Romania Travel Guide

The largest of the Balkan states, Romania has seen several empires come and go, from the Roman, to the Ottoman to the Austro-Hungarian.

After World War II, the Communists gradually established their political hegemony within the government: in 1947 the monarchy was deposed and the government declared the Romanian People's Republic. Nicolae Ceausescu assumed the post of First Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party (RCP) in 1965 and held power in the country until the dramatic, bloody and largely unpredicted revolution during Christmas 1989.

After Ceausescu's death, the new government, under the provisional leadership of Ion Iliescu (the former Communist Central Committee Secretary) was faced with a number of acute problems: the pacification of the country; the disbanding of the Securitate; the restoration of the economy; and the need to prepare Romania for peaceful multi-party elections. In the following years, economic progress has been patchy while Romania has not advanced as far as its east European counterparts towards its twin principal goals: membership of NATO and of the European Union. Nevertheless, in 2004 Romania was officially welcomed as a new member of NATO. Membership of the EU will take somewhat longer. This will be a difficult process, involving radical and painful reform of parts of the Romanian economy, but the country is on track to join the EU in 2007/8.

Romania has dramatic mountain scenery including the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania. The beautiful and densely forested Carpathian Mountains area lends itself to many sporting and leisure activities such as skiing, bobsleighing, horseriding and tennis. Situated in picturesque valleys and on mountain slopes are many health and winter resorts. Since Roman times, the Romanian spas of Transylvania have been known for their miraculous healing powers. The Black Sea Coast, ideal for family holidays with 70km (43 miles) of fine white sandy beaches, boasts many resorts. Transylvania also contains the famous Bran Castle, said to be one of the original abodes of the medieval king known as Vlad the Impaler, who helped inspire Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.

Legend says that Bucharest, the Romanian capital, was founded by a shepherd called Bucur, whose name is recognisable in the Romanian version of the name Bucharesti. Located midway between the Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea, Bucharest has not earned the nickname 'Paris of the Balkans' by accident. Its astonishing range of architecture – from Wallachian wooden and bell-towered mansions to Byzantine-style chapels, neo-classical buildings, striking 1930s modernism and even the post-Stalinist absurdities of Ceaucescu's megalomaniac regime – cannot help but leave the visitor in awe at the varieties of vision that have taken place in this city over the centuries. But Bucharest has also been the epicentre of the country's many upheavals, with the stages of the country's history like vivid tattoos etched across the city's surface, each telling a different chapter of the story.

Article from : worldtravelguide.net

Vlad the Impaler was the Real Dracula

Vlad the Impaler did not resemble the stereotypical Dracula character we think of today. Having lived from 1431 to 1476, Vlad the Impaler was a ruler of Wallachia, a region of Romania. Vlad the Impaler was also known as Vlad III and Vlad Tepes. He was a figher and a prince, known for his cruelty and propensity to impale anyone who got in his way. In Romania, the real Dracula is known as a patriotic figure who was victorious against his enemies and who fought for his country.

The Making of a Real Dracula
Raised in Targoviste, Vlad and his brother Radu were sent away as hostages. It is during this time as a capitve that Vlad is thought to have formed his bloodthirsty tendencies. Vlad returned to Wallachia to be crowned at the Princely Court in Targoviste in the year 1456.

Here the real Dracula sought retribution for his captivity by impaling Turks invited to dine with him on Easter Sunday.

Vlad the Impaler
Word of Vlad's merciless cruelty spread around Europe due to the use of the printing press. The real Dracula used the impaling technique on his enemies, to scare his enemies, to enforce the laws, and to eliminate complaints. It is said that he would wander among the common people in disguise and test the honesty of the merchants by tempting them with overcompensation.

While Vlad ruled from Targoviste, which was the capital of Wallachia at this time, Vlad declared war on the Turks, but reportedly frightened off their invasion by displaying a field of some 20,000 impaled captives from Turkey and Bulgaria.

The Real Dracula's Demise
The demise of the real Dracula can perhaps be attributed to his brother Radu, who wanted to form an alliance with the Turks once more. They turned on Vlad, and, it is said, sent his head to the Sultan as a gift. His body is supposedly buried in Snagov in an unmarked tomb at Snagov Monastery.

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Bram's Stoker was inspired by a heightened interest in vampirism at the end of the 19th century. He researched Romania thoroughly, as well as their folklore about vampires, and developed the character "Count Dracula." While Vlad the Impaler is referred to as the real Dracula, it is of note that Vlad the Impaler's father was called Vlad Dracul.

The Folklore of Vapirism
The folklore of vampirism is still alive in Romania today. Usually identified by a body that refuses to decay, vampires are undead corpses who haunt the living. Feasting on a victim's blood is not necessary in Romanian folklore for vampires to infect their victims--it is thought that the stare or touch of a vampire is enough to make someone else a vampire.

Article from: goeasteurope.about.com

Maramures wooden churches

History of Maramures wooden churches

The region of Maramures, situated in the north of
Transylvania, was formed over time by the fusion of very
old geographic and socio-political entities called
"countries," including those of Maramures, Chioar, and
Lapus where the churches nominated for inscription on
the World Heritage List are located. These "countries"
are united by their geographic environment, composed of
mountains once covered by forests and numerous rivers,
but also by their history and spiritual life.
In the Middle Ages, the rural social structures were
founded on community-type villages grouped in each
valley, under the general leadership of the voivode of
Maramures. The churches of the region were placed
under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox monastery of Peri.
The region of Maramures, known by the name of terra
Maramoroisiensi (1324) and districtus Maramoroisiensi
(1326), enjoyed a certain degree of political autonomy
before coming under the authority of the Hungarian
sovereigns.
It became a comitat (county) in 1385 and was then
incorporated into the Principality of Transylvania (1538),
which was annexed by the Hapsburgs in 1711. The
period between the end of the 17th century and that of
the 18th century was particularly rich in political and
cultural events for Maramures, where Byzantine
traditions intermingled with Western contributions
(Uniate Church, Reformation, and Counter-
Reformation). Most of the wooden churches of the region
were rebuilt after the destruction caused by the last great
Tatar invasions in 1717.

Description of Maramures wooden churches

The eight churches of Maramures that are proposed for
inscription on the World Heritage List are monuments
based on traditional timber architecture.
They were built in the 18th and 19th centuries and have
retained their traditional plan, composed of a naos and
pronaos in the shape of a rectangle, and a pentagonal
recessed sanctuary. A portico was added to the western
facade of the churches in Bârsana, Poienile Izei, Ieud
Deal, ªurdeºti, and Plopiº. They are covered by a high,
steep, double-pitched roof from which soars a tall bell
tower with a gallery similar to stone Gothic churches,
giving the churches their characteristic silhouette.
The churches stand on a base made of stone blocks and
pebble fillings. The wooden beams (in oak or pine) are
arranged according to the Blockbau system and
assembled by joints in the shape of a V, U, or T, to make
the construction stable and flexible. The beams of the
upper part of the walls extend beyond the junction points
to form supporting consoles for the framework. The outer
walls are usually embellished with a torsade motif, while
structural components (consoles, door and window
frames, balustrade, bell tower gallery, etc) have a
sculpted decoration.
The three inner areas are covered by ceilings or vaults of
different forms. A gallery was installed later (late 19th –
early 20th century) in the naos to accommodate the
growing congregation. The inner walls were completely
covered with paintings during the second half of the 18th
century and first half of the 19th century by travelling
painters whose names are known. These painters belong
to post-Byzantine traditions, but their iconography also
reflects the ideas conveyed by the Reformation and
Counter-Reformation. The canons of Byzantine art are
reinterpreted in a graphic and decorative manner to create
a more naive and refreshing style of painting. At the
beginning of the 19th century, Baroque and Rococo
paintings made their appearance in the wooden churches
of Maramures, probably through the intermediary of
neighbouring countries.

- The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin at the
Temple (Bârsana)

The old church of the Bârsana monastery, built in 1720,
became a parish church in 1806 when it was moved to
the present site. On this occasion, a two-level portico,
connected by a staircase, was added to the western
facade. Because of its plan, the church belongs to the
tradition of churches of the Maramures region, but differs
by its smaller size. The painter Hodor Toader did the
painted decoration in 1806, using an iconography and
style which confirms the influences of Baroque and
Rococo painting, especially in the naos and sanctuary.

- The Church of Saint Nicholas (Budeºti)

The church of Saint Nicholas was built in 1643 on the
site of a 15th century church. It is an outstanding
example of the wooden churches of Maramures which
served as a model for many other churches. It is also
distinguished by its size and the four pinnacles at the
base of the spire, which indicates a link with the
neighbouring region of Lapus. The paintings inside come
from two different periods : those of the narthex and naos
are the work of Alexandru Ponehalski (1762) who also
painted several icons, while those in the sanctuary are by
Ioan Opris (1832).

- The Church of the Holy Paraskeva (Deseºti)

The church, which was built in 1770, reflects the artistic
maturity of its builders. The external architectural
elements are highlighted by decorative motifs (serrations,
leaves, etc) incised or cut in the wood to create a
homogeneous and valuable ensemble. The painter Radu
Munteanu, known as the leader of an 18th century school
of religious painting, was responsible for the interior
decoration (1780), assisted by the painter Gheorghe.

- The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin (Ieud Deal)

The present church, built in the middle of the 18th
century, replaced the one destroyed by the Tatars in
1717. The structure of the inner space, especially the
vaults over the naos and narthex, reveals the ingenuity of
the builders. The painter Alexandru Ponehalski, who was
already active in the region, did the interior decoration,
which has a particularly rich iconography (1782). The
wooden churches of Maramures usually formed a
complex with a cemetery, but in Ieud it is also completed
by a bell tower standing on its own and a Way of the
Cross with stations built in masonry.

- The Church of the Holy Archangels (Plopiº)

Situated in the "country" of Chioar, the church of the
Holy Archangels (1796-1798) shows certain analogies
with the church in ªurdeºti, such as the flat roof slightly
lowered over the sanctuary, the slender bell tower with
four corner pinnacles, and certain elements of the
sculpted decor outside (torsades in the middle of the
walls, motifs on the base and the balustrade of the
belvedere). The decoration, painted in 1811 by Stefan, a
native of the village, is preserved on the vaults and the
iconostasis with, in particular, a Descent from the Cross.

- The Church of the Holy Parasceve (Poienile Izei)

The church of Saint Paraskeva, one of the oldest of the
wooden churches of Maramures (1604), reveals two
phases in the development of such buildings. The first
phase can be seen in the lower part of the walls with a
sanctuary based on a square plan, a typical feature of the
oldest wooden buildings. In the 18th century, the walls
were raised, the naos was covered by a semi-circular
vault, and the interior was decorated with paintings
(1794). The portico protecting the entrance was added
during the first half of the 19th century.

- The Church of the Holy Archangels (Rogoz)

The church built in 1663 was moved from Suciu in Sus
to Rogoz in 1883. It is characterized by a recessed
heptagonal sanctuary, a polygonal pronaos, a southern
entrance, and a large asymmetrical roof. It is also
distinctive for its profusion of decorative sculpture
("horsehead" consoles, old traditional Romanian motifs,
an accolade frame for the entrance, torsades, rosettes,
crosses, etc). The partly preserved murals were painted in
1785 by two painters from the country, Radu Munteanu
and Nicolae Man.

- The Church of the Holy Archangels (ªurdeºti)

Built in 1767, the church of the Holy Archangels of
ªurdeºti synthesises all the features of the wooden
churches of Maramures at the height of their
development with, in particular, a double canopy and
superposed windows. The two-level portico and its tall
bell tower date to the 19th century. In 1783, three
painters, including Stefan (iconostasis and sanctuary),
shared the task of decorating the inside of the church.