Road of Romania

• The galleries of the Bear Cave extend over 1000m on two levels. Awesome and delicate stalactites and stalagmites loom, believed to be 22.000 to 55.000 years old, growing about 1cm every 20 years. It is known as one of the spectacular touristic objectives of Apuseni Mountains
• The name of the cave is due to the numerous bear fossils, which were found there, so therefore it represented a favorable place for shelter for the animals that used to live there 15000 years ago. Due to the falling of a huge rock, the mouth of the cave was blocked and more than 140 bears were trapped inside. Being hungry, the bears attacked one another until they all died
• The cave was discovered in 1975 during the limestone exploitation works in the quarry from Chiscau. Until 17th September 1975 the cave was closed and in this time the subterranean pit was artificially opened through the dynamiting of the entrance gate
• The first man who went down the open pit was the miner Traian Curte from the same location. The way that he covered was from the access gallery to the Great Hall. At 20th September 1975, a group of amateur speleologists called “Speodora” accomplished the first exploitation of the cave and five years later the cave entered the touristic circuit of the country, being considered the first subterranean cavity arranged after the level of the world technique
• At the entrance of the cave, you can see a pavilion which consists of a waiting hall, a booking office and a speleological museum. Being more than 1500m long, the cave presents galleries situated on two levels. The upper gallery is 488 meters long and is intended to tourists. The lower gallery (521m in length) is opened just for scientific research

Busteni is situated at 850-950 m altitude, under the steep slope of the Masive Caraiman in Bucegi. It is a popular tourist destination all year round. You can walk to the Bucegi Platform or to the Urlatoarea waterfall or to the chalets at Gura Dihamului and Poiana Izvoarelor. The most popular routes are the ones to the Piatra Arsa, Babele, Sfinxul or the Cross on Caraiman (You can read some information about it in this article on Wikipedia).
During the winter the resort is popular for the winter sports, but not like Sinaia or Predeal. There are some medium and short routes on Kalinderu.
This beautiful guard of Busteni, named Caraiman has a beautiful legend. The stories tell that this lofty mountain – part of the Bucegi chain – shows up dark and menacing, with its mighty cliffs looking like an ancient warder of these lands. This strange giant rules over Busteni resort and actually over the whole Prahova Valley, looking down to it from its 2384 meters height. One part of this mountain looks like someone had tried to whip it off the mountain body but could not mange and the cliff remained hanged half way to the ground. People around here use to say this rock looks actually like a bagpipe… and the legend of the Caraiman mountain and its bagpipe reads down here:

A mighty old wizard who used to live in Carpathians at times out of memory. In those times the sky used to be much closer to the earth and there was much more water in the world than land. This wizard was taller than the tallest fir in the Carpathians forests and his hair was a huge green tree. His long beard was made of moss as there were his bushy eyebrows, his garments were made of tree bark, his voice sounded like thunder and he used to wear a huge bagpipe (the size of a house) under his armpit. But that bagpipe was magic and it helped the wizard to make all his wishes come true. When Caraiman sang in a low voice he could make the grass grow on the fields around and when he played the drone louder, he could bring to life animals and birds out of number. Sometimes the magician blew his drone so strongly and loudly so as terrible storms started, mountains were shaken and sea water drew away. There were people on the Earth but Caraiman did not like them as the humans were mean and vicious and often argued to each other for very unimportant things.
But Caraiman was feeling lonely and felt that something was missing from his kingdom. One day he took the brave decision to populate his lands with human beings and he thought not to create grown people, but only children who would always remain children and never would grow up and become spoiled or evil. And for a while everything was just wonderful in his kingdom: little humans were laughing and playing with joy all day long and everyone was happy. The magician was happy too. Diseases and death did not exist on his lands. But after a period some children started to build small huts from mould and decided to cover them with moss (as a roof) and then said: “This is mine!”, “And this is mine!”. Some of these children were though lazy and would try to inhabit the huts already built not willing to struggle to raise their own houses. The owners were not too glad about that situation so they started to fight the intruders and that was how the first quarrel and the first battle had begun. Few kids went to Caraiman to complain about what was happening. The giant was very sad to hear that but thought of giving to each of his children their own houses and even a small garden so they all can be equally rich or poor. Unfortunately that was not a solution to last: some kids were hard working and some were lazy. And the lazy ones did not cultivate their gardens and went on stealing from others. And again there were fights between them.
The wizard was very sad. And a heavy rains fell down the children’s world when their father was crying his eyes out because of the little humans misbehavior. Caraiman cried for days so there were floods all over the place and people and animals were drowning. When he realized what he was doing the mighty wizard blew out strong winds to dry the lands and mend his fault. But his children did not love him anymore and thought Caraiman was sending them troubles only by haughtines. Some of them decided to beat him and went to Caraiman armed with spears and stones. The giant laughed at them so powerfully that he gave birth to a very powerful earthquake. Others came with torches to burn his beard but he sneezed so hard he blew up their fires and made them run away. In the end the children thought of stealing his bagpipe while he was asleep because they believed that was the tool of all the disasters. But no one could steal the bagpipe as the wizard was sleeping with his giant head on it so it was extremely heavy and impossible to move. Then few of them had an idea:
They made a small hole in the bagpipe so it cannot be used any more! In that moment a strong wind and after that a raging storm came out from the drone and all the children and their animals were killed. Caraiman did not wake up ever. Today he is still sleeping with his magic bagpipe under his head. Sometimes the drone jangles gruffly and then storms come down the Prahova Valley

I think this is a good reason for your kids to travel here! But now let speak about beautiful place from Bucegi which are around Busteni.
Furnica (2103 meters), Piatra Arsa (2071 meters), Varfu cu Dor (2030 meters) are sdome medium peaks where you can go with your family. But atention is not easy and you will need equipment for travel like boot, backpacks and clothes fgor changing or for bad wheather.
If you are not in a very good shape you can use electric cabine between Busteni and Babele.
If you are a pasionate for trekking and easy routes for climbing, you can go on peaks like the Omu (2505 meters), Bucsoiu (2492 meters), Costila (2489 meters), Caraiman (2284 meters).
For those who enjoy climbing, you will be glad to hear that you can enjoy it on routes with different degrees of difficulty which progressively grow from 1 to 6 (6A and 6B, for the Blue Crack in the wall of the White Valley). These peaks and this platform are between the highest twenty places from Romania. Some of these peaks have been interestingly shaped by winds, rains and snow during millions of years and thus people imagined legends and stories about these mountains and their curious geometry.
These are some interesting things about Busteni! But Prahova Valley have a lot of beauties. Follow us and you will discover them!

Credit photo: WIKIPEDIA, Outdoor Holidays and Karl Picasa albums!

In our trips into Romania we will tell you a lot of stories about old spa, but Govora it looks for me like a little diamant, because in the beginning of the twentieth century, Govora was famous for its luxurious hotels, medical treatments and huge potential of entertaining tourists. So in his old hotels renovated or not you can see expensive arhitecture or very expensive machines or tools for this hotels or for old spa. The fame goes on today, as the spa is know as a resting and treatment location for most visitors. But the present don’t have too much luxury, but the old iodinated mineral and sulphurous water has the same good medical effects. Here you can treat respiratory problems and other related illnesses. Iodinated mineral and sulphurous water you can use for used for external treatment and and magnesium, calcium and sulphurous-rich water for internal treatment. Some of respiratory diseases that you can “resolve” here are bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung emphysema, microbial or viral pneumopathies, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis etc. Also, this water have been known to cure degenerative diseases (spondylosis, arthrosis, polyarthrosis) and abarticular rheumatic diseases (tendinitis, tendomyositis, scapulohumeral periarthritis). In Govora you can also find a children’s sanatorium for rheumatic and respiratory diseases.
Ramnicu Valce city is situated just near this little town at 20 km. Between Govora and Ramnicu Valcea you can visit Ocnele Mari. The principal activity for this small town is extraction of salt and mud for treatment. Some part of this mud goes on treatment centers from Govora. In Govora you can also find a children’s sanatorium for rheumatic and respiratory diseases.
One of the important place is surely the Govora monastery founded at the beginning of the fifteenth century and rebuilt by the Vlad Calugarul and Radu cel Mare at the end of the same century. Constantin Brancoveanu also had an influence on the look of the monastery, because he financed the wall paintings between 1710 - 1711.

Credits photo: Valceaturistica.ro

Hello there,
Today it’s a sunny day, even if is it a little cold, I do feel like walking. So I open nice and slow The Romania log journal and I invite you to take a walk through a place which many call boring or stamp it as WITH few ATTRACTIONS.
On the one hand, yes you are right, the “miracle” from Slanic Prahova that we all know and have heard of, it is the biggest mine in Europe, Mina UNIREA (The construction above the mine entrance in Mina Unirea, where the elevator is downlink underground), a giant room of 50 meters high, now only for tourism. A miracle of artificial cave, from which was removed the salt with years ago and in front of it now you wonder, like children in front of confectioner’s trade filled with cookies. You feel like you make part from a very old movie about the beginnings of the world. It’s more than fantastic! You’ll remain impressed when you see an old truck “dressed in rust and salt” or about those 50 feet height of the grottoes. Certainly more interesting is when you think of that roof which supports 160 meters of earth and rock salt. And because a cure for “salinity” is more efficient when a person makes a little sport, is not surprising to find here a soccer field, swings with play space for children and for those who wants to stay the entire day in the mine you can find beds arranged where can relax in saline environment. But I think you can stay for hours to admire the “talent” of the nature which was drawing lines of salt in such beautiful way (Pictures 1 & Pictures 2).
Baciului Bath and Bride Cave are nice and relaxing places but you cant compare them with the Mina Unirea. But what are they? Well, a coquettish salt water pool and a small Cave of which stems a salty water. But as the people from there take care of it, that makes the place to be an eye of color in the landscape. In the old days, the place looked more beautiful, but in 2006 rains and landslides have left behind the place a little bit changed. But even so, the place deserve to be visited (The Turret near Bride Cave (In the background is seen above the building entrance in the Mina Unirea) and Baciului Bath (the pool itself)).
And after you left the mine and the cave what is more something else to do here in Slanic Prahova? Certainly, in the way of Slanic to the Cheia city, you can find a “green mountain” . It said that they resulted, by enhancing the volcanic ashes over the years, geological ordered layers with flat surfaces. Then from there you can walk up along the river, looking at beautiful houses, built in a style purely mountainous, with small wooden sculptures with people smiling and calm, as they are from medieval times, but not old fashioned. Although (some say), that area is poor, many people understand that there are cost effective and “are too poor to allow to have cheap stuff”. As for that, you can see more than half of houses with heat wood installations or heavy fuel oils and you will see that poverty does not mean sad and landscape. On the contrary, houses covered with shingle and painted with linen oil, seems (at least in my acceptance, who likes very much these kind of miracles and landscapes) palaces at a much reduced scale - palaces of their souls. Ahhhhh, it was to forget. On the way to the Cheia city don’t drive too fast, but slowly. And you will see over a village shop store, a board that says “Historical House”- the oldest house of Slanic. Too bad though that The village City Hall had no idea and voluntarily make a small museum there. But if you enter into the store, you will find the flavor of cooperative in the country, the “Ceausescu’s” time.
Otherwise you can walk on the river Slanic or if you’ll not mind to drive more 25-30 km, and arrive to the Cheia city. On the way to the Cheia city, pay attention to route indicators, at a moment the route will make right way to a monastery located at 5 km of road, somewhere between the hills - Crasna Monastery. Two km of bituminous road and the rest is forest road. But believe me that deserves, to see the miracle which monks could make it there, just up a hill. Air-conditioning, glass, beautiful gardens, cells with all utilities, a gorgeous painted church and wonderful landscapes. Its remember me about (to a much smaller scale) Sihastria Monastery from Moldova, which is somewhere just, “deep in the heart of the forest”.
Then, I think “the picture of Ciucas seen from the Cheia city, Suzana Monastery and Cheia Monastery”, are sufficient reasons to go up there and visit the region.(Many more pictures from there).
And for those who are passionate for handling “pretzels” on the sinuous road (to drive), believe me that the road is worth 100%. I end the story with this photo, which I think is very good to have a clue of the route.

Credit photo: Panoramio - Slanic Prahova

Hello there,
Today at the beginning of the weekend I will tempt you with Delta.
In the first part when I told you about Tulcea, we presented some fine places, and today I return to “flea” a little the Delta.
And like any other net-searcher my first stop is e-Danube Delta where I find something about the Delta. Some of the things which are write there, I knew, but some other things I didn’t. And after I read the text, my mind decided to start our today trip with each branch of all the three ones which are crossing the Danube Delta - Chilia, Sulina and Sf Gheorghe

• I search quickly for the branch Chilia tourism objectives and I find something about Chilia in this presentation article for Danube. You have to read it, but don’t stop and go further! Well, look! There is Old Chilia village, about what I heard only good things which happened in recent years. Now, if is true or not, I don’t know, I tell you just what is write on the internet about that and is a good opportunity for some beautiful pictures! If you are a big “gang” there you have to go, it is impossible to not be at least one of you passionate of fishing, so I dont “boil” to much the fishermen and I say that I found some advices about fishing on Delta. After we made the pleasure of the fisherman group and we let him with the garlic tools on the river bank, we keep walking on our trip.
  Next stop is Periprava. This is a village belonging to the C.A. Rosetti Municipality and is the final point of the road. From here begins the Letea forest called “jungle-eye”. It has a vegetation similar to the tropical one. It’s the only place in Europe where there are lianas and many of these exotic plants which have come here, by help of the migratory birds that have brought with them seeds of the African continent. I didn’t understand why there are so few tourism information related to this branch of the Danube but I found a girl who explained to me the idea. People says that this branch is not as spectacular as the other ones branches of the Danube. But after I read all these stuff above, I think are many things that this branch have to be proud of. Don’t you thing so?!?
• Okay, lets go to the next branch, Sulina. I found a presentation enough fine on Sulina Tourism. And looking on internet for some presentation of Mile 35 I found his beautiful story but I expect to you tell me more about the topic! We move on!
  Ilgani Chalet is a place where fishers can rest for a while time.
  Maliuc is a very small village, like many others from Delta. You can see some date on this AREA DESCRIPTION.
  The final point of our trip on the Sulina branch, is the town with the same name. And look, for Sulina I found a page with pretty consistent informations about Sulina. And I think I’ve said in the first part of the Tulcea presentation, it has a superb beach. We are done with this second branch too! Lets go to the last one!
• Sfantu Gheorghe Branch. I find a very good presentation on a touristic site and they have beautiful pictures from there.
  Bestepe – We can visiting the place itself, marvel of its beauty and and fishing as all over the Delta place, some tempt us to fly with a medieval plane.
  By Mahmudia we go easy, easy, because is already written something in the above presentation. It is not too “special” because is located to the limited of the Delta and is a normal dobrogean village.(SE Romanian Aria-Dobrogea where people are called dobrogean/dobrogeni (sgl/pl))
  Uzlina – here appeared a few hostels, and is already a little village for vacation.
  Sfantu Gheorghe branch is better developed special because “it’s neighbor with” road to Murighiol. And because we have said Murighiol we say that here is located an interesting monastery The Halmyris Monastery. After we visited it and we wondering of its beauty, we move on to Dunavat. Here we don’t have too many to see and visit. But fishermen have reasons to come, because The Dunavat has something interesting fish to catch “tempt”. Then continue with Ivancea Mare. Where with the exception of the cranes, a lot fish and a village which is located on both sides of the river branch, its says that can be seen a graveyard of some old ships, which some people have cut them with few years ago from the water surface to let the water flow to the Reservation entrance. Now the problem is that with the lower level of the Delta, due to the drought, those ships reappear on the surface. Anyway the passionate photographers, can get some beautiful pictures.
  Okay, we arrived to the final point of our trip of the Sfantu Gheorghe branch, the locality with the same name. Here you have a website presentation! And besides, of what is write there, I have friends who were there in May (month) and who wish to return already. Why is that? Because seems a place which rise from fairy tales. Or as one of they said:
  “Man, the place beauty and peace comes directly into your bones!”

I hope you enjoyed the trip and I wait you to send us the opinion or complete picture of The Danube Delta seen it by you as I already “partially painted”
P.S. About the Gura Portitei village we have not said nothing now, but I let the site which talks about it, to tell you itself!

Credit photo: Wild-Danube Delta

Hello There!

Today I need to take you for a walk! We will visit the Tulcea County. I reckon I saw it only 3 times by now. First time at my 8 years age! Second time at my 11 years age! And after that around year 2000, when I made a small tour of Romania “(as I have said before). Well from that tour I remember of Monastery Celica-Dere which is a superb convent.

About Celica Dere-I just remember that it is built over an old church, which is below underground, as that old church shouldn’t be known by anyone that ever existed. Because in that time The Country was under Turkish (Otoman Empire) occupation and Rite Orthodox believers were not allowed to make their churches or to keep the holidays also. And I remember that near the church was a “mill water”, brought from somewhere, which we made a lot of pictures with it.
Another beautiful place is Babadag. There it is a mosque called “Ghazi Ali Pasa”, which had work restoration finished around year 1999, built around year 1600 very beautiful and special. Around Babadag besides this mosque we find the ruins of Enisala Castle. Certainly very special place for me because there my uncle made his military incorporation time, now 8 years ago. And here remained as new the memory of the lake water Razim. It seemed a little “a big sea” for me at that time. Uh, and if we talk about “lake-city”, I remember another one – Histria and Sinoe Lake. Certainly in this place around Babadag are more ruins, stories written on the board or said by the guides people of this aria. And thus creates a different aura of this fortress.
Then I remember the sea cliff of Tulcea. There isn’t very interesting, but if you cross over the Danube on the isle, you’ll find a very beautiful beach. Tulcea city itself is very beautiful in days of Saint Mary, when the ships parade makes the view very special. And if we talked about the beach early, I remember the Sulina beach which is very beautiful as a lot of people say it.
As I see the city offers us a beautiful picture to visit, but the poverty shows the ugly part of it, so we have to look beyond the “apparent” side. Got to imagine how they were with a while before when everything was new and shining.
Here I “sign” the story. Because around Tulcea city are a lot of beautiful places I promise to write more next time about those which I dint write now.
And if you have things that you liked, don’t be shy and “speak” about it as this thing is … “to talk about”!
Andrew …

Credit photo: Poze din Romania