Romanian Stories

02/05/2021

HRISTOS A ÎNVIAT!
Cu TIHNĂ, SĂRBĂTORI în SUFLET !
Întoarcerea conştientă şi asumată la rãdăcini şi datini străvechi aduce bucuria şi împlinirea rostului.
Un c**t din " CASA-I MARE ", colțul meu de RAI din inima Clujului, str. Avram Iancu Nr 36.
Te invit cu drag la o bucată de tihnă şi la o poveste despre RECUNOŞTINȚĂ şi vremurile în care OMul manifesta ROSTul.
Cu drag şi bucurie,
Constantina cu Poveşti.

03/11/2017

"E timpul pentru ROST"
"ROST.12 Hotare"
Sânt locuri și oameni care mai păstrează vie flacăra Rostului.
De dincolo de timp pentru aduceri aminte.
Cine sântem cu adevărat?!?
Biserica de la Draghia este unul dintre acele locuri.Cheia ușii este de 311 ani la aceeași familie.
Să ne " re-amintim" ce-nseamnă .
Esențe.Gusturi. Stări Românești by Răzvan A.Voiculescu
București 27.11.2017 lansarea la JW Marriott sala Ballroom.
Este piesa finală a trilogiei dedicate românesc.
" Avem un .Îl păstrăm"

30/01/2017

BARSANA WOODEN CHURCH
The site dedicated to “Virgin’s Mary Entry in the Church” was built in 1720 and it was moved several times from one location to another until 1806, the year since when the present construction dates. The church is unique due to the portico on two levels, an architectural detail that is relatively rare in the Romanian edifices of this type.
The original paintings that were created by renowned popular painters can still be seen in the nave and in the sanctuary. Among all the churches in Maramures, this is the most coherent decorative ensemble structured according to the laws of the Baroque art. An impressive monarchal centre, obviously made of wood, was also built in Barsana in the recent years.
Photo source: Mapio

18/01/2017

După doi ani de muncă, echipa franceză de documentariști condusă de DEIMIEN a finalizat și lansat un film care, cu siguranță, va ajunge pe marile posturi

16/01/2017

GURA PORTITEI
Originally a fishing village, Portita is known today as one of the most reserved and quiet tourist destinations on the Romanian sea side, very popular and crowded in recent years. The access to Gura Portitei is usually made by boat from Jurilovca, Tulcea; with special vehicles it can be reached on the coastal road from Vadu, either from St. George.
The name was initially linked to existing communication between the Goloviţa Lake and the Black Sea closed in the 70s, which turned Lake Goloviţa into a closed lake with waters under desalination. The lake communicates to the north with Lake Razim and in the south with Sinoe Lake, through a locks system.
The area is part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
Photo source: Obiective Turistice Romania, Gura Portitei, Info Delta

22/12/2016

THE CALENDAR CASTLE
Istvan Ugron Baron’s Castle is also called The Calendar Castle and is located in the village Zau de Campie of Mures County. Although it is a beautiful monument, the castle is less known in Romania.
The Castle was built on the principles of a calendar: 365 windows (days of the year), four towers (the number of seasons), 52 rooms (weeks of the year), seven terraces (days of the week) and 12 suites (months of the year).
According to wikipedia.org, The Calendar Castle has functioned as summer residence of Istvan Ugron Baron. He was the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Russia. The castle’s construction began in 1911, lasted for three years and has a similar architecture of old French medieval castles.
The legend says that when he was in Russia, he felt in love with one of the Tsar Nicholas II’s daughters. But when the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, the entire family was murdered and the Baron withdrew from public life.
In communism, the castle-calendar has been taken by the state and received more destinations over time. The furniture was confiscated by the communist leadership and transferred to Turda. The castle was in turn sanatorium for TB patients, school and granary, and orphanage in the recent years.
Currently, The Calendar Castle is on the list of historical monuments in Romania and part of the heritage of Mures County Council. Unfortunately, the castle was damaged during the communist period and needs rehabilitation.
Last year, authorities announced that they are going to access European funds for the castle’s restoration. Now The Calendar Castle is closed, but the visitors can admire the outside and can stroll through the backyard.
Photo source: Great News

17/12/2016

Photo break: Red Winter

14/12/2016

COTROCENI PALACE
Initially built between 1679 and 1682 as residence for the Prince Serban Cantacuzino, the palace suffered transformations in 1893, when the King Carol I commissioned the architect of the Royal House, the Frenchman Paul Goutteau, to build on the site of the former princely houses, a palace intended for the heirs to the throne – Prince Ferdinand and Princess Maria. The interior of the Cotroceni Palace is intended to reconstruct as truthfully as possible, a certain style in decoration. Almost every room has a different style.
The part open for tourists is the Cotroceni National Museum, arranged in the wing used to be the quarters of the former Royal Family.
Photo source: Rolandia

08/12/2016

PREJMER PEASANT FORTIFIES CHURCH
The church of Prejmer was built between 1241 and 1250 in the early Gothic style with Cistercian influences, and was altered in 1512-1515. It preserves a priceless polyptic altar, painted in the 15th century and an organ dating from 1803. It is one of the biggest in South-eastern Europe.
It was fortified in the 15th-16th centuries, becoming the strongest peasant citadel in Transylvania. The defence wall has 4m thick and 14m high and special hiding functions. Each family in the village owned a special “rescue room”, inherited from generation to generation, where the families where having permanent stocks of food and drinks so they could save their lives at the moment of the enemy attacks.
Photo source: Alexandra Lazarescu

29/11/2016

FAGARAS FORTRESS
The most renowned fortified fortress in Transylvania is Fagaras, built with the purpose of defense against Turkish and Tartar invasions. Having the natural barriers of the Fagaras Mountains and the Olt River, it was built before 1300 on the site of a fortress made of wood and clay. In the 17th century, the fortress underwent many changes as its fortified centre was turned into a late Renaissance fortress-castle. The walls and towers are trapezoidal and the access inside is made with the aid of a bridge that runs above the defense lake surrounding the fortress. Today, the lake is conquered by many families of swans.
Photo source: Tripadvisor

21/11/2016

CLUJ-NAPOCA CITY
The city is a forward-looking, modern city. Ever open to the new, Cluj always kept pace with the time. The historical capital of Transylvania it has an enduring tradition and acknowledgement (in the 18th century the Piarists’ College was founded here, an educational institution comprising four faculties). Artistic events, as the Transylvania International Film Festival, festivals and art exhibitions (at the Art Museum situated in the Banffy Palace), pageants and high-life events complete the profile of a prestigious and imposing city.
The touristic attractions are numerous, the most important being: The Roman Catholic St. Michael’s Church (built in the 14th – 15th centuries in gothic style; its 80 m high neo-gothic tower was built in the 19th century and offers a great view over the city), the old citadel fortifications, the University Babes-Bolyai, The Tailors’ and the Cobblers’ Bastions, The Calvaria Church, The Piarists’ Church, Matei Corvin’s House, The Orthodox Cathedral (which combines Byzantine and Brancoveanu architectural styles and elements), The National Theatre, The Franciscans’ Complex, The Reformed Synagogue, The Botanical Garden (with over 10 000 species of plants throughout the world), Iuliu Maniu street (also known as The Street in the Mirror).
Photo source: Constantina Filip

16/11/2016

CHINDIEI TOWER OF TARGOVISTE
In Targoviste town there is an impressive tower with a great history behind: Chindiei Tower. It was built in the 15th century by the ruler Vlad Tepes (also known as Dracula) during his second reign for military purpose. The building served as guard point, fire tower, but also for storing treasures. Currently the building measures 27 m in height and 9 m in diameter.
Between 1847 and 1851 the tower was completely restored by Prince Gheorghe Bibescu. Its form is due to the prince, including the ascension to 5 m to the original construction.
Photo source: Cultural BZI

08/11/2016

Meet us at WTM London 2016 at the Romanian stand N9 EU750!

31/10/2016

TARGU JIU
Targu Jiu, which lies just to the south of the Carpathians Mountains, is built on the foundations of a Dacian village, surrounded by wild forests. The town is situated at the intersection of the roads coming from the Danube, Transylvania and Banat. The Roman army passed here during the wars against the Dacians. Later on, during the Middle Ages, it became a main commercial centre.
The city takes its name from the Jiu River, which flows through it on its way to the Danube. The city presents Brancovenesc architectural style with Oriental, French and German Renaissance influences.
But the main highlight of the city remain Constantin Brancusi’s masterpieces presents in the Central Park on the Heroes’ Street: The Endless Column, The Table of Silence and the Gate of the Kiss. The Table of Silence symbolizes the meeting of the future heroes before the battle and the 12 chairs around it are in form of clepsydras. The Gate of the Kiss is a symbol of marriage. The Endless Column of 30 m high is the most important piece of the ensemble, a tribute to the Romanians that died fighting in the First World War and is a representation of the funeral pillars used in the Southern Romania.
Calea Eroilor Monumental Ensemble of Targu Jiu was included in the European Patrimony in 2003.
Photo source: Trip advisor, EVZ

20/10/2016

IA – THE ROMANIAN BLOUSE
IA is a blouse, component of Romanian traditional costume, worn by women. It is made of white cotton cloth, linen or raw silk. It is adorned with embroidery with Romanian folk motifs especially at the sleeves, chest and neck. Some of them are embellished with beads or sequins.
The basic elements of Ia’s composition are the shoulder (seam connecting sleeve of the front and rear of the ia), wrinkle, altita (broadband richly decorated on the sleeve, that is the defining element of the model and is not repeated in any other part), rivers (straight or diagonal stripes on the chest and sleeves) and tacks (the seams joining pieces of material).
Embroidery patterns and ornaments differ from one area to another on the lands inhabited by Romanians, from the Dniester to the Hungarian border.
The chromatic differ from region to region and even from village to village in the same geographic region. E.g: Suceava has sober colors, but pleasant, natural (brown, tan, black, dark green), Campulung is full of red and black wire, Vrancea there is a strong geometry and strong colors (red, black, blue, green, ocher), in Ilfov use warm colors (with multiple shades of red, gold, ocher), in Gorj, especially in the north, using only black - clear influence from the "Sălişte" (Sibiu region). Instead composition, the reasons are very dynamic: cervix mill, stars, spirals, rams horns, hooks, etc.
Photo source: Ramanic Tour

19/10/2016

BANFFY CASTLE (BONTIDA)
Denes Banffy started the reconstruction of the castle in 1747, when Maria Tereza sent him in Transylvania as high dignitary in charge of the imperial stud farms. The new structures, inspired by the Viennese Imperial Baroque style consisted of a riding hall, stables and several quarters. The yard of honor was decorated with more than 30 baroque statues, representing characters from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Jozef Banffy tore down the gate building in 1820, thus enlarging the yard, and built a watermill near the castle. The English-style Park in the vicinity was also his achievement.
The estate was devastated in 1944, when the retraining German troops set in on fire and plundered it. In the Communism regime the castle was used as an agricultural cooperative headquarter. The estate is currently in a restoration and reconstruction process, meant to redeem it to its former glory.
Photo source: Libertatea pentru femei

18/10/2016

SIBIU CITY
Sibiu is situated on the site of the Roman settlement Cedonia and it was first mentioned in documents in the 12th century under the name Cibidium. Nineteen groups of workers in different crafts helped fortify the city, which at one point had 39 defense towers. Because of the economic power, the city enlarged outside the walls and became an important cultural center of Transylvania. Continuing this cultural heritage, in 2007 Sibiu granted the status of European Cultural Capital.
The Large Square was the center of the old fortress, initially a grain marker and then a place for public gatherings. It is dominated by the unmistakable outline of The Council Tower, a symbol in itself, mentioned even in the 14th century. The most important architectural monument in the square is the Brukenthal Palace, built in baroque style at the end of the 18th century, which shelters valuable art collections, being the first museum in the country.
The Small Square (the merchants and craftsmen square) is connected with the Large Square and the Huet Square by few narrow streets and arched corridors. The Bridge of Lies is the first cast iron bridge in Romania (1859) and is connected to many legends, according to which the person who lies on the bridge will cause it to collapse.
The Huet Square is dominated by the Evangelist Church, with a 73 m tall tower, the tallest in Transylvania. The Passage of the Stairs runs alongside medieval walls and connects the Lower City (the city’s oldest area) with the Upper City through stairs, passages, corridors and bastions, a great touristic attraction.
ASTRA MUSEUM is located two km away from the centre of Sibiu on the way to Rasinari. The open-air museum Dumbrava Sibiului is reminiscent of the rural atmosphere of the previous centuries. The museum houses almost 300 different homes and artifacts, including: peasant houses, folk art from the 13th to the 20th century, household objects, ceramics, furniture, and folk weavings. The museum is also the setting for frequent folk art fairs and folk shows.
• THE PASSAGE OF THE STAIRS runs alongside medieval walls and connects the “Lower City” (the city’s oldest area) with the “Upper City”, where Transylvanian Saxon colonists built the Evangelical Cathedral. This church is one of the main attractions of the city. It was erected on the foundations of a Roman basilica and houses a beautiful fresco of the Crucifixion, painted in 1445 by Johannes from Rosenaw (Rasnov); the largest mural painting and the largest polyptic shrine in Transylvania, and a Baroque-style organ from 1672. Every Saturday and Sunday, there are organ concerts held inside the church. As well, the view from the tower over the city and its surroundings is breath-taking.
• THE COUNCIL TOWER. Built between the 13th and the 14th centuries, the tower has his name from the adjacent building which was once the City Council. Destroyed by the earthquake of 1568, the tower was subsequently rebuilt and its present design goes back to 1826. It dominates the surrounding buildings and offers a great view over the city.

• THE BRIDGE OF LIES
At the end of the Small Square there is a cast iron bridge called the Bridge of Lies. This is the first iron bridge in Romania, built in 1859. The legend says that the merchants’ market was situated here and they did not always sell good-quality merchandise. When buyers would discover the deceit, the “lying” merchants would be thrown off the bridge.
Photo source: Sibiu 360

17/10/2016

TINOVUL MOHOS
Located close to the Lake Saint Ann in Harghita County in a crater of Ciomatu Massif, Tinovul Mohos is a natural reserve. It is the home of many rare species of plants, some unique in Romania. Tinovul Mohos means "The Lake with Moss" and is an oligotrophic typical active swamp. The thickness of peat reaches more than 20 meters. The national protected area (and even European) spans on about 240 hectares, of which bog area is about 80 hectares. Visitors can admire the small lakes with almost black water, but also the spectacular carnivorous plant Sundew.
Photo source: Dani El

11/10/2016

RADAUTI CEMETERY CROSSED BY THE RAILWAY
Radauti town is unique in the country for its cemetery crossed by the train. The railway was commissioned in 1889 by the Austro-Hungarian administration route Dorneşti - Radauti - Brodina. Radauti is the second town in Europe outside another in Switzerland, where those who want to visit their relatives passed away can hear among the graves the sound of train wheels.
"In the mid-nineteenth century, the Austro-Hungarian administration came up with the idea of building a railroad through the local cemetery in Radauti, believing perhaps that rail is more important than a cemetery," said historian Suceava Elijah Gliga.
Before 1989 the communist authorities in Radauti decided that a fast train coming from Bucharest to Putna to pass through the cemetery. As a result, the local trains whistled four times per day in the Rădăuţi cemetery.
In the mid 2000s the secondary railroad crossing inclusively Rădăuţi got into private management and through the cemetery not even a train passed since then. The locals hope that rail traffic will be resumed in the future, but it depends on investment in railway infrastructure.
Photo source: Adevarul

10/10/2016

DRAGON’S GARDEN
The natural monument called Dragon’s Garden is a protected area of national interest corresponding to natural geological and landscape reserve situated in Salaj County, on the administrative territory of Balan village.
Dragon’s Garden Nature Reserve was declared a protected area by Law in 2000 and covers an area of 3 hectares. The area comprises an irregular ensemble of rocks (Soldier’s Girl, The Dragon and Dragonesse, Santa, Monks, Captain, Cleopatra's Needle, Soldiers, Eva, Dorobanţul, Thumb, Sphinx) with bizarre shapes (towers, mushrooms, needles, rocky slopes) arranged the hill "Dumbrava".
The geological formations (attributed to Holocene) composed of sandstones (of yellow-gray color) filled with micro conglomerates were formed by repeated actions of the air (freeze-thaw, wind, temperature), water (washing, runoff) and gravitational processes (collapses, landslides) conducted over time.
Photo source: Cartita Plimbareata

07/10/2016

Glimpse of Romania

Nu uitati, avem o tara superba cu care trebuie sa ne mandrim.

28/09/2016

THE ONLY FRESCO IN THE WORLD WITH PREGNANT VIRGIN MARY
Few Romanian and foreign tourists know that an ancient heritage church of our country has the only mural painting in the world depicting pregnant Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. The stunning fresco is located in the town of Curtea de Arges, in the Church of Saint Nicholas. The author of the painting dating from the 16th century is unknown, the scene of pregnant Virgin Mary being the second in a series of 13 scenes with biblical themes. The monument is already included in UNESCO Patrimony for the Royal Church is founded by Basarab I in 1352, and the interior mural painting goes back to Vlaicu Voda.
From the Virgin Mary, bearing in her womb the Son of God or the story episodic represented of Saint Filofteia, and to the rich man burning in the flames of Hell and Jesus carrying his cross on Calvary Mount, more than 100 frescoes impressed by their unique representation.
In a humanized image, the Virgin appears as a woman who carries her pregnancy weight, such an approach not being met elsewhere in the world. The anonymous craftsman who painted this icon has found an original way to sensitize the viewer by illustrating maternity and femininity at the same time. The fresco where appears Virgin Mary in pregnancy is situated on the northern wall of the nave and can be seen by anyone passing through Curtea de Arges and visiting this monument extremely important for the Romanians.
Photo source: Cunoaste Lumea

27/09/2016

ANA ASLAN
Ana Aslan (1897 – 1988) was a Romanian biologist, physician and specialist in gerontology, academician since 1974, director of the National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics (1958-1988). It highlighted the importance of procaine in improving age-related dystrophic disorders, applying it widely in clinical geriatrics, as the Gerovital. Numerous international personalities followed Gerovital treatment: Tito, Charles de Gaulle, Khrushchev, JF Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, Imelda Marcos, Marlene Dietrich, Konrad Adenauer, Charlie Chaplin, Kirk Douglas, Salvador Dali.
Ana Aslan invented (in collaboration with the pharmacist Elena Polovrageanu) Aslavital geriatric product, patented and introduced in industrial production in 1980. Among the numerous awards and titles awarded by universities and research institutes we name the International Prize and "Leon Bernard" medal in 1952, prestigious award given by the World Health Organization for her contribution to the advancement of gerontology and geriatric.
Photo source: Radio Cluj

26/09/2016

THE FIRST HOLIDAY VILLAGE LAKE IN ROMANIA
The foreign tourists (and not just them) crowd and make their reservations to spend the holiday in the first holiday village lake in Romania. The works are almost ready: the complex was built with European funds on the Romanian bank of the Danube in Berzasca village of Caras-Severin County.
The works began last year and one by one, the lake dwellings were built. The thought that you may feel on the Danube as in Maldives has persuaded hundreds of people to want a vacation in Caras-Severin. The construction of the 15th houses floating above the waters of the Danube was a challenge. Each pile building has living room, bedroom and bathroom. This summer all the floating houses were occupied, every day of the week. There are reservations even for the next year.
And though the floating constructions seem unusual, locals admit that the floating resort village puts them on the map.
Photo source: Sputnik

26/09/2016

THIEVES’ CAVE
A little known Romanian destination is preferred by many foreigners. Thieves’ Cave or Outlaws’ Grotto, as it is known, is one of the most popular tourist attractions, especially in summer. The cave is situated close to Herculane Baths, in Domogled – Cerna Valley National Park. The administration has proposed to achieve a series of investments in this cave in the close future, to increase the safety of visitors.
Thieves’ Cave is situated in Herculane, near the Roman Hotel. It was inhabited from the Middle Paleolithic, with a great archaeological importance. It has 143 meters long. Being very heavily visited, the cave is much degraded, the walls are covered with signatures, some of them very old, and others made with a lot of fiddling. Paradoxically this collection of signatures by their historical value rose cave. The oldest signature dates from 1820.
Photo source: Bucuresti FM

21/09/2016

On the brink autumn, a visit to Casa Simi from Petresti village (Close to Sebes town) will take you back in time in grandma’s pantry, where the things were placed with sense and the jars were prepared for the winter time. When the earth fructification turns into delicacies through hardworking hands...
Walk timidly into this magical land ... magic though the owners’ hospitality and joy, magic through its architecture, magic through its cellar: at the entrance the chubby bell peppers stand sentry, on the shelves among bright yellow quinces, vineyard peaches, jars of pickles stacked with endeavor, you’ll find decorative objects from other times. Smoked sausage strings are patiently waiting to be tasted. In the middle of the cellar there are two hospitable barrels inviting you to taste at pleasure the local drinks and food: brandy, sausage, sheep cheese, feta cheese, red onion, lamb pastrami for amateurs. And a glass of homemade wine generously provided by Mr. SIMI.
For those who have already reached Simi Pension this is a story with aromas and good food. For those who have not yet reached it, it's a story of a weekend that awaits them in a corner of the soul…
Photo source: Adina Filip

20/09/2016

BUDESTI WOODEN CHURCH
The church was built in 1643 and it impresses through its exceptional size: 18 m long and 8 m wide. The building is remarkable not only because of its monumental and robust appearance, but also because of its interior and exterior decorations, of its glass and wood icons included in its patrimony, some of them painted on both sides and called ”prasnicare” in Romanian.
Erected above the pronaos, the spire guards the church together with the four small turrets on its corners.
Photo source: La taifas

20/09/2016

PELISOR CASTLE (SINAIA)
The Castle was built between 1899 and 1902 by order of King Carol I as residence for his nephew and heir, the future King Ferdinand I and his consort. The Czech architect Karel Liman designed the castle in the Art Nouveau style. The furniture and the interior decorations were designed mostly by the Viennese Bernhard Ludwing. Ferdinand’s wife, Maria, asserted herself as a prominent personality of the time, earning the surname of Artist Maria. A refined aesthete, Maria created an original style. In the decoration of Pelisor, Art Nouveau elements borrow Byzantine and Celtic features giving rise to the Golden Bedroom, The Chapel, and The Golden Chamber.
The hall of honor is very simple with the walls covered with oak-timber and a glass ceiling.
Photo source: Romania Journal

19/09/2016

Monday photo
Photo source: Alexandru Feher

14/09/2016

THE CHURCH UNDER THE WATERS
In Belis village (Cluj County), there is a church which emerges during the hot summers. Together with the ruins the paintings that adorn the walls embodying angels and biblical scenes resurface. On the days when the church is covered by water, the basis of the church is less than 30 meters deep in the Fantanele Lake.
There are no documents proving the origins of Belis village, but it was first mentioned in official documents in 1737. The history of the village engulfed by the waters is starting in the 14th century, when the church was built and ends up in the 60s, when the country's government decided to build a dam that would cover the village with 60 m of waters. Before being permanently engulfed by waters, the church was visible from anywhere you looked. It was built on a hillock and the residents' homes were built around it. The church tower stood always on the lookout over the village and sheltered those in need during the holidays.
Photo source: Politik

13/09/2016

THE DRAGON OF DOBROGEA
Among the rocks and the brambles in Dobrogea the largest snake in Romania is hiding, the dragon of Dobrogea. Its length, which can reach up to 1.60 m, created it a bad reputation. Around lined snake (as it is also known), the largest snake in Romania, frightening legends were woven. Although it is not poisonous, it moves pretty slow and feeds on rodents, birds and their eggs. In the locals’ stories it gets apocalyptic aspects: a length of over two meters and attacks large animals, even deer.
Lined snake or dragon snake was met early last century just in Dobrogea, but in recent years the specie was found in Vrancea and Galati. In the last years, researchers have found several examples of lined snake in Macin Mountains.
Snake skin color is yellowish, light brown. Females are darker. The experts say that this snake is particularly in many ways. If it feels that its territory is threatened, it refuse to further multiply. In Romania, mating takes place in June-July. During this period the snakes keep a "nuptial fast" characteristic. The female lays four to 16 eggs, which hatch after few months. It was observed that females takes care for offspring, a rare phenomenon among snakes. When attacked, lined snake hissed and puffed.
A legend says that if this brute reaches a large snake, it gets into the ground and lies hidden there for seven years, after which it comes out in the form of dragon with wings. The Romanian fairy tales, the dragon is a fantastic animal, huge size, which has the shape of a snake with wings, legs and several snake heads. He is the embodiment of evil, which shed fire on the mouth. More rarely, it is associated with water and wealth, the one who guards the treasure.
Photo source: Doru Panaitescu

08/09/2016

TREI APE HEALTH RESORT
A small Paradise waits to be discovered and appreciated in Semenic Mountains, about 40 km far from Resita town. It is Trei Ape health resort in Brebu Nou village: an oasis of peace and relaxation. Here is the highest accumulation lake in Semenic Mountains also called Trei Ape (“Three Waters). The picturesque lake of 45 hectares and 6 millions m³ volume is surrounded by dense forests.
Those who are arriving here can practice nautical sports or just enjoy the boating, fishing or easy hiking in the area. In the winter time there are ski slopes prepared for the amateurs.
Photo source: Dana Moica

02/09/2016

CATHERINE'S GATE (BRASOV)
Built by the Tailors’ Guild in 1559 for defensive purposes instead of an old gate, it was destroyed by the flood in 1526. Its name comes after St. Catherine's Monastery that was situated here in former times. It is the only original city gate to have survived from medieval times. In fact the central tower is only a part of the original gate; documents talk about the existence of a wooden structure which was demolished in 1827.
The four small corner turrets (also seen in other Transylvanian towns) symbolize the fact that the town had judicial autonomy, and the "right of sword" (ius gladii) which was the right to decide on capital punishment. Above the entrance the tower bears the city's coat of arms, a crown on an oak tree trunk and roots.
Photo source: Expedia