DH and I are in the middle of our Romania trip and I realized I hadn’t posted a thing!

Flights

We flew from Phoenix to Newark on 8/31 on AA and stayed the night at the Doubletree Hilton. Noisy atrium with the pool but it was fine for our overnight stay. Shuttle provided to and from the airport.

Next day we were scheduled on a 5:20 pm United flight to Munich and then on to Bucharest via Lufthansa - the international flights were business class.

Even though the flight had had arrived from AMS that morning, about 30 minutes before we were scheduled to board they announced that the a/c was not working properly and there was another issue with the part. You guessed it - the flight was over 3 hours late leaving Newark! By then I had already gotten on the phone and rescheduled our flight to Bucharest. People were scrambling to change connections.

Upon arrival in Munich, United provided no representative to meet the flight. People were wondering how to handle rerouting luggage and where/who to talk to. Some (including us) were simply told to go to the Lufthansa Service Center for assistance by the flight attendant as we got off. Horrible customer service! The service center was jammed. It would be hours. So we headed to the Lufthansa business lounge and a rep there took pity on us and assisted. Glad I had rebooked us with confirmed seats on a Lufthansa flight. We killed some time at the lounge and finally boarded our flight.

Bucharest

Arrived in Bucharest and the driver the hotel arranged was waiting as promised. Staying at the Athenee Palace Hilton for 2 nights. By the time we got to the hotel it was close to 9:00 pm - tired. Ate a light dinner and off to bed.

Because our time here was so short, I had arranged a full day private guide with car to see some sights. He was right on time. We saw Revolution Square and headed off to see the Parliament Building. Of course those tours were done by their own staff. Such a large building with so many empty rooms! The 90 minute tour was informative. Very ornate building and a definite must see while there.

From there we we went to the Village Museum and walked through the north and south sections looking at the different architecture of the homes. Very interesting. We even saw the home that is featured on the 10 Lei note. Had lunch while there and I had cabbage rolls with polenta for lunch. Both were delicious!

Onward to to old town past the fountains. A walk through the square with shops.

Throughout the day our guide shared stories about growing up in his village and the adjustments he made moving to Bucharest.

Fascinating to see the architecture with the mix of communist era buildings and old world buildings. Very stark contrast! I confess I found the communist buildings just depressing to look at. Apartment houses galore with parking being a nightmare.

The Athenee Palace had its own fascinating history. A hotel that housed spies and intrigue! Interesting pictures in the lobby. Very old world hotel. We enjoyed our brief stay there. The Executive Lounge had a small balcony and we sat there with drinks and just watched the boulevard below and the people.

A brief but enjoyable stay.

Onward

Up and with the airport shuttle (actually a car service) we headed back to the airport to pick up our rental car from Avis. Nice Mercedes (DH says model not sold in the U.S.) that had room for our bags but isn’t huge. Also got a Garmin for navigating. I promptly couldn’t follow directions though and managed to get us into a parking garage! Luckily two very nice men were able to show us how to pay - nope no grace period here - our 3 Lei so the token would work and to get us out!

On our way!!!

Peles Castle

First stop. Garmin somewhat got us there and my Maps app did the rest.

The walk to the castle was all uphill (note to self almost all castles are uphill) and long........ We finally made it to the top and waited in line another really long time for tickets. It started to pour down rain so DH had to make it to cover while I (who was smart enough to have my umbrella) stood in line. Finally into the castle via tour. What a look at life in another era. I won’t go into the history lesson other than to say it was certainly a modern castle ahead of its time. We toured both the ground and first floor and found it very interesting and worth the long lines

Brasov

By now we were in late afternoon so ready to stop for the day. We drove to Braşov and to the Upper House Boutique Hotel. I picked this hotel for its location (5 minute walk) to Old Town and because it has its own parking. Parking is a premium in this town.

Dinner and a little relaxing.

Bran Castle - Prejmer - Braşov

After a wonderful breakfast we headed off to Bran Castle. As a long time Dracula fan how couldn’t I? Yes I know it’s not the real home but hey it was fun and the castle as you look up just made me hear howling wolves. Very imposing looking.

It was actually very interesting to visit. I didn’t buy any TShirts though.

From there we we went to the fortified church in Prejmer. This church is one of the 7 UNESCO World Heritage fortified churches in the area. It had over 270 rooms and imagining life there as you walked through it was amazing.

Later we returned to Brasov and went down to The Black Church which is the largest Gothic church in Romania. We then walked around the square and watched the people. Ate dinner on the square. Tried a trip of bean dips which came with cucumber and tomato and onion. Very good. The town is medieval looking which adds to the charm of the area.

Enjoyed our stay here.

Rupea - Viscri - Biertan - Sighisoara

Left Braşov and started our drive to Sighisoara - our next 2 night stay. The rolling green hills and farmland are beautiful!

We we made an impromptu stop at Rupea when we saw the fortified church from the road. It’s one of the oldest archaeological sites in Romania. Built in 1324 and last used in 1790.

On to Viscri. Now Garmin told us to turn down this road which turned out to be a complete dirt road with a do no enter sign on it. Do we believe the sign? Heck no because there is a small sign pointing to Viscri. So off we go. A half hour later with mud caked on the car we made it! Frankly I couldn’t see the charm people claim Prince Charles saw. If he truly comes to stay I can only assume he brings an large group with him to cook and clean. On the other hand it was quiet and the church there was nice.

Now on when we left we found the paved road that brought us out right at Rupea. We had to laugh.

On on to The Doubletree Hilton which was picked for its parking. Right across the street from the Citadel. Hotel is not the best Hilton that’s for sure.

Sighisoara

A lazy morning. First order of business - get the car washed! Yes DH says I won’t live it down! It certainly looks better after the wash.

Up to the citadel. We walked around and saw the sights. Cute town. We enjoyed looking at the Clock Tower and other historic buildings. Ate a very late lunch in the square.

I can see why people say a day here is enough though.

Now I’m caught up!

Great to read another Romania report.

Sighetu Marmatiei

We drove from Sighisoara to Sighetu Marmatiei today. The roads were good, just slow since they are not major highways. The scenery was beautiful. Small villages, rolling green hills, haystacks and carts with one horse pulling a family along.

We we stopped for lunch along the way at a small restaurant where we had soup. DH has the bean with pork and I had what they called the traditional soup. It was very good.

Arrived in Sighetu Marmatiei for our 2 night stay at Hotel Gradina Morii. Tomorrow will be sightseeing.

Sighetu Marmatiei

Our guide, Teofil Ivanciuc, picked us up promptly at 9:30 am for our full day. Our first stop was the farmers market where we saw stall after stall of beautiful vegetables. A very busy place with people not only buying the vegetables and other food products, but also quietly buying the cigarettes that had been brought in from the Ukraine. The Ukrainien border is just about 2 kilometers away.

Not it only was the market busy, the flower vendors was also busy because it was the first day of school and it’s a common practice for flowers to be given to the teachers on the first day. In fact the practice of giving teachers gifts all through the school year is an issue that we understand the government is asking parents to stop.

From the market we went to the church built during the Communist era. It’s under renovation. Still interesting to see.

On to one of the wooden churches that is so unique to this part of Romania. Fascinating to see. The Merry Cemetery was our next stop and some of the markers there were translated for us. To think this was one man’s idea which has turned into something so special.

On to the Victims of Communism Memorial. This is a fascinating museum and well worth a visit. Not a lot in English; however, we were lucky and Teofil explained several of the exhibits. He grew up here and he told the story of his father working in the area and he would go to visit his father after school. There were guards with machine guns posted at the prison (now museum) and the guards would yell at him and the other children to walk on the other side of the street. His father never told him that political prisoners were being killed behind the walls.

We then went to the monestary where we had a brief lunch. We then walked the grounds and learned it had taken 25 years for it to be built and was still in the process of expanding.

We then had the chance to stop where we saw a woodcarver at work making pierces for churches to be built not only here in Romania, which even included a church being sent to New Jersey.

We we had the opportunity to visit with a family harvesting potatoes and a widow picking her butter beans. All of the talked about how severe the drought has been had the impact on the crops.

We also watched while while a family was busily washing some of their rugs in one of the natural whirlpools to prepare for winter.

We we stopped at a alcohol distiller and sampled a small glass of blueberry brandy.

Our last stop was a 13th century wooden church that is still used today. The inside of this church had the floor covered with rugs made by the women in the village. Some of the frescos were so old they had faded some. It was beautiful with embroidered pieces hanging up. A beautiful, unique treasure.

A full day day and I know I have probably forgotten something!

What an interesting trip you had. Thanks for the photos.

Gura Humorului

We left Maramures and drove to Gura Humorului. The drive was through a changing landscape that went from rolling hills and farmland to timberland and meadows with cows grazing.

In Gara Humorului we had reservations at Casa Humor. Picked again because of parking and a restaurant on site.

This would be our last 2 night stay in Romania.

We didn’t do much after arriving yesterday other than relax on the terrace of our room and enjoy the views. Today we did a driving circuit of the painted monasteries. We visited five monasteries all unique in their own way. The frescoes were beautiful! I won’t go through each one although I will post a couple of pictures. Hard to pick a favorite as each was unique in some way.

The trip has been wonderful. I will always think of Romania with its haystacks and rolling hills.

Next we are off to Budapest for three nights and then on to a river cruise. I may start another thread for the next part of our trip

Are they still using horses for transport in Maramures?

Have fun in Budapest, it's one of my favorite cities.

Yes we saw horse drawn carts in both Maramureş and Bucovina. We even saw one cart pulled by oxen. The horses had red tassels on the bridle and looked very festive.

Thanks - we’re looking forward to Budapest.

Because there is so much to describe for the monasteries, I have put this link that may help

https://painted-monasteries.ro/

This will turn into a long trip report but for the sake of not having to redirect everyone to different threads, I’ll continue on.

We dropped our car at the Bucharest airport with no issue and our Tarom flight to Budapest was right on time.

Hungary
We are staying at the Aria Hotel Budapest which is literally right across the street from St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika). The hotel is beautiful and completely done in a music theme. We are in the Count Basie room. Large room with chandeliers and a balcony that looks down to the inside music courtyard. Great location.

Yesterday we met Adam Kiss a local guide who actually lives in Holloko. Holloko is a village that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Adam picked us up at our hotel and first we drove to his village after a short drive around the area where we are staying in Budapest. After reaching Holloko he explained the history of the village and how he came to live there. We went to the castle and walked through the village where he was frequently greeted by the locals. We even saw his youngest daughter walking with her kindergarten class down the street. Adam was kind enough to invite us into his home for a glass of black current juice. The insider viewpoint of living in this village was priceless and a wonderful experience for us.

From Holloko we went to Eger. A beautiful town. The highlight for me was the visit to the Lyceum. The Lyceum’s old fashioned section had actually just closed but Adam persuaded them to allow us in for a brief visit. It was fabulous!!! All the old books arranged by size. The frescoes on the ceiling were beautiful. Unfortunately you can’t take photos in the library or I would add some here. There was even a copy of a letter written by Mozart to his sister upon the death of their father. Of course the original was in the vault.

After visiting the cathedral we headed off to a wine tasting to have some of the famous Bull’s Blood wine. While in the cellar doing the tasting, another treat. All of a sudden a small film crew came in. It turned out is was Joe Fattorini from The Wine Show that some of you may be familiar with seeing. It was fun to watch the several “takes” the director required to get the scene just right. We were the only other people there so they even asked us to wait for a moment so all the scenes would have the same people. Joe Fatttorini was very friendly.

So back to Budapest after a full day with our own bottle of Bull’s Blood.

There was We find our guides via word of mouth, forums or guide books.

Good luck on your new career

Yesterday was a busy day. We started the morning with a tour of the city via Tuk Tuk. It was a fun way to go around and see the sights. Budapest is a large city! There was a Street Ball competition happening at the square which added to the massive crowds already existing. For us it really detracted from viewing the monument as teenagers were climbing all over the statues and hanging off of them.

The castle area area was packed with hundreds of people from Viking Cruise Lines.

The city had had some beautiful buildings; however, I confess I enjoyed the countryside more.

Last night we we did a food tour with A Taste of Hungary. There was one other couple with us who were from Germany. He was here on business. The tour gave us an opportunity to try different dishes. We had Goulash, different stews that we all shared, and finally pastries at a very lovely cafe named Callas where musicians were playing. Each course came with its own Hungarian wine.

This is morning off to see the inside of the Parliament.

The first time I went to Budapest, in 2004, it was well off the tourist trail. Not any more, alas.

On one trip I arranged a private tour of the Art Nouveau buildings, which was great.

You Tube

We visited the Parliament yesterday morning and very much enjoyed this tour. The guide was informative and the building was beautiful. I would highly recommend a visit.

And Beyond - our river cruise- Melodies of the Danube - the next part of our journey.


https://www.fodors.com/community/cru...anube-1671851/

And Beyond -

Czechoslovakia

Vyssi Brod

Our arranged transfer (My Daytrip) picked us up from the AMAMagna right on time. We took a scenic drive through the countryside to Vyssi Bród. Here we had a chance to see some of the monastery. This is a huge complex constructed during the 13th century and now undergoing restoration. The monastery conducts tours but unfortunately not when we were there. We did get to see the inside of the church.


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From the monastery we went to a view sight to look down the valley. We laughed because the guide told us it was just a 2 minute walk. Almost 15 minutes later, going up a trail that was more of a hike than a walk, we were at the site. Pretty view.

Cesky Krumlov

On to Cesky Krumlov where we spent the night at Hotel Grand which was located right on the town square. Like everyone, I loved this town. The buildings are fairytale like and just wandering around was magical. The crowds left and the evening was very nice. We enjoyed a very nice dinner by the river on a terrace. We shared our table with a young woman traveling on her own. She is living in France and studying French before going to design school.

The next morning we walked the town some more and I bought my postcard and gingerbread. We then rolled our suitcases up the hill (no cars allowed during certain times) to the meeting point to catch CK Shuttle to Prague. Onward!

You Tube

I am in Romania now (with husband)...have met several young, single travelers. We are an older couple traveling on our own & have had no problems. Highly recommend a visit to Romania.

BDKR - What can I say? Didn’t hit that edit button quick enough!!! LOL

I did not find driving in Romania difficult at all! I heard all of the horror stories about the crazy drivers before I left and was apprehensive too, but no need. Just make sure you stay at places that provide parking. So go for it.

Prague

We arrived in Prague and are staying at the Unitas Hotel which is a very nice hotel in Old Town. Our first night we went to a Folklore Show. It was a typical tourist spot but fun with lots of beer and watching the show was entertaining.

Yesterday morning we we did a brief tour of Prague by Old Car. It gave us a good overview of the city and was fun. The sky was really cloudy but with jackets not bad. We then walked the city ourselves in the afternoon. OMG the crowds! The buildings were beautiful though. The city seems much grittier in comparison to Budapest. Interesting contrast. Now what’s really funny is running into two people from our river cruise at the Old Town Square! Surprised with the crowds they even saw us.

Last night we walked led with a guide we had arranged. DH wanted some night illumination pictures of various sights. Martin was informative and has been guiding for years. He knew some short cuts which made it easier to get around. He even talked about being in Prague when the Russian tanks rolled into the city when he was a child, and how terrible the experience was for his family and others.

Kunta Hora

Our last full day (never enough time) in Prague, we went to Kunta Hora The Bone Church was very interesting, but I found The Italian Court and St. Barbara’s Cathedral really fascinating. I thought the inside of the cathedral was just lovely.
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Time for us to leave Prague. I finally had a chance to wander around the Unitas Hotel and look at the old pictures of when the hotel was a convent and then a prison. What a fascinating history of this building.


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this is from an informational card in the lobby bar.

So time to say goodbye to the Czech Republic and moving on!

Just realized I stayed in the Pension Unitas in 2004!

It’s a lovely property and we had a great room. Very large. Staff were very helpful. Enjoyed our stay.