After Hivefest, it was time to return to our beloved country of Turkey, and for this we had to go through quite a few countries. On our way, we wanted to see a few more new and interesting places. One of the countries we hadn't visited was Romania. We had heard a lot about it, of course. And it has one of the most unique types of appearance and behavior, and exploring it was one of the most extraordinary for us. And just on our way, we had the opportunity to stop here and get acquainted with this beautiful area. We had never seen their culture before, and when we were driving along the road to our next apartment, one of the most interesting things was to look out the window at the square large palazzo-like buildings and very interestingly dressed people. There were interesting decorations on top and it was immediately clear that quite high-status people live there. It even looked a bit like the Great Wall of China! Romania is considered a gypsy country, but while driving along the road, we realized that this is only true in the villages, while in the city it is a completely civilized life.
The town consists of small houses, several churches, each of which is uniquely beautiful, and the main attraction is a huge castle on a hill in the middle of the town. It turns out that this castle is just the town hall, and not, as we thought, the ultra-mystical Dracula's castle. But there is something unusual about this place, but before I tell you, let's first talk about the town.
We stopped in the city of Sighisoara, which is quite a popular city in Romania. But this time we decided that for today we did not need an apartment, and we decided to walk around the city and then head to the apartment to rest. As soon as we arrived in the city center, we parked and went to explore. On the square in front of the entrance to the center there were flags of countries, and in the background there were beautiful forest hills.
We were greeted by a colorful street with unique houses, each with its own bright color. We slowly walked through the streets and enjoyed the colorful designs of the houses. All the houses were on the same level, and I didn’t see a single skyscraper. It gives such a special vibe. The streets stretched out in long alleys.
Since we hadn't eaten since morning, we decided to go to a restaurant and try Romanian cuisine. The restaurant is located near the main street, where we needed to withdraw money to pay the bill. Then we realized that Romanian lei are some of the most beautiful money in the world. The drawings on them are so colorful and diverse that you can't take your eyes off them. We took a photo of every bill we could get our hands on.
So, having chosen a table, we sat down and ordered a few options from the menu. And to be honest, the experience at this restaurant was not that good, our first impression of Romanian cuisine was negative, but we hoped that it was just because of this restaurant, and that it would be tastier elsewhere. Although the potatoes were good, there's also a similar dish in turkey called kumpir. So after that, we went on a serious research.
The weather was cold, so during the walk, our feet were freezing. We walked from the restaurant up the street, passing a little to the castle. Walking along the very first street above us were decorations with umbrellas levitating in the air. It's so magical ✨. Around there were nice warm cafes that lured you inside. But alas, our exploration was not over yet.
Then we went higher and higher, looking at every nook and cranny. All the architecture was very exclusive. We felt an atmosphere of mysticism as we photographed all these nooks and crannies.
As we climbed higher and higher, the horizon opened up to the tower of the City Hall. It looks so massive, and with its 64 meters of height, it is visible from every point in the city.
It is decorated with evenly laid tiles of different colors, mostly yellow and green. These tiles are divided into six different sides, and on each of them there is a pattern, although I can't understand what exactly is depicted there. But overall, this tower is pleasing to the eye and adds beauty to the appearance of the city.
Also, for fun, there are miniature figures of gnomes, elves, or maybe brownies sitting and looking at something from a height. Or maybe they're watching us?
Going higher and higher, we passed through a tunnel under the bottom of the tower and finally looked inside the inner city.
Upon entering, we immediately saw an inner courtyard with a huge white church in the middle and several streets leading to the main town hall. The main town hall was even higher than the tower, and it seemed to me like it was some kind of mountain and not a city (I think it's a mountain-city).
(This photo was taken from @bugavi 's post because she is my sister)
And here comes the main surprise. Although this is not Dracula's castle as I mentioned earlier, this is the place where he was born. In a pastel house on the corner with a small arch next to it, the legendary Count Dracula himself was born, or his real name Vlad Tepes. He got his second name because of his brutal massacre of his enemies, and I myself am not a fan of his actions, so if you want to know about the exact method, you can read it on the Internet. Nevertheless, his actions were so bloody and sinister that people began to associate him with a bloody monster, and because of this they nicknamed him Dracula. I generally do not like what people did in those days, but since we are already in this place, I could not help but write. Also, another piece of information that has not been verified for veracity, and is rather considered a myth, but could also be true, is that after dealing with his enemies, Vlad had a habit of drinking their blood. Now a museum has been created at his birthplace, which anyone can visit (of course for money, I think).
So, climbing higher and higher along the street, we couldn't help but notice how beautifully the colors of the street and the houses harmonized with the vines hanging from the walls.
(This photo was taken from my sister's post)
Finally reaching the bottom of the last climb, we saw a long, dark wooden tunnel with stairs leading clearly to the main structure. It felt like an eternity to climb it. You can really test your athletic abilities. By the time I reached the top of the mountain, I was out of breath and exhausted.
The grounds were beautiful, and the town hall looked luxurious as always.
To be honest, I was more forced to go there than I wanted to, because while my sister and I were taking pictures of the streets, my mother decided to run away and we had to look for her. So when my sister went through the tunnel to look for her near the town hall, I stayed at the foot so that if she went down, we wouldn't miss her. And so it happened. While my sister was looking for my mother, my mother went down from another exit, and I had to climb up the tunnel to the top and look for my sister so that we could finally walk back down the road together.
On our way back we walked and enjoyed the architecture of the houses we saw. These neatly carved and cleanly made houses have such a beautiful charm. Some of them had beautiful triangular roofs which added to the elegance of the form.
Also on the corner, we saw a creatively crafted design with a peeking deer that could be seen from both sides.
Going down to the cafes and restaurants, we wanted to visit another cafe, so as not to leave a bad impression about the food of Romania. We went into a cozy cafe and ordered dinner and a cute looking dessert, which is a national dish. Its name is Papanasi. We immediately fell in love with it as soon as we saw it on a plate of other visitors, and fell in love even more when we tried it. The food in this restaurant was also delicious. So come to Romania and try this beautiful dessert - Papanasi.
Bye bye everyone! 🧛🏻⛪💐