers

2008-08-10T11:54:00.004+03:00

"Rezervaţia de Zimbri Dragoş Vodă", Neamţ, December 2006

"Rezervaţia de zimbri şi faună carpatină Dragoş Vodă", has been opened in 1968. It is spread on a 11.500 ha area, beeing one of the four protected areas in the Natural Park Vânători-Neamţ.
More picture from the natural park here.

Dracula Castle ?

2008-08-09T14:28:00.003+03:00

Bran Castle, August 2006
Bran Castle, situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, on Highway 73. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle", it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula, which has led to persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad Ţepeş, ruler of Wallachia.
The castle is now a museum open to tourists, displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie. Tourists can see the interior individually or by a guided tour. At the bottom of the hill is a small open air museum park exhibiting traditional Romanian peasant structures (cottages, barns, etc.) from across the country.

Wood Chalet

2008-08-08T07:08:00.001+03:00

Vatra Dornei, May 2008

Fortress

2008-08-07T07:06:00.001+03:00

Neamt Fortress, Targu Neamt, December 2006

Cerna River

2008-08-06T21:49:00.004+03:00

Cerna River, December 2007
The picture was taken from a bridge in Baile Herculane

Vatra Dornei

2008-08-05T07:09:00.000+03:00

Vatra Dornei, May 2008

Over the wall

2008-08-04T08:02:00.002+03:00

Saint George Church (Sfantul Gheorghe), Harlau, April 2005

More about this church here.

Street Exposition

2008-08-03T08:01:00.005+03:00

Street exposition, Iasi, September 2006

The Paintings are exposed on the main alley of the park in front of the National Theatre Vasile Alecsandri. It is an open market where you can negotiate the price directly with the artist.

The Red Lake

2008-08-02T08:03:00.004+03:00

The Red Lake, Harghita county, May 2008

The Red Lake (Lacu Rosu) is located in the Oriental Carpathians, surrounded by Ceahlau and Hasmasu Mare mountains. It is a unique region in the world, where the ever green pine forests and the fresh air gives perfect relaxation conditions. It is the only natural dam lake, created in 1837 in the Bicaz Valley. The Bicaz Gorge (Cheile Bicazului) can be founded nearby.

The Palace

2008-08-01T06:48:00.011+03:00

Culture Palace, Iasi, March 2005

The palace construction was carried out between the years 1906–1925 on the old ruins of the Royal Court of Moldavia and it is designed in flamboyant neo-Gothic style. The palace counts 298 rooms and has a total room surface of about 36 000 m². Four museums are located in the Palace of Culture :

* The Art Museum has the largest art collection in Romania, with more than 8,000 paintings, out of which 1,000 belong to the national and universal patrimony. The gallery contains works by artists such as Caravaggio, Paolo Veronese, Pietro Liberi, Carlo Dolci, Salvator Rosa, Francesco Solimena, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Anthony van Dyck, Jan Both, Bartholomeus van der Helst, Egbert van Heemskerk II, Nicolas Poussin, Philippe de Champaigne, Eustache Le Sueur, Guillaume Coustou, François Boucher, and many others.

* The Moldavian History Museum offers more than 35,000 objects from various fields: archaeology, numismatics, decorative art, ancient books, documents, etc. One of the oldest items, a 70,000-year-old mammoth skull, is from the Middle Palaeolithic Era. Among other items of significance are pottery from the Cucuteni culture, Dacian, Sarmatian, Gothic, and Roman artifacts, and armory and other items of the Middle Ages.

* The Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia owns more than 11,000 objects depicting the Romanian advance through the ages.

* The Museum of Science and Technology offers many old musical devices.

Mountain Cows

2008-07-31T07:13:00.002+03:00

Vatra Dornei, May 2008

Red Town

2008-07-30T07:11:00.005+03:00

Brasov, upper view, August 2006

The city was first atested in the 13th century under the name Corona. The current Romanian and Hungarian names are derived from the Pecheneg word, barasu, meaning "fortress". On Tâmpa Mountain, located on the southern side of the city, there was a citadel called Brassovia, which gave both the Romanian and the Hungarian name of the city.
The first attested mention of Braşov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras"), in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City", and is reflected in the city's coat of arms, as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The three names of the city (Braşov/Brassó, Kronstadt, and Corona) were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages.

Vineyard

2008-07-29T07:07:00.003+03:00

Vineyard, Husi, July 2007

Surrounded by hills covered with vineyards, orchards and forests, like a fortress of nature, the little town of Husi resurrects to life every time the light and chilly waft of wind whispers names like Alexandru cel Bun or Stefan cel Mare, great Moldavian rulers.

Bear Pelt

2008-07-28T07:06:00.002+03:00

Bran Castle Interior, August 2006

Lost in the Green

2008-07-27T11:20:00.005+03:00

Bridge (Viaduct) near the Bicaz Dam, May 2008

Green Hills

2008-07-26T09:09:00.000+03:00

Vatra Dornei, May 2008

Fireplace

2008-07-25T07:11:00.003+03:00

Old house interior in Hobita, December 2007.
See also Old House Interior and Infinite Column

Forest House

2008-07-24T07:17:00.001+03:00

Bran Castle Park, August 2006

Wooden Church

2008-07-23T06:49:00.001+03:00

Durau, Neamt County, May 2008

Rope Street

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Rope Street, Brasov, August 2006
The narrowest street in Europe - 1.32 meters wide and 83 meters long - embodies the town-planning tendencies of the medieval Brasov. It was documentary attested in the XVII century.

Architecture

2008-07-21T07:05:00.005+03:00

Decebal Hotel, Baile Herculane , December 2007

Castle

2008-07-20T18:13:00.002+03:00

Bran Castle, August 2006

River

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Cerna River, Caras Severin county, December 2007

Pasture

2008-07-18T07:27:00.004+03:00

Piatra Craiului Mountains, August 2006

Cetatuia Monastery

2008-07-17T06:42:00.006+03:00

Cetatuia Monastery Courtyard, Iasi, July 2008
The monastery was built in 1669 by Duca Voda a Moldavian leader. Over the years the old buildings were transformed into ruins, so they had to be rebuilt. The inauguration of the new buildings, lead by king Carol I, took place in 1911. At the same event Romanian pioneer Aurel Vlaicu made the first flight in Iasi with the flying machine that he invented.

Seagulls

2008-07-16T07:23:00.004+03:00

Costinesti, The Black Sea Seaside, August 2007

Old Chalet

2008-07-15T12:46:00.003+03:00

Old chalet somewhere in Piatra Craiului Mountains, August 2006

Road

2008-07-14T07:09:00.002+03:00

Durau, Neamt county, May 2008

Roof statue

2008-07-13T07:32:00.005+03:00

Baile Herculane, December 2007
The first documentary attestation of The Herculane spa dates back in 153. It was an attraction site for the antic Rome aristocrats that were aware of the healing powers of the waters from the Cerna Valley.
The existence of the baths in The Herculane resort dates back even earlier in time. Human existence in these places is certified by numerous archaeological discoveries. The stones tools and weapons found during the diggings on the archaeological site "The Outlaws Grotto", and in other places, as well as the pottery relics, reveal the fact that primitive civilization lived in this part of Romania.

Pond

2008-07-12T08:37:00.002+03:00

Botanical Garden, Iasi, May 2007

Infinite Column

2008-07-11T07:26:00.003+03:00

Infinite Column, sculpture made by Constantin Brancusi, Targu Jiu, December 2007

Sunset

2008-07-10T07:29:00.004+03:00

Tismana Monastery, December 2007

Black Church

2008-07-09T12:53:00.002+03:00

Black Church, Brasov, August 2006

Deers

2008-07-08T12:57:00.004+03:00

"Rezervatia de zimbri", Targu Neamt, December 2006

Donkeys

2008-07-08T00:26:00.003+03:00

Piatra Craiului Mountains, August 2006

Brasov

2008-07-07T00:04:00.001+03:00

Brasov, August 2006

Saint George

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Saint George Church (Sfantul Gheorghe), Harlau, April 2005

Saint George Church, a gorgeous architectural monument that was built by Stefan cel Mare in 1492, is the first monument with a great scenery painted outside.

Old House Interior

2008-07-06T00:39:00.015+03:00

Hobita, Gorj County, december 2007
This photo was taken in the memorial house where Constantin Brancusi, a Romanian sculptor, grew up.
More information about him on Wikipedia

Waves Symphony

2008-07-05T15:53:00.003+03:00

The Black Sea, Costinesti, August 2007

Mountain Cow

2008-07-05T08:09:00.003+03:00

Piatra Craiului, August 2006

Monastery Courtyard

2008-07-04T13:17:00.004+03:00

Neamt Monastery, December 2006
The first documentary attestation of Neamt Monastery dates back in 1407. It's the largest and the oldest monastic site in Moldova (region of Romania).

Theatre

2008-07-04T07:07:00.003+03:00

National Theatre Vasile Alecsandri, Iasi, April 2006

Old buildings

2008-07-03T20:30:00.002+03:00

Brasov, August 2006

Cold Winter

2008-07-03T07:27:00.002+03:00

The Railstation, Baile Herculane, January 2008

Ruin

2008-07-02T23:01:00.006+03:00

"Cetatea Neamt", Targu Neamt, December 2006
The Moldavian Neamt Fortress was built at the end of the XIV-th century by Petru I (1374-1391).

Palace of Culture

2008-07-02T06:59:00.005+03:00

Palace of Culture, Iasi, May 2005

Working old man

2008-07-01T19:52:00.003+03:00

Vatra Dornei, Suceava County, May 2008

Beautiful lake

2008-07-01T07:43:00.001+03:00

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Bicaz Lake, May 2008

Deers

2008-06-30T22:36:00.004+03:00

"Rezervatia de zimbri", Targu Neamt, December 2006

Zimbri

2008-06-30T22:31:00.003+03:00

"Rezervatia de zimbri", Targu Neamt, December 2006

Contact

2008-06-30T22:20:00.005+03:00

If you have any questions or feel the need to get in contact with me,
you can reach me by using this mail address