Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria Read online

  Romania & Bulgaria

  Contents

  Plan Your Trip

  Romania & Bulgaria's Top 17

  Welcome to Romania

  Need to Know

  If You Like

  Month by Month

  Itineraries

  Regions at a Glance

  Welcome to Bulgaria

  Need to Know

  If You Like

  Month by Month

  Itineraries

  Regions at a Glance

  On The Road

  Bucharest

  Sights

  Activities

  Tours

  Festivals & Events

  Sleeping

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Snagov Lake

  Wallachia

  Ploiesti

  Targoviste

  Pitesti

  Curtea de Arges

  Craiova

  Drobeta-Turnu Severin

  Transylvania

  Transylvania Highlights

  Prahova Valley

  Sinaia

  Bucegi Mountains

  Predeal

  Brasov

  Around Brasov

  Bran

  Poiana Brasov

  Zarnesti

  Harman & Prejmer

  Saxon Land

  Sighisoara

  Fortified Saxon Villages

  Fagaras Mountains

  Sibiu

  Around Sibiu

  Szekely Land

  Sfantu Gheorghe

  Miercurea Ciuc

  Gheorgheni

  Odorheiu Secuiesc

  Odorheiu Secuiesc to Targu Mures

  Targu Mures

  Southwest Transylvania

  Alba Iulia

  Deva

  Retezat Mountains

  Northern Transylvania

  Cluj-Napoca

  Turda

  Huedin Microregion

  Apuseni Mountains

  Bistrita

  Crisana & Banat

  Crisana & Banat Highlights

  Banat

  Timisoara

  Crisana

  Oradea

  Baile Felix

  Arad

  Maramures

  Baia Mare

  Around Baia Mare

  Tara Chioarului

  Sighetu Marmatiei

  Mara Valley

  Sapanta

  Iza Valley

  Viseu & Vaser Valleys

  Borsa

  Moldavia & the Bucovina Monasteries

  Moldavia & the Bucovina Monasteries Highlights

  Moldavia

  Iasi

  Targu Neamt & Around

  Piatra Neamt

  Ceahlau National Park

  Bucovina

  Suceava

  Bucovina Monasteries

  The Danube Delta & Black Sea Coast

  Tulcea

  Sulina

  Sfantu Gheorghe

  Constanta

  Mamaia

  Vama Veche

  Sofia

  Sights

  Activities

  Courses

  Tours

  Festivals & Events

  Sleeping

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Boyana

  Vitosha Nature Park

  Plovdiv & the Southern Mountains

  Plovdiv & the Southern Mountains Highlights

  Rila Mountains

  Rila Village

  Rila Monastery

  Borovets

  Pirin Mountains

  Blagoevgrad

  Bansko

  Melnik

  Bulgarian Thrace

  Plovdiv

  Rodopi Mountains

  Chepelare

  Pamporovo

  Smolyan

  Devin

  Veliko Tarnovo & Central Mountains

  Shumen

  Madara

  Veliko Tarnovo

  Around Veliko Tarnovo

  Dryanovo Monastery

  Tryavna

  Etar

  Lovech

  Troyan

  Hisar

  Karlovo

  Kazanlak

  Shipka

  Stara Zagora

  Sliven

  Black Sea Coast

  Black Sea Coast Highlights

  Southern Coast

  Burgas

  Sozopol

  Primorsko

  Tsarevo

  Sinemorets

  Central Coast

  Pomorie

  Nesebar

  Northern Coast

  Varna

  Sveti Konstantin

  Balchik

  The Danube & Northern Plains

  Vratsa & Around

  Chiprovtsi

  Belogradchik

  Ruse

  Rusenski Lom Nature Park

  Lake Srebarna & Around

  Silistra

  Understand

  Understand Romania

  Romania Today

  History

  The Dracula Myth

  Outdoor Activities & Wildlife

  Visual Arts & Folk Culture

  The Romanian People

  The Romanian Kitchen

  Understand Bulgaria

  Bulgaria Today

  History

  Outdoor Activities & Wildlife

  Visual Arts, Craft & Music

  The Bulgarian People

  Bulgarian Wine

  Bulgarian Cuisine

  Survive

  Directory AZ

  Accommodation

  Children

  Customs Regulations

  Discount Cards

  Electricity

  Embassies & Consulates

  Food & Drink

  GLBTI Travellers

  Health

  Insurance

  Internet Access

  Legal Matters

  Money

  Opening Hours

  Post

  Public Holidays

  Telephone

  Time

  Toilets

  Tourist Information

  Travellers with Disabilities

  Visas

  Volunteering

  Work

  Transport

  Getting There & Away

  Getting Around

  Language

  Directory AZ

  Accommodation

  Children

  Customs Regulations

  Discount Cards

  Electricity

  Embassies & Consulates

  Food & Drink

  GLBTI Travellers

  Health

  Insurance

  Internet Access

  Legal Matters

  Maps

  Money

  Opening Hours

  Post

  Public Holidays

  Telephone

  Time

  Toilets

  Tourist Information

  Travellers with Disabilities

  Visas

  Volunteering

  Women Travellers

  Work

  Transport

  Getting There & Away

  Getting Around

  Language

  Behind the Scenes

  Our Writers

  Romania & Bulgaria's Top 17

  Palace of Parliament, Bucharest

  Depending on your point of view, the Palace of Parliament is either a mind-blowing testament to the waste and folly of dictatorship or an awe-inspiring showcase of Romanian materials and craftsmanship, albeit applied to sinister end
s. Most visitors conclude that it's a bit of both. Whatever emotions the former ‘House of the People’ happens to elicit, the sheer scale of Romania's entry into the 'World's Largest Buildings' competition – on par with the Taj Mahal or the Pentagon – must be seen to be believed.

  Joyfull / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Black Sea Beaches

  Whether you’re looking for all-day tanning, all-night clubbing, or something a little more relaxing, you’re sure to find some patch of sand to your liking along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Away from the big, brash package resorts, you’ll come across charming seaside towns standing above smaller sandy coves, while the cities of Varna and Burgas both have lengthy, less-crowded urban beaches. If it’s solitude you seek, head for the more remote beaches to the far north and south.

  Albena | Opopo / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Rila Monastery

  More than a thousand years of uninterrupted spiritual activity have swept through this beautiful monastery, which rises from a valley in the misty Rila Mountains. Credited with safeguarding Bulgarian culture during the dark centuries under Ottoman rule, and a lightning rod for revolution in the 19th century, Rila Monastery remains Bulgaria’s most storied spiritual treasure. The monastery grew from a 10th-century hermit’s hut; following a fire, the breathtaking mix of elegant archways, soaring domes and apocalyptic frescoes that stands today dates mostly to the 19th century.

  Ivancreative / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Bran Castle

  Perched on a rocky bluff in Transylvania, in a mass of turrets and castellations, Bran Castle overlooks a desolate mountain pass swirling with mist and dense forest. Its spectral exterior is like a composite of every horror film you’ve ever seen, but don’t expect to be scared. Inside, Bran is anything but spooky, with its white walls and geranium-filled courtyard. Legend has it Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Count Dracula) was briefly imprisoned here, and you can follow his footsteps through an 'Escheresque' maze of courtyards and hidden passages.

  Dziewul / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Painted Monasteries of Bucovina

  Tucked away in the eastern side of the Carpathian mountains, the Unesco-listed painted monasteries of Bucovina proudly show off Romania’s unique, Latin-flavoured Orthodox tradition. The churches are at one with their natural surroundings and the dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and intricate details in the frescoes bring to life everything from biblical stories to the 15th-century siege of Constantinople. The monasteries are largely the genius of Moldavian prince and national hero Stephen the Great (Ştefan cel Mare), who was later canonised for his works.

  Voroneţ Monastery | Mikadun / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Veliko Târnovo

  Bulgaria’s long history of warring tsars and epic battles is exceptionally vivid in its former capital, Veliko Târnovo. Topped with a marvellous medieval fortress, this town of Soviet monuments, cobblestoned lanes and barely changed handicraft shops allows for a memorable trip into Bulgaria’s past. Home to the second-largest university in Bulgaria, the town also has a simmering nightlife; a creative and multicultural expat community adds to the fun. Set above the ribboning Yantra River, it’s also a great base for local hikes, mountain biking and day trips to Emen Canyon.

  Tsarevets Fortress | S-F / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Bulgarian Wine Tasting

  Bulgaria’s winemaking tradition dates to ancient Thracian times, and its wines have been enjoyed by everyone from Roman writers to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Melnik in southwestern Bulgaria is an especially fruitful location to sip wine, and a very scenic one: the village is lined with traditional 19th-century houses, against a backdrop of natural sandstone pyramids. Beyond here, discover five distinct wine-growing regions from the Danube to the Black Sea to the Thracian Plain. Numerous wineries offer tastings; beyond Melnik, some of the best are in Bulgarian Thrace.

  Scott Wong / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Wildlife in the Danube Delta

  After flowing 2800km across the European continent, the mighty Danube River passes through a vast expanse of remote wetland in eastern Romania – the delta – before finally emptying into the Black Sea. Under the international environmental protection of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority, the region has developed into a sanctuary for fish and fowl of all stripe and colour. Birders, in particular, will thrill to the prospect of glimpsing species such as the roller, white-tailed eagle, great white egret and even a bee-eater or two.

  Porojnicu Stelian / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Wooden Churches of Maramureş

  Rising from forested hillsides like dark needles, the exquisite wooden churches of Maramureş, in northern Romania, are both austere and beautiful, with roofs of shingle, and weather-beaten, Gothic-style steeples. Inside, you’ll discover rich interiors painted with biblical frescoes, some of which date back to the 14th century. On Sundays, the villagers don traditional dress for church, and attending one of the services is a special treat.

  Bârsana Monastery | Scott Wong / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Thracian Tombs

  The Valley of Thracian Kings, between Shipka and Kazanlâk, is dotted with fine tombs, and more are unearthed every year. But one of the most magnificently preserved examples is the Unesco-listed Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari in Bulgaria’s northeast. The tomb dates to 300 BC and harbours lovely artwork and reliefs within its three chambers, including 10 elegant female figures. This rare discovery was made in 1982, but tourists are few. A visit requires private transportation, but it’s worth the effort to play Tomb Raider within its evocative confines.

  Tomb of Sveshtari | Takashi Images / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Trekking in the Carpathians

  Dense primeval forests leap straight from the pages of a Brothers Grimm story, with bears, wolves, lynx and boar, rugged mountain plateaus, well-marked trails and a network of cabins en route to keep you warm. Trekking is the best way to absorb this vibrant landscape of mountain tops, forests and rolling pastureland. The peaks can be approached from both Transylvania and Moldavia. The Retezat Mountains, with some 80 glacial lakes and peaks towering above 2000m, are a spectacular stretch of the southern Carpathians.

  Hikers in the Bucegi Mountains | Gaspar Janos / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Cluj-Napoca

  Romania's second-largest city has reawakened from its decades-long slumber and now offers countless bohemian cafes, great restaurants, music festivals, clubs and bars. It's also emerged as the country's contemporary arts hub. The tens of thousands of students here lend a youthful vibe and fuel a vigorous nightlife at places like Insomnia. With increasing flight links to European cities, the city is welcoming more and more travellers, who usually shoot off to higher-profile burgs like Braşov, Sibiu or Sighişoara, but who come inevitably to regret not allowing enough time for Cluj.

  Mariia Golovianko / Shutterstock ©

  Top Experiences

  Stara Planina Hiking

  Hikers have breathtaking choice across the Stara Planina mountain range, rippling for 550km across the length of Bulgaria. Casual strollers can walk through the meadows around Dryanovo or stride to peaceful monasteries such as Sokolski. Meanwhile, dedicated hikers can climb the tallest peak, Mt Botev (2376m), a challenging but picturesque ascent overlooking sheer ridges and expanses of green. Alternatively, seek out solitude on multiday hikes, staying at the Stara Planina’s 80-odd hizhas (mountain huts) along the way; just prepare for notoriously changeable weather.

  A hizha | SimeonDonov / Getty Images ©

  Top Experiences

  Saxon Villages & Fortified Churches

  Back in the 12th century, Saxon Germans were invited to settle parts of Transylvania to
buffer the then-Hungarian kingdom from the threat of Tatar and Turkish attack. The architectural legacy is a row of regal fortified churches, watchtowers and impenetrable stone walls that dot the landscape between Sighişoara and Sibiu. Around these haunting churches, town entrances were guarded with heavy metal gates that could be quickly lowered. Most visitors are drawn to the impressive Fortified Church in Biertan, though Viscri, Mălâncrav and Alma Vii are also worth exploring.