The LiBearty Bear Sanctuary in Zarnesti, Romania, will possibly be the most memorable experience of a trip to Eastern Europe for families and animal lovers. For starters, Zarnesti is located half an hour southwest of Brasov, a lovely historical town in the middle of the country. It boasts great hotels and restaurants and a lush setting in the Carpathian Mountains. But be forewarned: even as ... Read Full Article
Brasov, Romania: Home of the Historic ‘Black Church’
Brasov, Romania, with a population of 284,000, holds some outstanding sights, of which perhaps the most famous is The Black Church. The church is a stone’s throw from the open southeast corner of Piata Sfatului, the square at the heart of the historic center of this beautiful Transylvanian city. The proud church dominates: a looming bulk, 89 meters in length and 38 meters in width, its ... Read Full Article
Brasov, Romania’s Schei Neighborhood
Brasov, Romania is home to a very pointy Orthodox church and one of the narrowest streets in Europe. But to find those attractions, you need to venture a few blocks south of the historic town center, into the winding lanes and ramshackle houses of the Schei district, home to Brasov’s Romanian community from the 12th to the 17th century. Brasov may be in Romania, but the fact that it had a ... Read Full Article
Touring the Medieval Walls of Brasov, Romania
Brasov, Romania, is a historic city blessed with well-preserved medieval fortifications that can be explored in their entirety. Formerly surrounded by a quadrilateral shaped wall, the historic center of this Transylvanian city is now bracketed by the surviving two sides of wall, on the east and west. The shorter northern and southern walls were destroyed as the city grew from the eighteen-hundreds ... Read Full Article
Brasov, Romania: Exploring the Crown Town
Brasov, Romania, is a Transylvanian city with an outstanding historic center. Founded by German settlers in the 13th century, the city is known in German as Kronstadt, meaning “crown city.” The crown in question is made up of the lovely central square, Piata Sfatului, and the streets that lead off its northern side. The square is a great place to promenade or people-watch while also ... Read Full Article
Ghelinta, Romania: Where Long-forgotten Murals Saved a Church
Ghelinta, a tiny town in deepest Transylvania, is home to a church whose amazing interior wall paintings look almost as fresh as when they were first put there, six or seven centuries ago. What’s more amazing is that these frescos had been entirely forgotten for untold years until being rediscovered in 1882, thus saving the whole building from scheduled demolition. Although located in Romania, ... Read Full Article
Balvanyos, Romania: Stinky, Idolatrous – You’ll Love it!
Balvanyos, a town in the Transylvania region of Romania, is a place where you’ll find an ancient citadel shrouded in mystery, highly potent mineral springs, and strong-smelling caves that can either kill or cure you. About 1,000 meters above sea level in a mountainous region, the town is built on spa tourism, which has grown up around its three important springs. Its best hotel is the ... Read Full Article