Bumps, Bends, Mixed Up Plans
"A wizard does not make mistakes. He makes unexpected possibilities." – Merlin
Tag: Balkans
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Chapter 25 in which Dmitry is trying to return to work, but becomes a drone pilot instead
As it was mentioned in the previous chapter, we were going to Cluj-Napoca, and that is what we did. To be exact, we rented an apartment in Floresti – a suburb of Cluj.
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Chapter 24 in which we descend underground
July 2022 There is an old salt mine in Transylvania. It was first mentioned in 1075 and the first official document granting privileges to use the mine was issued in 1271. Explorations stopped in 1932. You can imagine how deep they dug during centuries. These days there is a salt therapy spa, a museum and…
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Chapter 23 in which we cross the Carpathian mountains
July 2022 By now you might think that we only visited Castles in Romania. That is not true. Our next point of interest was DN7C. Well, it is not really a point. It is a paved mountain road better known as Transfagarasan (Transfăgărășan). The road connects Transylvania and Wallachia crossing the southern Carpathian Mountains between…
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Chapter 22 in which we go to Peles Castle
July 2022 Peles Castle is relatively young. It was built between 1873 and 1914, by this time old mature castles got destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times. By the XIX century castles had lost their importance for fortification. While Castelul Peleș is built on a hill, it is not surrounded by a high wall…
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Chapter 21 in which we visit Bran Сastle
July 2022 One cannot come to Transylvania and not visit Bran Castle – Dracula’s castle. The gloomy hilltop castle seems like a perfect vampire’s lair. It is not, though. And it was not. Vlad III the Impaler (Vlad Țepeș, Vlad Dracula) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula are loosely connected and neither of them lived in Bran…
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Chapter 20 in which we are brasoving around
July 2022 In Brasov we lived not far from the Union Square (Piața Unirii), so obviously, we started from there. Google Maps remembers the time when the whole square was paved with tarmac and used for parking cars. Nowadays it is a pedestrian area. Cobblestone better suits the buildings surrounding the square and the XVI…
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Chapter 19 in which we start this blog
July 2022 From now on we do not make stupid jokes about vampires in Transylvania. We are dead serious! See for yourself. Who would make a door on the upper floor with no stairs? There are no stairs inside of the house either (and no way to the upper floor at all). And why would…
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Chapter 18 in which we go to Brasov, but stumble upon another fortress
July 2022 We had already failed to settle somewhere cheap and meditate for a month, so we continued our trip. We left Deva and we were going to Brașov. We booked a reasonably priced accommodation in the old town for two weeks. In the middle of the day we reached Fagaras and decided to stop…
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Chapter 17 in which we visit Corvin Castle
June 2022 Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle was laid out in 1446 by János Hunyadi and is located in present day Hunedoara. Why Corvin then? There are several legends involving a raven and a ring, that explain why house Hunyadi became Corvinus (raven in Latin). Like every old castle this…
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Chapter 16 in which our Transylvania journey begins
June 2022 Could there be a better time to arrive in Transylvania than twilight? We were approaching the apartment booked for the next three days, when we realised it was not far from the train station. After three nights under the flight path that was ironic. A white car that had overtaken us a minute…