Romania - independent travel video, travel photography

Romania

Hidden among hugro-slavic countries, Romania is a country where the traditions and old customs (Quicktime / Real / Win ) are best preserved. Being at the crossroads of the old empires, the country traditions are as diverse as the empires once surrounded it. The Austro-Hungarian influence made Transylvania, a prosperous western oriented region, Moldova and Muntenia preserving more an Ottoman influence, all three making the country very diverse and interesting. But what unites the three provinces is the Romanian language, one of the five main European romance languages, beside French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. A life loving people, Romanians, are enjoying traditions and festivities. The hospitality is characteristic for the people, who may invite you casually in their houses, especially in the countryside, and serve you food and drinks, an important component being the Romanian very high "octane" plum brandy called "tzuica".

The capital of the country, Bucuresti, a major city in the Balkans, a cultural and interesting place, has a mix of French and Oriental architecture. This is the money making, the wheeling and dealing center of the country, a city full of entertainment places, restaurants, theaters and art galleries. But when you leave it, the country opens in front of you, tranquil and picturesque. Crossing the country you travel from the Black Sea level to the peaks of the Carpathians Mountains, around 7500 ft. The mountains, with tranquil and traditional villages, with "stine", places were the sheep are held in the summer, are spectacular and make Romania, a must, for hikers.

Some of the most interesting parts of Romania are in the North. Maramures is an area where the tradition is preserved like in an open-air museum. The remarkable peasant architecture, with the famous 400 ft tall wooden churches built with no metal nails, the traditional sculpted gates, and the "funny" graveyard of Sapinta, a unique place in Europe, is a charming destination. Not far from there, crossing into Bucovina, in northern Moldova, you find remarkable 16th century Byzantine inside-and-outside painted churches, which preserve excellent colors and motives. Going South, there are many other beautiful serene and hospitable monasteries or you can visit the main city of Moldova, Iasi, a real cultural capital of the country. If you go South-East towards the Black Sea you can visit the National Park of the Danube Delta, where you can sail the small or large canals of the river watching birds and animals and the traditional life of the fishermen, taken like from the last century.

Transylvania is far from being a legendary realm. Located in the middle of the country, it is surrounded by mountains its name being derived from the latin "Transilvana" that means " the country beyond forests". It was named also Siebenburgen from the main seven medieval cities founded by the Saxon settlers around the 11th century. The Saxons were Germans from Saxony or Rhineland who were deployed there by the Hungarians, who ruled the area in those times, and wanted to guard the kingdom borders. Some of these medieval cities, Brasov (Kronstadt), Sibiu (Hermannstadt), Sighisoara (Schassburg), and their surroundings, preserve a remarkable medieval atmosphere that we tried to reproduce in our travel video about this region. The video will walk you through these three major cities and also, to Alba Iulia, an important city for the history of present-day Romania, to the church of Cristian, one of the many fortified churches around Brasov, to the citadel of Risnov and the Bran Castle, ending up in the bustling city of Bucharest.