The "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum

The "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum is one of the biggest attractions of Bucharest. The museum was since it`s opening in 1936 and until present, one of the few places what you can visit and go home after with an accurate impression of what Romanian folklore is like. It contains 322 buildings, including 47 homes, household, three wooden churches and 3 windmills. Rested on a side of Herastrau lake the museum looks peaceful and calm, as a foreign piece of world dropped from the sky in the heart of Bucharest present. As it`s founder, Dimitrie Gusti , used to call it: "a sad sound of the bells of Romanian history", this place can only fulfill my heart with joy and pride, each time i go and visit it. And for a brief time I imagine myself walking along with the brave countryman and drinking a pint of wine under a straw roof, and cannot help but wander if the happiness was not much simple back then.

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The Cave of Bears

First time I ever had contact with The Cave of Bears was when I was around 12 and I was going there in a school trip with my classmates. Maybe I was not able to admire the formations of stalactites and stalagmites which united the ceiling of the cave with it`s floor or the beautiful animal fossils which disappeared long before I was born but i can still remember the chills and the coldness of the cave breathe. Some history to begin with: the cave was discovered by accident in 1975 and consists in galleries located on two levels, with a length of over  1,500 m. Is situated in the heart of Apuseni Mountains near the Bihor county. The upper floor is open for tourists and is a breath taking journey trough corridors scattered with wild animals bones and petrified water columns. Now, at the peak of my youth I look upon this cave and I can not get rid of the feeling that the water drops that even now pour from it`s ceilings are the tears of our nation that is still tearing it`s uniqueness.

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The MNAC Terrace

As even few Bucharest`s people know, on the top of The House of People there is actually a terrace where you can relax, have a tea or a coffee and enjoy an unique view over the city. I will not get into heavy details concerning the history of the Parliament Palace, because actually I was never fascinated by our politics or communist past or even our messy present. So, the only thing that I enjoy going thru the massive walls and climbing the brute stone stairs and even waiting patiently to go thru the metal detectors is the coffee shop that rests on the top of the 12 levels from the surface and another 8 on the ground. The coffee and the terrace that is an annex of it, belongs to the National Museum of Contemporary Art. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and after an exciting journey through abstract art galleries you lay down on a wooden chair and look upon the Bucharest`s horizon. Much to see unfortunately you have none. Beside the mixture of old buildings and twinkling skyscrapers you can reflect upon a sadness and a quietness  that seems to surround the city. What is indeed unique about the view is the immensity of the Bucharest. A city that describes the poverty and the wealth of Romania, a country that yet bleeds it`s history thru it`s national patrimonies. What else is remained to say... I think the idea of selling a bear on top of the People Palace was not what Ceausescu had in mind when he raise this place up.

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Deva Fortress

If u come to Romania and if you go through Deva it's important to visit the fortress there.It's made in 1269  . It's on a volcanic hill and it only have 371 meters it dominating the surrounding by 100-200 meters . The way's to go visit the fortress are by lots of  stairs  or by aerial tramway  . Under the fortress is the Palace Magna Curia . Today the fortress it's a ruin because of an explosion made in  year 1849 in magazine of gun powder and it was remade to be a great tourist place. It was transformed by Iancu de Hunedoara from military fortress in baron castle . It's a great tourist place to visit with lots of attractions and friendly population.

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Retezat Park

Retezat park it's the oldest Romanian national park , it was made in 1935 and the region retezat have the biggest mountains peak over 2000+ meters ( over 20 ) . The mountains with streams have more than 80 glacial lakes and the largest glacial lake in Romania is the Bucura lake in Retezat and it have ( 8.8 ha ) and the highest mountain peak in retezat mountains it's Peleaga with an attitude of 2.509 meters . The deepest glacial lake it's Zanoaga 29 meter deep. If u come in Romania it;s indicated to visit Retezat Park , the surroundings are exceptional and the region it;s the most expressive mountain region in Romania. Apuseni Mountains.

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Mountain Resort Straja

A beautiful sky resort in Apuseni mountains called Straja . The access to the resort it's complicated by mobile in the winter . You need terrain auto 4&4 or ATV and maybe u can try with normal auto with chains but it is not indicated . You can access Straja by tele sky , it's a 15 minute ride but be very cold .The resort have 12 winter  tracks for intermediate , beginners or advance winter sports users . There is many Hotels there , Markets , Coffee Shops , Pizza and more . On new year eve all the peoples they gather on principal track and celebrate and party and watch a fireworks show.

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House Of Peoples

A nice place to visit when you come in Romania is the House of Peoples . Is it in center of Bucharest and it's the biggest building in Romania and the two in the world . Many tourists come here to visit the house.
Below it's a tunnel that leads to some exits in Bucharest and the only people i know that they enter in tunnels with they're cars and drive was the Top Gear crew .It's a museum inside the building and my favorite a coffee shop in the top floor with a outstanding view .If you are a student you have free entrance .We have many stories about how they come to build this place and how many men died to build it and it says that the house is haunted by the ones that died building it .

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Strand Neptun Arad

The biggest swimming place in Romania is Strand Neptun and it's the best place to go and have a good time when you are in Arad . You find there many places to have a good time and practice winter sports . There are many peoples that they go there and have a good time and get tanned . At night they are many clubs and disco , lots of concerts and live music . The entrance to Strand Neptun are in 2 ways , one the principal entrance is after you crossed a bridge and you enter in parking lot and the other one is two small bridges over the Mures of Arad.
I just wanna be in the summer days to go swim and have a good time on Strand Neptun . They are many in Romania but the only one i-m going is the one in Arad , especial at night to party on the nice clubs .

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Castle Bran

So Bran castle! well first thing to say about it is that this is NOT the Dracula`s castle, but none the less it contains a large piece of Romania`s history. Built somewhere around 1200 AC by the Teutons knights it was seen as a Trojan horse for the Hungarians to control and to govern upon Romanians. After the Romania emancipation the building became the residence of several Romanian royalties, then belonged to the government, and since 2009 it is again private property with a museum title. you can visit it, parts of the building during visiting hours and be amazed of all the heavy history you will capture along the tour. The castle, as the queen Marie described it is the point where the four winds meet, surrounded by heavy trees and a view of the mountains around to kill for, with four feet thick walls, is himself a jewelry. White walls, large ceilings guarded by massive pieces of wood, wooden encrypted furniture, expensive materials, golden trinkets, polished silver and beautiful marble sculptures.
My honest advice... if you have the chance, go and see it. I guarantee... it is not a memory you will forget soon!



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The fair of girls from the top of chicken mountain

The Gaina Mountain. I might easily say that this is my favorite topic so far. Mainly because I have spent my entire childhood not far than 20 kilometers from it`s peak. So you can already imagine that the date of 20th of July was the most expected event of my summers. And for the years that my parents would be to busy to go camping for three days I would hide with my cousin and make fake tales made of thistle and chicken feathers an throw them after the tourist that will hurry to get to the fair. First, lets begin with some specific data. The Gaina Mountain ( the chicken mountain in translation) is situated on the central of the Occidentals Carpathians, at the convergence of five counties and has a height of 1486 meters and has the best view in the Ardeal area of the Apuseni mountains. The best part of the mountain is the legend that started the tradition. The ardeleni, ancient shepherds had a gathering spot, on the top of the mountain, at the end of each summer, where they will praise their fruitful summer and they would make the business transactions between each other. Of course, the business transaction around 500 years ago did not contain in trading only fruits and goats, but also in preparing arranged marriages. This is the reason that it is also called the Fair of Girls. There the girls ready to be married showed up early and boasted with their wealth, beauty and skills. But fortunately now days the tradition has changed here and there and now the only thing you can trade and praise on the mountain is good time and memories for a lifetime. You can get there by car, or my favorite way by foot. Each way you decide to take will get you an immense satisfaction of interaction with pure tradition of the ardeal people. Once you got to the top you get amazed by the view that summaries all Romania has best. Endless hills covered by dark-green forests, mountains wrapped in clouds, valleys furrowed by mountain rivers and if you are luck you might even spot a rabbit or a lost deer. There you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of tents and you will hear for the first time the sound of "cimpoaie", a traditional musical instrument. The best part of all, on the peak, is the appearance and  the disappearance of the sun. Your eyes will get glued to the colorful pallet of the sky until the cold and fresh air will give you chills to the bones. When your attention is not stolen by the souvenir stalls, by the peasants dressed in sheepskin coats, or by the cooked pies and traditional brandy you sit down and relax on your blanket, guarded by the stone carved cross that mark the heights, and you listen to the local bands that compete in dance and folklore songs. During the nights you get amazed by the fireworks that light up the sky for more than half an hour.
The Gaina Mountain... If you ever have the chance to go there, take my advice and do it. It is an experience that you will always want to repeat. Even now, when the chills of my childhood had disappeared into the daily routine of the city life, each year I cross on the calendar the weekend of camping on top of Gaina mountain. This tradition will be one those that I will keep and promote for the rest of my days.

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