Treasures of Transylvania

The Fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 precipitated the violent overthrow of the oppressive Communist regime of Ceausescu in Romania. 20 years on explore an independent Romania, now part of the European Union, in an itinerary that contrasts the landscapes of the Carpathians Mountains and the historic province of Transylvania with its legend of the 15th-century ruler of Wallachia, Vlad the Impaler (Count Dracula) and the renowned painted monasteries in Moldavia.

The tranquil nunneries and unique painted churches of Bucovina, with their flowery exterior frescoes protected by soaring shingle roofs, were painted in the 16th and 17th centuries but still retain their freshness and colour, a living monument to religious faith and artistic endeavour. It was common practice to illustrate bible stories in storyboard sequences as colourful frescoes on church exteriors, making them understandable to the common man. Voronet, the ‘Sistine Chapel’ of the Orient, has well-preserved frescoes whilst Sucevita, brick-red coloured, is the best preserved medieval monastery with imposing walls and defensive towers. The monastery at Varatec houses an icon museum and a small embroidery school established by Queen Marie. Bicaz Canyon has spectacular limestone formations and Sighisoara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the best preserved fortified medieval towns in south-eastern Europe. Sibiu is another wellpreserved treasure house with three main squares around which the Old Town is built. The Orthodox Church closely resembles Haghia Sofia in Istanbul and the Brukenthal Museum houses some of Romania’s greatest art treasures.

Brasov is a 12th-century town renowned for its Gothic-style Black Church. In Sinaia, the ‘Pearl of the Carpathians’, Peles Castle is the summer residence of the first king of Romania, Carl I. Nearby lies the village of Bran whose medieval castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, was built by local merchants to protect the old border between Wallachia and Transylvania.

Bucharest, the capital, sometimes known as ‘Little Paris’, has wide boulevards and French architecture, whilst the House of People is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.