Romanian Traditions

Dream and Sign Interpretation in Romania 

 

It is a well known fact that Romanians are a superstitious people, so it's time to have a look at the way they interpret dreams and certain signs they find in the everyday life. Passed on from the elders, these traditions are kept even nowadays even in the greatest of cities.

Dreams and interpretations

Here's a list with the most common interpretations of different symbols that might appear in your dreams: 

• clear water – great worries
• dirty water – disease
• falling in unclear water – disease
• fire – argument, worry, good weather
• infant – danger
• going to a wedding – argument
• having a tooth fall off and hurting teeth – a member of your family will die
• somebody dies – changing weather
• visitors – news
• somebody's house crumbles – death of someone living in that house
• a bull or a pig chases you – illness
• receiving news – having guests
• plane, soldier – getting news
• gipsies – good luck
• attending church – loss of money
• playing, dancing, laughing – upset
• flying – growing
• getting dirty – shame
• if a pregnant woman dreams of a boy's hat or a ring – she'll give birth to baby boy
• if she dreams of a scarf or woman's ring – she'll give birth to a baby girl
• wolves – problems with the law
• crossing a bridge – winning in front of the law, achieving something
• going uphill – progress, health improvement
• descending a hill – money loss
• priest – religious holiday
• white clothing – joy, success
• widow man/woman – danger 

Tradition also says that Monday night dreams, as well as those on Thursday and Saturday night come true, while those on Sunday (towards morning) usually don't come true. Some use special books for interpreting dreams, while others consider that dreams are sent either by your guardian angel or by the evil spirits.

Foretelling the future

Gipsies usually foretell the future by looking in the palm of your hand or by using cards. Others have a look at an older calendar, throw a grain of wheat towards it and if it falls on one of the 70 numbers on the page, this has a certain meaning. There's also a zodiac that gets checked out by foretellers, as well as calendars spanning over 150 years.
In the zodiac, each month has a certain sign associated to it, lasting from the 12th of a month to the 12th of the next one. Foretellers also search the sky and stars for signs regarding the future of a certain person. For example, a falling star points the direction of the place where your future will change.
Some women even practice the guessing of the future by using a coffee mug. There's also the "bobdi" guessing, done with the aid of 41 corn grains, that are placed on a table. Afterwards a woman makes the cross sign above them and they're mixed, while the woman chants an old song. Then the grains are split into 3 groups, each group with grains counted four by four. The remaining grains are placed on the table in a straight line, separately on 3 columns.
The process is repeated, while mixing the grains and choosing only some of them, till you get 3 horizontal and 3 vertical columns, so that any way you count them, there are 9 groups. If a grain falls in the middle, it's a bad sign. When 3 grains are in the middle, it's a good sign. If on top, the first line sums up to 9 grains, it's a bad sign. “Bobdii” are tossed while thinking the same thought, three times. If you want to have another thought, you must switch one of the 41 grains.

Signs that foretell events

As every culture has pretty strange signs that "foretell" events, here are a few from Romania:

• If you find an old horse shoe and keep it in the attic, behind the main pillar, it'll bring good luck to your house.
• A hanged man's rope is good for spells.
• If a cat comes by your house, it'll bring good luck.
• In order to be lucky when buying and selling stuff, before going to the market, you'll need to throw some coins to the children you meet on the way.
• If someone sews your clothes easily and they come out well, it means you're a lucky man, but if they fail to sew them once or twice, you must be an evil man.
• In order to preserve your luck, it's not a good idea to share your salt, when the cow gives birth, because it'll lose its milk.
• If you eat out of your lap, you'll be "eating your luck".
• Before going to a party, you should eat on the door step of your house, in order to keep spells away from you.
• Little children shouldn't look in the mirror when they start speaking, in order not to remain mute.
• When the walls, windows or corner of the house cracks, these are death signs.
• If the lamp of the house gets broken by itself, the people living in the house will split up.
• If a girl breaks a mirror, she won't be married for 7 years.
• When an icon falls off the wall and breaks apart, it's a bad sign, foretelling somebody's death.

Author: Alex Stanescu

The Girl Fair of Mount Gaina 

 

   Near Mount Gaina you’ll witness one of the most interesting traditions of Romania: the Gaina Girl Fair, taking place each year in the Sunday closest to July 20. Known as "targul de fete", this is the greatest outdoor holiday of the country and it hosts the greatest traditional song and dance groups from Romania.

 

      The history of this celebration was lost in the mist of time, but Mount Gaina was mentioned by Strabon, "the father of geography", who claimed that Dacians had a "cogaiom" mountain near their capital, Sarmisegetuza, where they made their sacrifices. Gaina is probably the peak where Dacians invoked their Gods and offered them such sacrifices. 
The girl fair is first mentioned officially in 1816 with people from all over Romania taking part in it, specially those from the Bihor, Aries and dwelling near the river Crisul Alb. They’ll exchange traditional products, like food or clothing and have a good time singing old songs and taking part in dances. This place is not only a symbol of Dacian traditions, but also one of the landmarks of the local "gold rush", as the precious metal seemed to have been widespread in this area.
Christian tradition placed this holiday in the second decade of July, so it'll be close to the celebration of Saint Ilie. The girl fair of Mount Gaina also has economical reasons, like the need of buying or selling various products, including girls, but only symbolically. The festivities of the girl fair take place in a beautiful local forest, surrounded by fir trees and situated at 1467 metres altitude.
There's also a romantic and ethnic motivation of the fair, as young people who live in very remote regions get together in this celebration, meet each other and sometimes fall in love and get married. In the past, girls would arrive at the fair with their dowry on their horses and the marriage was done on the spot by priests who came to mount Gaina for this purpose alone.
Today, the Mount Gaina fair is just a great local celebration, which takes a couple of days of preparation. It starts with the "tulnicarese" group of Avram Iancu, followed by various artistic programmes, which last till night kicks in. Among the dances on Mount Gaina there are the passionate "tropotite" played by mocani or "tarina", a dance for pairs and the most famous of locals, also known as "moti". There are variations of this dance, as, for example, the Abrud tarina is played elegantly and slowly with wide arm movements, lots of walking around and spinning the girl underneath the man's hand.
For tourists, the fair is the perfect place to buy unique local products, like musical instruments, wooden vases, ceramic ornaments, wooden tools or clothing items and culinary products.
Regarding the name of Mount Gaina (which means chicken in Romanian), there’s  a legend that says that on this mountain lived a chicken that laid golden eggs. Locals tried to steal her eggs, but the creature moved its nest all the way to the Rosia Montana area, where gold is extracted now. A smaller version of the girl fair of Mount Gaina is held in October (26th) and this is called the Fall fair.
The origins of the Mount Gaina celebration lie in the pagan celebrations of the summer solstice when people gathered on the peak of the mountain and worshipped the sun, praying for better crops and wealth. As Christianity became popular, Mount Gaina turned into a gathering place for shepherds and local folks, looking to dance or get married. A couple of traditions still remain from the ancient times, like the girls kissing the morning dew on the ritual plants or the early morning singing of the tulnicarese group, which point their musical instruments toward the sun.
The girl fair was most of the time a series of planned weddings between people who didn't want their young ones to marry their own relatives from small communities, so they travelled to Mount Gaina in order to find matches. It's  nice to see that a romantic tradition is still alive in the era of digital matchmaking, but that's one of the advantages of a rural/agricultural country with a rich tradition of legends.
Author: Alex Stanescu 

History and Legends

Ghosts in Romanian Traditions 

     As every European country has its own set of traditions related to the way life evolves after death, the Romanians also have their own folkloric superstitions about ghosts and undead entities.

 

     According to Romanian traditions, there are several kinds of ghosts, dependant on the way a person died. The first kind is represented by the ”building sacrifices”. This is a common superstition to many South-Eastern European populations, according to which no construction can be finished until a sacrifice is performed. Among other variants, this superstition generated the beautiful legend of the master mason Manole, who had to sacrifice his own wife, in order for the Monastery of Arges to be completed.

    A related ceremonial is that consisting in taking or stealing a man’s shade and burying it at a building’s foundation. The master mason measures the shade, preferably belonging to persons bearing names like Oprea (derived from a Romanian word meaning “to stop”) or Stan, Stanca, Stana (derived from a Romanian word meaning “to stay”) with a reed and then he walls it. The consequences were fatal to that whose shade has been stolen – he or she died at maximum 40 days after the ceremonial. The masons’ bad reputation was enforced by some cases of illnesses and deaths of people accusing they were victims of the “stealing the shade” practice. Today, the humans were replaced by animals as sacrifices for the successful completion of a building.

 

    In some areas, the oldest in the family used to step on the threshold of the new house first, because it was said that the first person to enter in a newly constructed building would die within a year and he or she would become a ghost, a guardian spirit of the house.

 

    The friendly ghosts are said to get out every night, just after the roosters announce the midnight, in order to patrol their houses. When the night is over they return to the place they or their shade has been buried. Usually, the ghosts do not reveal themselves and do not disturb those living in the house, but they appear in front of the strangers who mean harm and scare them away; they also fight other evil spirits who try to destroy the house.

 

   There are places where even the friendly ghosts enter the house and make noise so the owners give them food offerings, consisting in bread, boiled corn and salt.

 

   A different kind of ghosts is represented by those who were victims of violent deaths: drowning, thunderstruck, murder and hanging, especially. These ghosts are generally aggressive with everyone, because they have been condemned to roam through unwanted spaces (inns, isolated roads or mills). There are also vengeful ghosts who came from people who suffered injustices, sinned and were not forgiven during lifetime, were victims of evil charms or they were people who were buried inappropriately.

 

    The wandering ghosts have the same social needs as the living. They gather to have council and throw parties in places people usually avoid, in order not to be disturbed: graveyards, mills, ruins or deserted houses. If these meeting places are destroyed or moved, the ghosts scatter and seek revenge. These ghosts can be seen, but they cannot be touched; they resemble living humans, but they wear white, red or black garments. Mostly, the ghosts just give people a scare, but sometimes they can make them trip, get dizzy or they can even kill a living. That is why, when passing by a haunted place and seeing a ghost, one should cross himself, not look at it and not speak to it.

 

   The holiday of Saint Andrew, celebrated on the 30th of November is a moment related to the Romanian ghost superstitions. During the night before the holiday, it is said that “strigoii” (ghosts with vampire features) came out, attack the animals, steal the men’s virility and play with the beasts (especially wolves, as this superstition related to Saint Andrew dates from pagan times, when this animal was the most important in the Dacian bestiary). The people try to prevent the nefarious actions of the “strigoi” by making great use of the garlic’s protective properties. 

 

Saint Nicholas – An Alternate Santa Claus 

    

     A couple of weeks before Christmas, during the night between the 5th and 6th of December, Romanian children, but also adults, clean their boots until they shine, because they wait for Santa Claus’ close collaborator, Saint Nicholas, who would also bring them gifts.

 

 

 

      Saint Nicholas’s figure is surrounded by legends and only a few historical facts are known. He was born in the Middle East in a wealthy family, in the IVth century and he was cardinal of Myra (located on the territory of modern Turkey). When he inherited his parents’ fortune, he used it to help the poor and unhappy.
There are many stories about his fine deeds. One of them is that about three sisters, who were so poor, that it would have been impossible for them to get married, because they had no dowries. When the first of them reached the appropriate age, Saint Nicholas (a cardinal at Myra that time) left a bag full of gold coins on the threshold of their house. The same thing happened when the second sister was old enough to get married. Their father was very curious to find out who their mysterious benefactor was so hid himself outside the house when the youngest girl reached the age. He saw Saint Nicholas dropping a bag of gold on the chimney into a sock drying at the fireplace. The saint asked him to keep the secret, but the father was so grateful, that he couldn’t help telling the others. From that moment on, everyone who received an unexpected gift thanked Saint Nicholas for it.
Another legend recounts how the saint made a journey to the Holy Land and decided to return by taking a ship back to Myra. A terrible storm started and the sailors were sure they have met their doom, but Saint Nicholas prayed and the clouds scattered. Since then, he became the protector of sailors and travelers.
Another story explains how he became the protector of children and pupils. It is said that there were three young theologians who were travelling to Athens to complete their studies. They stopped at an inn and they were robbed and killed by the owner and their remains were secretly buried. Not long after, Saint Nicholas came to this inn and, at night, he dreamt about the crime and forced the inn-keeper to confess and reveal the place where he had hidden their remains. Saint Nicholas fervently prayed to God and the three were resurrected.
   Nicholas is a popular figure not only in Romania, but in many parts of Europe, as well. In the Xth century, the Tsar Vladimir travelled to Constantinople and, hearing about the miracles the saint had accomplished, decided to make the spiritual patron of Russia. In France, he is called Père Fouettard, an old man with a small wooden stick, who punishes the bad children and rewards the good ones and his tradition has spread to Germany, Belgium or Netherlands. The Dutch called him Sinter Klaas and introduced the holiday celebrated on the 6th of December to America, when they emigrated. In time, this holiday and Christmas merged and Sinter Klaas became Santa Claus. The Italian corresponding figure is a woman named La Befana, who was said to have refused to help the three mages to find the place where Jesus was born and, since then, she has wandered alone from house to house, trying to bring her gifts to the Holy Child.
Besides the general ones, Saint Nicholas is also the subject of some specific Romanian stories. He is believed to have been a spy to the devil. God and the infamous hell ruler made a contract which stipulated that the living belonged to God and the dead to the devil. But this deal seemed unfair, because the devil took in his possession all the souls, no matter if they were good or bad, so He sent Saint Nicholas to hell, in order to find out how one could take the contract back. After thirty years, the saint finally managed to find out from a lesser devil that only one born of the Holy Ghost was capable of accomplishing this. So God sent Jesus Christ among humans to redeem them, and, from that moment on, we are rightfully judged according to what we did during our lifetimes.
Another popular tradition is that winter starts with Saint Nicholas. He is described as a very old man, with a long white beard, which he shakes and it starts snowing. He usually appears on the back of a white horse, while Saint John (celebrated on the 7th of January), the one who is said to take the winter away, appears on a black horse. On the 6th of December, people make charms and weather predictions and small fruit tree branches are put into water, to see if they blossom until New Years’ Eve – if this happens, the next year harvest will be rich.

If you visit Romania then don't miss this - 3 -

Lake Saint Ana

     

 

 

      Situated in the mount Ciumatul Mare, on the left side of the river Olt, the lake Sfanta Ana rises on the bottom of an inactive volcano, named Ciomatu. The lake water is almost as pure as that of distilled water. You cannot find one living creature in the water, because of the lack of oxygen.

 

 

 

 

The legend

Any beautiful place has a legend, this one has two. One of the legends says that once upon a time, a young couple was supposed to get married. The young girl, by her name Ana, who was about to get married, did not agreed with the marriage because her parents forced her to grab the young man’s fortune.

She could not bear the thought of getting married with that rude boy whom she did not love. In the night of the wedding, the bride ran away and threw herself in the lake. Her body was never found. This is why, the locals named the lake Sfanta Ana( Saint Anne).
Another legend says that, in the old times, in this places lived two tyrants which were brothers. One of them mastered a fortress on the top Puciosul and the other one a fortress situated on the place of the actual lake. The master of the fortress from the top Puciosu had a great carriage , fact that enraged hid brother and promised that he will come the next day with a greater carriage. To gain the promise, he harnessed eight of the most beautiful girls from the surrounding places. The beautiful girls could not move an inch the heavy carriage.
The tyrant begun the to beat and whip the girls. One of the girls, named Ana, damned the evil master, and out of the blue begun a terrible storm, with thunders and lightning, and the fortress along with its master, was covered by fames. In the place were the fortress appeared a lake, and the locals named it Sfanta Ana.

       These are the legends, this is the place. A big beautiful blue lake on top of the mountain, a small cottage by the lake, providing you food and drinking, and the freedom to imagine. A road that circles the lake, separating it from the woods, will offer you a peaceful walk. If you are not in the mood for socializing, and just want to admire nature’s miracles and beauties, take the road and keep walking. Most surely you will find a place of your own.
If you are a lazy walker, and wish for easy mountain likes, this is the perfect spot for you. Easy access, short hikes, beautiful landscapes, and the refreshing and conforting powers of water given to you by the beautiful lake. Romantic sunsets, relaxing times…The places is so beautiful it will give life to the artist within you. 
If you can’t make your mind between choosing the mountain or the sea, you can choose the Sfanta Ana lake. With maximum 7 meters depth, bathing is allowed. Daydreaming is suggested.
If you are searching for a place to relax, to find your inner self, to run away from the city life, the stress at your office, your boss, capitalism, crashing cars, noisy parks, rude waiters, malls, everything that eats a part of you and loose yourself in this ocean called life, this is the perfect place for you my friend. Take a vacation, you will become a new man!

Once you are here, you do not need to see the weather broadcast, the locals can tell how the weather will be. Two fissures formed  in the mountain help them tell how the weather will be. The locals know that if the emanations are strong, it’s a sign that it will be a storm, if not, it will be a beautiful sunny day.

The phenomenon is due to the fact that inside the mountain there is still a powerful volcanic activity, sensible to any change of the atmosphere.
Mountain, lake, lake, sunbaths, peace, weather tellers, legends…want more? Go discover on your own!

If you visit Romania then don't miss this - 2 -

Banffy Bontida Medieval Castle – the Versailles of Transylvania 

  

      Medieval castles tend to fascinate every human being. We look back into the past when everything seemed to be more romantic than in our time. How can we do that, here, in Romania? The best way would be to visit the large number of castles – small or large-sized – that are all over the country. One of them is the Bontida Banffy Castle, once called the Versailles of Transylvania.

 

    At a distance of almost 32 kilometers from Cluj is a small village called Bontida, famous around these places for the Banffy Castle, with a starting construction date in 1437. The castle was started by the Venetian architect Agostino Serena, and continued by Joseph Emmanuel Fischer von Erlach, who remodelled it in a baroque style, also adding to it two more U-shaped wings. The last wing was added in 1850, by the architect called A. Kagerbauer.
The castle was owned by the Banffy family, one of the most wealthy families at that time, a dynasty that reconstructed the edifice several times, going from the Renaissance style in 1680 to baroque in 1747. The baroque remodelling was ordered by Denes Banffy, the familly head of that time.
The Banffy dynasty appeared at the beginning of the 15th century in Transylvania. One of their greatest palaces was located in Cluj, followed by the one at Bontida. This dynasty was separated in two branches, one that brought a barony during the 1660s and two centuries later, the other became counts. Jozsef Banffy rebuilt completely the courtyards, park and gardens around the year 1820.
   

      Unfortunately, during World War II – to be more exact, in 1944 – it was damaged by the retreating German troops that ravaged it: the furniture, library and all the portraits were lost. A visitor can see the former interiors – before the soldiers went through the castle – only in the archive photographs. When the communists came to power, it was nationalized, but the communist regime didn't invest too much money and time in restoring the Bontida Banffy castle. Some restoration was made in 1960 but then the communist regime left the castle in dereliction.
The Banffy familly built another castle near the Gilau village (Wass-Banffy Castle) and one more in the Rascruci area. The Romanian film director Liviu Ciulei used the Bontida Banffy Castle as a set for the movie “Forest of the Hanged” (Padurea Spanzuratilor) based on the eponymous novel by Liviu Rebreanu. Ciulei won the “Best Director” award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965 with this movie.
The Banffy Castle is being restored since 2000, by Transylvania Trust, The Institute of Historic Building Conservation – IHBC and the National Office for Cultural Heritage in Hungary and many other institutions that co-operated in bringing back this castle to its former name of “Versailles of Transylvania”. Since 2000, it appeared on the World Monuments Watch list as one of the most one hundred endangered sites of that year.
The castle was opened to the public and hosts presentations, conferences and some other cultural activities. The BHCT (Built Heritage Conservation Training) centre was built here to help in preserving the castle and other historical buildings and sites. If you want to attend a cultural event at this castle, you should head to Romania in the 8th – 14th September interval, as an educational programme will take place there, called “SoNoRo – Interferente".
"SoNoRo – Interferente" is an initiative to improve the professional level of Romanian musicians by studying chamber music along with popular artists and teachers from different music academies from all over Europe. This will be the second session of the workshop, so don't miss it if you're interested in such cultural events set in fascinating places!

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The beautiful city of Brasov

     Located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, in the centre of Romania,  Brasov is one of the largest and most charming cities of the country. Founded in 1211, it is one of the best preserved cities in all of Europe. Brasov is home to a very pointy Orthodox church and one of the narrowest streets in Europe. Called “the Prague of Transylvania”, the old city was thoroughly restored to the delight of an increasing number of tourists.

 Offering a wonderful old architecture and splendid setting, Brasov has always been an important cultural centre. A centrepiece in Brasov is the Black Church which was built in the 15th century. The name, Black Church, was adopted in 1689 following a sweeping fire that destroyed the town and blackened the church walls. Eighty-nine meters long, it is the largest religious edifice between Vien and Istambul. The church displays numerous icons and holds an extremely valuable Gothic chalice, created over 500 years ago by an unknown artist. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Contemporary Brasov, with a population of about 400,000 is a busy industrial, shopping, tourist and cultural centre that offers the perfect escape for travels, adventure, cultural, and ecotourism. The Carpathian Mountains are the largest intact ecosystem of its kind in Europe. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, Brasov also makes a fabulous base for exploring the surrounding countryside where the air is clean and the people friendly. The geographic position and natural beauty, the great variety of the scenery and its contrasting aspects, the numberless historic and architectonic monuments make Brasov one of Romania’s main urban centres. The official website is: www.brasov.ro

Things to see in Romania

Sarmizegetusa Regia – The Heart of the Dacian Kingdom 

 

        From its construction in the middle of the first century B.C., until its conquest by the Romans after the wars from 105-106 A.D., Sarmizegetusa Regia (situated in the Gradistea Muncelului village, in the Orastie Mountains, Hunedoara county) was the heart of the Dacian kingdom, from where the kings exercised their military, economical and religious power.

The name Sarmizegetusa appeared in the works of ancient writers under various spellings: Sarmizge, Sarmireg, Zarmitz, Sarmizege, Sarmazege; no one could explain precisely what the name represented. Some claim to be composed of two lost Dacian words, translated as “high fortress”, an explanation that can be taken into account, considering that Sarmizegetusa Regia was placed on an elevated position, at a height of approximately 1200 m.
During the reign of Burebista, who expanded the borders of the Dacian kingdom beyond those of present Romania, a couple of fortresses were built in the Orastie Mountains and Sarmizegetusa was chosen to be the king’s residence. Some claim that the Dacians’ sacred mountain, Kogaionon, was situated nearby and that was the actual motive why this fortress became more important that the others.
After Burebista’s death in 44 B.C. (the same year Julius Caesar was assassinated), his kingdom lost in vastness, but gradually gained in strength and, in the time of Decebalus (87 – 106 B.C.), it became a real threat for the Roman Empire. Decebalus succeeded in obtaining a favorable peace with emperor Domitianus, but his successor, Trajan, was decided to put an end to the troublesome Dacian kingdom.
Two wars took place (in 101 – 102 and 105 – 106 B.C.) and the Dacians, despite their brave efforts, were defeated. Their main defense system, consisting of the fortresses from Orastie Mountains (Piatra Rosie, Costesti, Blidaru, Capalna, Banita) were conquered step by step and, finally, Sarmizegetusa itself was besieged. The defenders lasted more than a month without food or water, but they were eventually forced to surrender. King Decebalus (whose head can be seen carved in stone at Mraconia, near Orsova) tried to escape, but he was pursued by Roman cavalry who surrounded him, so he took his own life. The story of these confrontations between Dacians and Romans is depicted on Trajan’s column, in Rome (replicas of the carvings can be seen at the National History Museum in Bucharest).
Although it was not erased entirely, Sarmizegetusa Regia did not function as a relevant settlement after the Roman conquest. Trajan established a new capital (named Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa) for the new province, 40 km far from the old one, on a flat terrain. It was a typical Roman city and, today, it is an archeological site near Sarmizegetusa village (also known as Gradistea), in Hunedoara County.
Sarmizegetusa Regia consisted of several terraces on the Southern slope of one of The Orastie Mountains. It comprised the dwelling area, the fortress and the sacred area, on a length of approximately 6 km.
The dwelling area certifies that the level of development the Dacian society had reached was quite high. The houses had stone foundations, were built out of wood and clay, had several rooms and, sometimes, two floors; the roofs were made of wood and the doors had iron decorations. Workshops for iron metallurgy and pottery, warehouses, a granary and a coin mint were discovered.
The way the Dacians ensured the inhabitants didn’t lack drinking water is impressive. They tapped the waters of the rivers nearby, collected them in tanks and cleaned them in settling pools. The water was delivered to the houses and workshops through wooden pipes. They also employed drainage systems, made of wood or carved directly into stone, in order to prevent floods.
The fortress was the place where the king, the high priest and the noblemen lived and it had a surface of approximately 30 000 square meters. It also served as refuge for the population, during perilous times. Its walls are called murus dacicus, because the Dacians were the only population to use this construction technique. The wall had a sandwich-like design – the laterals were made of big blocks of stone, united with wooden planks; the middle part was filled with a mixture of sand and gravel. Even though no mortar was used, they were incredibly strong and had a width of 3 m and a height of 5 m.


A paved road, named Via Sacra, connects the Eastern gate of the fortress to the sacred area. This area consists of several sanctuaries, of different sizes and shapes (rectangular and round). Some of them are made of limestone, others of andesite. The round sanctuary, consisting of a round platform with a height of 30 cm and a radius of approximately 7 m, was a place of worship, where certain ceremonials were performed. Another important sanctuary is the one that also functioned as a calendar – it consists of a shrine surrounded by two concentric pylon circles with a maximum radius of almost 30 m. The circular shapes are related to the role the sun had in the Dacian religion; that is also why, these monuments are open and have no roofs.

Decebalus Head at Mraconia – The Romanian Mount Rushmore 

        

 

If your steps take you to Mraconia, about 15 km West of Orsova, be sure not to miss Decebalus’ head, considered to be the tallest sculpture in Europe. It is carved directly into stone and it represents the last king of the Dacians, the indigenous people that lived in the teritory of modern Romania before it was conquered by the Romans, and one of the forefathers of this nation.

 

Decebalus’ head stands 55 m tall and, inevitably, reminds of the famous Mount Rushmore from the United States of America. The eyes are 4,3 m long, the nose is 7 m long and 4 meters wide. This dimensions and its almost inaccesible position are arguments why so many people come to admire it every year. Some calculations reveal that it is only 6 m shorter that the Statue of Liberty and 8 m taller than Jesus’ statue from Rio de Janeiro.
The place of the statue was not accidentally chosen, because on the other side of the Danube, on the Serbian shore there is an ancient inscription, carved in stone, named “Tabula Traiana”, celebrating the Roman’s army march against the Dacians and emperor Trajan’s victory against king Decebalus in 105 A.D. This section of the Danube’s course, called Cazane (between Dubova and Ogradena, including, of course, Mraconia) was always considered one of the most dangerous and spectacular. Dangerous because the river’s crossing between the mountains caused the appearance of water swirls that had claimed many sailor lives, spectacular because the landscapes and the experience of fighting the waves are truly breathtaking. Mraconia itself is a testimony as the name can be translated as ”hidden place”, or ”dark waters”.
Just as the monument from the USA, Decebalus’ head dates from modern times, extremely recent actually. The initiator of this project was Iosif Constantin Dragan (1917 – 2008), a wealthy Romanian businessman, who was very much in love with the Tracian and Dacian civilizations and who wrote a couple of books about them, asserting that their role in universal history was more important than that from the official versions. His ideas are still controversial, but no one can deny that investing more that a million Euros to realize Decebalus’ head was an extraordinary gift to the Romanian people. Of course, he had to take as much the credit as it can be for this – at the base of the monument it is carved `Dragan Fecit – Dragan made it`.
He had also promised to the mayor of Cluj that he will build a identical replica of the Column of Trajan from Rome, that depicts the story of the war between Dacians and Romans. His death in 2008 left this promise unfulfilled.
The sculpture was executed between 1994 and 2004, by a team of 12 men, lead by the Romanian sculptor Florin Cotarcea. As a comparison, Mount Rushmore took 14 years (1927 – 1941) and 300 men, until it was revealed to the public. The rock where Decebalus’ head stands now is a place only accesible by boat. Dynamite was indispensable and not very sophisticated eqiupments could be used, and they were carried to the top by foot, in bags of almost 50 kg each. The climbing sculptors worked in two shifts every day, from March until October every year and had to face the incredible heat of the summer, the danger of falling into the deepest waters of the Danube and the menace of the vipers. One worker was bit by such a creature one day, but was immediately taken care of.
Decebalus’ nose was the trickiest part of the project, as one big piece of rock fell apart, and the Dacian kings’ nostrils had to be stregtened with iron armature and concrete.

Bucharest Aviation Museum – Wings of History

 If you're interested in World War II weaponry and pieces of airborne metal that made history, you can visit the Aviation Museum in Bucharest, a 2500 square metres area showcasing airships, rockets, artillery pieces, radiolocation instruments and much more. The museum is divided into segments, depending on the showcased gear: History of National Aeronautics, Airships and Aviation Technique, History of Radiolocation, History of Rockets, all of them with a wide range of devices on display.

The main pieces of the museum are included in 23 collections and five document archives, plus a library with over 15.000 titles. The showcased items are available in separate rooms, thus in the Traian Vuia Room you'll find the objects and documents belonging to the inventor, while in the Henri Coanda Room you'll discover all there is to know about the pioneer of aviation.
Aurel Vlaicu should also be mentioned, together with all of his engineering work, showcased in a room bearing Vlaicu's name. Inside you'll also find unique pieces, like the original sketches and component parts of the original aircraft Vlaicu No. II,  model 1912. Flight simulators are also to be found inside the museum.
The Radu Manticatide Engineer Room is basically a short trip into the history of the Romanian aeronautic industry. You can visit the General Dumitru Balaur Room, as well, where the symbols used by the Romanian Airforce are displayed, plus uniforms and battle flags. The Aviation Engine Room shows the engines and propulsion systems used throughout history, while the Weaponry Hall includes each and every type of aerial weapon you can picture, of course, used by Romanian aviation in combat.
Also, one shouldn't forget to visit the Navigation Gear Room, displaying the instruments used by pilots in order to navigate and achieve perfect localization and orientation. If you want to locate the museum, all you need to know is that it's situated on the Bucharest-Ploiesti highway (DN-10), at the 16.4 kilometre, near the Otopeni Airport.

Fancy airship models? You can have a look at the Vlaicu No. II miniature aircraft, as well as Vlaicu No. III, Farman 40, Nieuport 11 BB, IAR 27, IAR 95 and IAR 99. As far as unique gear is concerned you can admire the IS-3d glider, IAR 813 airplane, IAR 822 plane and helicopters: Alouette II and IAR 3168. Romanian made aviation bombs are also on display, plus you can visit the prototype of the flight machine created by Justin Capra.
If photos are your thing, don't forget to visit the section that hosts Smaranda Braescu's 200 original photos, plus the showcasing of Henri August (aircraft maker), that includes original photos from 1909 – 1910, the section dedicated to Petre Ivanovici ("Red Devil" squadron pilot), including original photos and flight notes from 1926-1931.
There's also a section dedicated to Alexandru Marcu, one of the first Romanian pilots to fly a supersonic airplane, the MIG-21. All in all, visiting the entire museum could take up to four hours of your life, but the experience is unique, especially if you're into aircrafts and other such devices.
The Aviation Museum was founded on March 2nd 1990, through a decision of the Romanian Government, although the idea of such a place dated back from the days of great historian and politician Nicolae Iorga. Following the First World War, the National League of Aeronautics started gathering all the war gear captured by the Romanian army during the military hostilities in a single location.
After 1970, due to the initiative of General Aurel Niculescu and Gheorghe Zarnescu, the museum started taking shape, but it was branched in Medias and Boboc. After 1989, the creation of the Museum was sped up and it was founded officially on March 2nd 1990, but at first it functioned in a tent that was part of the Military Base 90 Aerial Transport.
Romanian aeronautic traditions and history are constantly being made popular through permanent showcasing in the country and internationally (France, US), the launch of books and other publications, aiding students complete their university and doctor’s degree works, as part of the graduation process of the Faculty of History.
The Museum also works closely with all local mass media, either civil or military, in order to make its events and gear popular and let the public know about this unique place. The Bucharest Aviation Museum is open from Tuesday to Friday between 09.00 and 16:00, while on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.

Polovragi Cave Takes You Back in Time

  If you think that Romanian civilization is old, with its approximately 2 millennia of culture and traditions, wait till you have a look at the scary, deep and very impressive Polovragi Cave, that dates back from 7 million years ago. Some scientists even claim that Polovragi, also known as the Cave of Pahomie dates back from 14 million years ago. Why the Cave of Pahomie? Well, in this cave the monk Pahomie took refuge, leaving a drawing behind, portraying Death with its scythe.

A closer look at the drawing shows that Death is wearing a helmet like the ones worn by nomadic tribes that occupied this area.
The Oltet Valley is filled with caves, the most interesting of them being the one at Polovragi, with its 9000 metres length and a horizontal main gallery. From it, you'll notice numerous tunnels and corridors branching out. Polovragi's gallery includes 3 main sectors, the first one lasting till the Pillar Tunnel and beginning with 2 smaller lateral tunnels.
Another old tale says that the main Dacian god Zamolxis dwelled in Polovragi and the stalactites and stalagmites are made out of his tears, as he wept when Dacia was conquered. The legend is also based on the fact that on the plateau above the cave scientists found an ancient Dacian citadel. The Polovragi cave entrance was created artificially, through the destruction of the western wall in the sixties.

 A visitor of this cave will surely notice all sorts of drawings, portraying animals, people, events and even characters like Santa Claus – made, of course, by recent visitors of the cave – plus cuneiform writings and traces of Dacian torches. Back to the legends, it is said that the cave was linked with the Dacian citadel through a special gallery that allowed the warriors to run out of the enemy's sight, surprise and terrify them by popping up from behind. 

Ceramic vases were found at Polovragi, plus Bronze Age tools and rock formations known as "Zamolxis' throne". A very interesting tale, reminding us of the Irish legend of Finn McCool and the Giant's Causeway, mentions that in this area huge prehistoric people dwelled and they were known as "jidovi". Legend has it that the giants stood with a foot on one mountain and the other one on a tall mountain peak and washed themselves in the water of the Oltet river. There's one spot above the cave that bears the name "Oborul Jidovilor", translated as the meeting place of the giants.Although this cave seems more linked to the thousand years old Dacian civilisation, it also tells the story of more recent outlaws, hiding their treasure in the galleries. One of these "haiducs" was also Iancu Jianu and there's even a cave in the area bearing his name. Supposedly, there's a curse associated with the Polovragi cave, stopping all treasure hunters from advancing inside it and discovering its real length. Also, while you're inside, don't forget to have a look at the Divine Hall and the Bloody Ceiling, the latter being named like this because of the blood-red walls. If you're interested in the Polovragi cave, remember that it's open for public starting 9 am till 6 pm in summer time and till 4 pm in winter. Remember that the Polovragi cave is situated in the village with the same name, one kilometer away from the Polovragi Monastery and 5 kilometers away from another impressive landmark, the Muierii Cave. 

Sighisoara Medieval Festival 

     

     On the last weekend of each July, Sighisoara hosts the biggest medieval festival Romania has ever seen. The fest takes hold of the citadel and the ancient streets and the entire city wrapped in merriment and inviting aromas.

Each year, the festival gathers different section of activity such as: theatre, fine arts, exhibitions, dance, film, medieval poetry recital, book exhibitions, concerts, conferences, street performances, night concerts, exhibition of medieval costumes and courses of medieval dance. The organizers invite professional theatre teams, college theatre teams and private theatre teams from our country and from abroad.
Each year the old citadel was filled with dauntless knights and with svelte ladies. Along the street, you can find craftsmen selling all kinds of souvenirs, handmade jewellry, bags and clothing. Each year, the town is choke-full. The knights duel on every single street and the beautiful ladies, their good luck charm, accompany them. The medieval music vibrates in the entire city. Cheer reigns above all.
This event has become a regular in the cultural life of this mystical town, Sighisoara. This festival comes to express that this town abounds with rich cultural traditions, and also the fact that participates to the development of Transylvania’s artistic life.
In time, an increasingly valuable segment of visitors was formed, and most certainly this festival had its great role.
The visitors are not only from our country, but from abroad too. All this helped not only the tourism, but created a really special image for this dear town of Sighisoara, that of a cultural medieval town. The organizers of this manifestation want this project to develop from year to year, and bring newer and more interesting things to the visitors.
The cost of the ticket is extremely low, somewhere around 50 cents, and the show is awesome. Thousands of people enter the citadel during the three days of the festival. It’s almost like a tradition now, to attend to the medieval festival. I sure don’t want to miss a single edition, because I’ve been there many times, and I’m completely wrapped in its charms. Not often you can take a bite of the past so authentic like you do at this festival. It’s so much more than visiting a medieval citadel. It’s the cheer of old times that the organizers try to create, and I think that they manage to get very close to the truth on each edition. Some of my greatest memories are linked to this town, and especially to these magic three days of festival.
Each time I go, I like to imagine myself a beautiful lady from the past, with Juliette Binoche’s amenity, wearing my leather roman sandals made by the greatest craftsmen I know in this area, and a beautiful dress. I like to think each woman who goes at that fest feels like a fair lady and each man feels like a mighty knight. You’ll taste better everything should you choose to enter the tale.
If you wonder about places to stay, don’t worry. Sighisoara has a lot of rooms to offer. Depends on what you prefer. You can either rent a room in a hotel, motel or a guesthouse, or you can crash at some of the locals’ houses. You’d still have to pay, of course, but at least you will get to sleep inside the citadel, in a medieval house and have a direct contact with the locals. The food is excellent, I assure you. So, meet you there oh mighty knights and fair ladies!

 

 

 

 

 

The Danube Delta in Romania

The Danube Delta

The Danube Delta is the second largest delta (Volga is the first) but best preserved of European deltas, with an area of 3446 km2. This land of waters takes you away from everything that looks like a human establishment and guides you into a journey sprinkled with natural islands, lonely floating forests and incredible wildlife. The Danube, springs from Germany and it gathers all the tributary streams from 10 countries and crosses 4 capital cities. After covering 2860 km and before flowing into the Black Sea, it forms a delta. The Danube Delta is situated in the Southeastern part of the country, it has the shape of the Greek letter "delta" and it is bordered in the Southwestern part by Dobrogea Plateau, in the Northern part by the Ukrainian border and in the Eastern part by the Black Sea.

The delta was created over the past 5,000 years—through much of recorded history. Before that, the delta was a gulf of the Black Sea. The deposition of million tons of alluvia links the three branches of the Danube: Chilia, Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe (Saint George) with a fascinating net of channels, brooks and ponds. Wherever you look, you can see floating islets covered by rush and reed, rainforest-like lianas, lakes with muddy depths and surfaces carpeted by water lilies. The silent boats of fishermen stir countless pelicans and flocks of cormorants and moor hens from their nests beyond the reed curtains. Every year, the alluvium deposited by the Danube increases the width of the Delta by around 40 meters, making it extremely dynamic and the youngest land in Europe. The Danube Delta is listed as a UNESCO Reservation of the Biosphere because of its peculiar features and its variety of ecosystems (more than 25 types of natural ecosystems). It is considered to be the third in ecological significance among the 300 reserves of the world. There are 16 strictly protected areas in which no economical activities are allowed, areas for ecological rehabilitation and buffer zones between economical areas, where tourist activities are permitted as long as the environment is protected. It hosts over 1,200 varieties of plants, 300 species of birds, being the richest ornithological fauna on the continent, as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes. This is the place where millions of birds from different places of Earth (European, Asian, African, Mediterranean) come to lay their eggs.

The Danube Delta has been inhabited for thousands of years. The descendants of the Scythian and Getae tribes never ceased to live on this land surrounded by waters. During the 10th through 15th centuries, the area of the sea-going Danube became a main trade place between merchants from Genoa and Venice, Arabs and Greeks and the native inhabitants. That's why on the shores of the lakes Razelm (the biggest lake in Romania - 415 sq Km) and Sinoe you can still find ancient settlements like Histria and Enisala. Starting with the 15th century, the Danube Delta was part of the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Paris of 1856 which ended the Crimean War, Danube Delta together with two districts of Southern Bessarabia was included in the Principality of Moldavia and was established an international commission which made a series of works to help navigation. In 1859, it became part of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia and later Romania. Around 15,000 people live in the Delta, most of them are living off fishing with their traditional wooden kayaks, small agriculture, animal breeding, and reed harvesting in winter. The Danube Delta has a particular rural civilization made by acculturation between Romanians and other ethnic groups i.e. Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Lippovans . The Lippovans are the descendants of the Old Rite Followers who left Russia in 1772 to avoid religious persecutions. The largest town, at the entrance of the delta is Tulcea. From Tulcea there are ferry services into the delta. The ancient city lays on 7 hills like Roma, and has been an important harbor since ancient times. Some of the highlights include St. Nicholas' Church (1865), the Azzizie Mosque (1924), the Danube Delta History Museum, Art Museum, History and Archeology Museum. Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe are smaller towns, lying at the end of the Danube, at the Black Sea-coast. In 2004, Ukraine inaugurated work on the Bistroe Channel that will provide a navigable link from the Black Sea to the Ukrainian section of the Danube Delta. The European Union urged Ukraine to shut it down, because it will damage the wetlands of the Delta. The Romanian side, committed to protecting the delta, said they will sue Ukraine at the International Court of Justice. The net of lakes, channels and brooks is the main line of communications in the Delta and a great place for boating, water sports and angling. Furtuna, Merhei, Babina, Matita, Gorgova, Uzlina, Lumina, Puiu, and Rosu are some of the most beautiful lakes. Channels such as Sireasa-Sontea, Eracle-Lopatna, Litcov, Dunavat, Lipovenilor lead to the most hidden and charming places in the Danube Delta. This is the place where luck smiles even to the most unlucky fishermen and where the finest lunch of all is a savory sturgeon and its black caviar. Nevertheless, the traditional cuisine based on fish products like fish borsch, spitted fish, brine pickle of fish with garlic dressing, fish meat balls "sprinkled" with the finest wines of the region, i.e. Niculitel can be an unforgettable delight.