Ako sa do mesta Râșnov dostať?

Mesto Râșnov sa nachádza v juhovýchodnej Transylvánii v strednom Rumunsku. Z administratívneho hľadiska leží v Brașovskej župe.

Autom

Râșnov sa nachádza 22 km/22 min. autom juhozápadne od Brașova. Mestom prechádzajú tieto cesty:

• diaľnica A3 – po svojom dokončení povedie na trase Ploiești – Brașov – Făgăraș – Sighișoara – Târgu Mureș – Cluj-Napoca – Zalău – Oradea – Borș – M4 v Maďarsku,
• národná cesta 1E (DN1E) vedie na trase Brașov – Poiana Brașov – Râșnov,
• DN73 – spája mestá Pitești vo Valašsku s Brașovom v Transylvánii,
• národná cesta 73A (DN73A) spája mesto Predeal s obcou Șercaia.

Autobusom

Cesta autobusom z autobusovej stanice Autogara 2 Brașov (Transbus) na autobusovú zastávku Statie Râșnov trvá 23-34 min. a cestovný lístok stojí okolo 7 lei/1,41 eur/os.

Vlakom

Síce som v meste Râșnov našiel 2 vlakové zastávky (Râșnov a Râșnov h.), žiadne priame ani nepriame vlaky na ne z Brașova nepremávajú.

Lietadlom

Medzinárodné letisko Brașov-Ghimbav (Aeroportul Internațional Brașov-Ghimbav; medzinárodný kód podľa IATA: GHV) sa nachádza 22 km/22 min. autom severovýchodne od mesta Râșnov. Letisko sa pýši titulom 1. letisko, ktoré v Rumunsku postavili za posledných 50 rokov. Zároveň je 3. najväčším letiskom po letisku Henri Coandă (OTP) v Bukurešti a letisku v Cluj-Napoca (CLJ). Letisko otvorili len v júni 2023. Brașov je 2. najnavštevovanejším mestom po Bukurešti.

Z letiska sa dostanete do destinácií ako Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia v Španielsku, Brusel v Belgicku, Londýn-Gatwick, Londýn-Luton v Spojenom kráľovstve, Dortmund, Mníchov, Norimberg, Stuttgart v Nemecku či na letisko Rím-Fiumicino v Taliansku. Za 3 mesiace prevádzky (jún-august 2023) na letisko vybavili viac ako 30 tisíc osôb.

Pevnosť Râșnov (Cetatea Râșnov)

Najlepšie spôsoby, ako sa ku pevnosti dostať, stručné info z minulosti i praktické info zo súčasnosti.

Ako sa ku pevnosti dostať?

Ku pevnosti Râșnov sa dostanete pešo, turistickým vláčikom alebo výťahom.

Pešo

Trasa z námestia Piața Unirii ku pevnosti má dĺžku 2 km, prevýšenie 109 m a na jej zdolanie potrebujete približne 30 min.

Turistickým vláčikom

Ku pevnosti vás vyvezie skutočne originálny turistický vláčik. Na vláčiku samotnom nie je ani tak nič originálne, ako skôr na „lokomotíve“, ktorá ho ťahá. V tomto prípade ju nahradil traktor. Domnievali sme sa, že sa pôvodná lokomotíva pokazila a traktor použili ako náhradné riešenie. Keď sme ale videli ďalší turistický vláčik, ktorý taktiež ťahal traktor, bolo nám jasné, že to nebola náhoda.

Výťahom

Ku pevnosti sa vyveziete aj výťahom na naklonenej rovine. Podobné výťahy alebo pozemné lanovky premávajú napr. aj v rumunskej Deve, maďarskej Budapešti, chorvátskom Záhrebe, slovinskej Ľubľane, českej Prahe, rakúskom Salzburgu, či v španielskej Barcelone. Vstup do výťahu je cez kultúrne centrum mesta, ktoré stojí vo východnej časti zástavby na námestí Piața Unirii. Trasa má dĺžku 165 metrov s výškovým rozdielom 85 metrov a uhol sklonu je 37^o. Cesta výťahom trvá asi 2 minúty, rýchlosť kabíny je 2,5 m/s. Z výťahu vystúpite na vyhliadkovej plošine Platforma Panoramica, odkiaľ uvidíte nielen mesto, ale i jeho okolie. Výťah premáva od 9.00-17.00 h. Spiatočný cestovný lístok stojí 25 lei/5,03 eur/os.

Stručná história

Na základe nálezov vieme, že už v období neolitu a doby bronzovej sa v týchto miestach nachádzala osada. Cumidava alebo tiež Comidava bola v období medzi 1. storočím p. n. l. a 1. storočím n. l. najdôležitejšou opevnenou osadou Dákov v juhovýchodnej Transylvánii. Okrem samotných hradieb pevnosť obklopovali drevené palisády a valy. Časť týchto prvkov môžete ešte i dnes vidieť v lese severne od pevnosti. Nálezy z pevnosti dokazujú, že tu panoval čulý obchodný ruch. Po dobytí Rimanmi bola pevnosť opustená. Nové rímske castrum si zachovalo názov Cumidava.

Prvú stredovekú pevnosť, vtedy ešte z dreva a hliny, postavili na kopci nad osadou saskí a nemeckí rytieri v rokoch 1211-1225. Bolo to v období, keď v Burzenlande (nemecký názov pre historické územie v juhovýchodnej časti Sedmohradska) vládli križiaci. Po ich vyhnaní pevnosť prestavali na kamennú. Pevnosť odolala útokom a obliehaniu Mongolov v roku 1335.

V roku 1427, po 1. tureckom vpáde, uhorský kráľ Žigmund Luxemburský daroval pevnosť miestnej komunite. Od začiatku 16. storočia sa väčšina Sasov usadila v hornej pevnosti, kde postavili viac ako 80 domov, novú kaplnku, školu a fontánu. Ruiny týchto domov sú jedinečným svedectvom architektonického typu polomestskej aglomerácie.

Pevnosť stratila svoju aktívnu vojenskú a mestskú úlohu na začiatku 18. storočia. Odvtedy boli hranice Sedmohradska vojensky zabezpečené a vpády ustali. Obyvatelia sa presťahovali do dnešného Râșnova a pevnosť sa zmenila na ruiny.

Praktické info

Pevnosť momentálne (október 2023) rekonštruujú. Na nádvorie sa ale dostanete. Od júna do augusta je otvorené od 9.00-19.00 h a od septembra do mája od 9.00-17.00 h. Vstup je zdarma.

Navštívte pevnosti aj v týchto lokalitách:

• Chefchaouen – 50 odtieňov modrej
• Komárno – pútavá história a skvelá gastronómia
• Iraklio – grécko-benátsko-osmanský koktail

Za uvedenie a pozitívne hodnotenie služieb podnikov, inštitúcií a organizácií cestovného ruchu som nedostal nič zdarma.

Ceny boli prepočítané podľa aktuálneho kurzu Národnej banky Slovenska platného k 24. 10. 2023 (1 eur = 4,9656 lei).

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Râșnov – pevnosť à la Hollywood je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

How to get to Fundata?

Fundata is located in the southeast of the historical region of Transylvania in central Romania. From an administrative point of view, it is located on the edge of the southern part of the Brașov County.

By car

Fundata is crossed by the European road E574, which connects Bacău in Romanian Moldavia with Craiova in Oltenia, Western Wallachia.

By bus

From Brașov, you can easily reach the village of Fundata by direct bus. The journey takes 56 minutes – 1 hour and 28 minutes. The ticket costs around 13 lei/2.62 euros/person. Buses stop at the Statie Fundata bus stop.

By train

You cannot get to the village of Fundata by train, because there is no railway line.

By plane

Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (Aeroportul Internaționale Brașov-Ghimbav; international code according to IATA: GHV) is located 48.4 km/1 hour and 7 minutes by car northeast of Fundata. The airport boasts the title of the 1st airport built in Romania in the last 50 years. At the same time, it is the 3rd largest airport after Henri Coandă Airport (OTP) in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca Airport (CLJ). The airport was opened only in June 2023. Brașov is the 2nd most visited city after Bucharest.

From the airport, you can reach destinations such as Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia in Spain, Brussels in Belgium, London-Gatwick, London-Luton in the United Kingdom, Dortmund, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart in Germany or Rome-Fiumicino airport in Italy. In 3 months of operation (June-August 2023), they transported more than 30,000 people to the airport.

What to do, see and visit in Fundata?

In addition to hiking in the surrounding hills of Țara Branului, or longer hikes in the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains, the Cheile Grădiștei hotel will take care of your (and your children’s) leisure time. The biggest attractions are the approximately 1 km long alpine coaster, the 500 m long tandem zipline at a height of 50 m, riding on UTV vehicles and mountain carts. Children and adults can test their skills in the Aventura park (rope park). For cycling lovers, the hotel offers mountain bike, electric mountain bike and scooter rental. Tubing, a climbing wall, a spa & wellness center, a sports center and a children’s playground complete the range of leisure activities. Beginners as well as intermediate skiers and snowboarders will definitely appreciate the 2 slopes with a ski lift and artificial snow.

Where to stay in Fundata?

The 3-star hotel with the poetic name Raza Soarelui (Sunbeam) is located right in Fundata. I was accommodated in a double room with a private bathroom with a shower. Rooms are tastefully furnished with massive wooden furniture. The room had a balcony that offered a breathtaking view of the mountains. The hotel offers various activities for families with children and sporty guests. They serve breakfast in the form of a buffet.

We had a choice of hams, salamis, cheeses, vegetables, but also always something warm, sunnyside-up eggs, scrambled eggs or frankfurters. They buy raw ingredients from locals. The dining room also offers a view of the mountains. There is nothing better than starting the day with a delicious breakfast with a view of the proud and majestic mountains behind which the autumn sun rises. I live near the mountains, but I really enjoyed it here! Of course, Loredana, the very nice owner of the hotel, made our stay pleasant. Free but somewhat weak Wi-Fi was available throughout the hotel. You book accommodation by filling out the reservation form on the hotel’s official website.

Other accommodation facilities in the village of Fundata:

• Padina Ursului
• Cabana Piatra Albă
• Cheile Grădiștei
• Casa Plai Cu Dor
• Casa Pelinica

Where to eat in Fundata?

During my stay in Fundata, I ate in the hotel where I was staying. The first evening they prepared roast pork for us. Corn porridge mămăligă was an obvious side dish. But this time they baked it with a really thick layer of smoked cheese. I’m not used to such tastes, but it didn’t bother me either. The portion was complemented by sauerkraut salad. After dinner they served a fantastic apple puff pastry cake. I told the owner of the guest house that I would like to eat one more baking pan.

On the last evening, they prepared a real Lukul feast for us. While the pig was turning on one skewer, the sheep was on the other. This time too, mămăligă was a side dish, but in the form of balls. I write balls on purpose because little balls look a little different. And to make it a little special again, they mixed corn porridge with cheese. The side dish was so filling that I had trouble finishing it. A traditional Romanian evening was made more enjoyable by a folklore group and a historical group focusing on the 1st World War.

Also read these articles from Transylvania:

• Sirnea – from a pastoral settlement to a tourist village
• Hunedoara – a town with a raven sign
• Deva full of stories

The article was created in cooperation with FIJET Romania.

The prices were recalculated according to the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Slovakia valid as of 13/10/2023 (1 euro = 4.9648 lei).

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Fundata – a village full of the best je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

Ako sa do obce Fundata dostať?

Fundata sa nachádza na juhovýchode historického regiónu Transylvánia v strednom Rumunsku. Z administratívneho hľadiska leží na okraji južnej časti Brašovskej župy.

Autom

Obcou Fundata prechádza európska cesta E574, ktorá spája Bacău v rumunskom Moldavsku s Craiovou v Olténii, západnom Valašsku.

Autobusom

Z Brașova sa do obce Fundata dostanete pohodlne priamym autobusom. Cesta trvá 56 min. – 1 h 28 min. Cestovný lístok stojí okolo 13 lei/2,62 eur/os. Autobusy zastavujú na autobusovej zastávke Statie Fundata.

Vlakom

Vlakom sa do obce Fundata nedostanete, pretože tadiaľ nevedie žiadna železničná trať.

Lietadlom

Medzinárodné letisko Brașov-Ghimbav (Aeroportul Internațional Brașov-Ghimbav; medzinárodný kód podľa IATA: GHV) sa nachádza 48,4 km/1 h 7 min. autom severovýchodne od obce Fundata. Letisko sa pýši titulom 1. letisko, ktoré v Rumunsku postavili za posledných 50 rokov. Zároveň je 3. najväčším letiskom po letisku Henri Coandă (OTP) v Bukurešti a letisku v Cluj-Napoca (CLJ). Letisko otvorili len v júni 2023. Brașov je 2. najnavštevovanejším mestom po Bukurešti.

Z letiska sa dostanete do destinácií ako Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia v Španielsku, Brusel v Belgicku, Londýn-Gatwick, Londýn-Luton v Spojenom kráľovstve, Dortmund, Mníchov, Norimberg, Stuttgart v Nemecku či na letisko Rím-Fiumicino v Taliansku. Za 3 mesiace prevádzky (jún-august 2023) na letisko vybavili viac ako 30 tisíc osôb.

Čo v obci Fundata robiť, vidieť a navštíviť?

Okrem turistiky v okolitých kopcoch Țara Branului, príp. dlhších túrach v pohoriach Bucegi a Piatra Craiului sa o voľný čas vás (a vašich detí) postará predovšetkým hotel Cheile Grădiștei. Najväčšími ťahúňmi sú asi 1 km dlhá horská dráha, 500 m dlhá lanovka (zipline) vo výške 50 m, jazda na terénnych automobiloch a horských kárach. Deti i dospelí môžu preveriť svoje schopnosti v lanovom parku. Milovníkom cyklistiky je v hoteli k dispozícii požičovňa horských bicyklov, elektrických horských bicyklov a kolobežiek. Tubing, lezecká stena, wellness centrum, športové centrum či detské ihrisko dopĺňajú ponuku voľnočasových aktivitít. Začiatočníci, ale aj stredne pokročilí lyžiari a snowboardisti určite ocenia 2 zjazdovky s lyžiarskym vlekom a umelým zasnežovaním.

Kde sa v obci Fundata ubytovať?

3-hviezdičkový hotel s poetickým názvom Raza Soarelui (Slnečný lúč) sa nachádza priamo v obci Fundata. Bol som ubytovaný v 2-lôžkovej izbe so súkromnou kúpeľňou so sprchovacím kútom. Izby vkusne zariadili masívnym dreveným nábytkom. K izbe patril balkón, ktorý ponúkal dychberúci výhľad na hory. Hotel ponúka rôzne aktivity pre rodiny s deťmi a športuchtivých hostí. Raňajky podávajú formou bufetu.

Na výber sme mali šunky, salámy, syry, zeleninu, ale aj vždy niečo teplé, či už volské oko, praženicu alebo párky. Suroviny kupujú od miestnych. Z jedálne sa taktiež núka výhľad na hory. Nie je nič lepšie, ako začínať deň s chutnými raňajkami s výhľadom na hrdé a majestátne hory, spoza ktorých vychádza jesenné slnko. Ja sám bývam pri horách, ale tu som si to naozaj užíval! Pobyt nám samozrejme spríjemnila aj Loredana, veľmi milá majiteľka hotela. Bezplatné, ale trochu slabé, Wi-Fi pripojenie na internet bolo v celom hoteli. Ubytovanie si rezervujete vyplnením rezervačného formulára na oficiálnej stránke hotela.

Ďalšie ubytovacie zariadenia v obci Fundata:

• Padina Ursului
• Cabana Piatra Albă
• Cheile Grădiștei
• Casa Plai Cu Dor
• Casa Pelinica

Kde sa v obci Fundata najesť?

Počas môjho pobytu v obci Fundata som jedol v hoteli, kde som bol ubytovaný. Prvý večer pre nás pripravili pečené bravčové mäso. Kukuričná kaša mămăligă bola samozrejmou prílohou. Tentoraz ju ale zapiekli s poriadne hrubou vrstvou údeného syra. Nie som zvyknutý na takéto chute, ale ani mi to neprekážalo. Porciu dopĺňal šalát z kyslej kapusty. Po večeri podávali fantastický krehký jablkový koláč. Majiteľke penziónu som povedal, že by som zjedol ešte jeden pekáč.

Posledný večer pre nás pripravili skutočné lukulské hody. Kým na jednom ražni sa otáčalo prasa, na tom druhom ovca. I tentoraz bola prílohou mămăligă, avšak v podobe gúľ. Naschvál píšem gúľ, pretože guľôčky vyzerajú trochu inak. A aby to opäť trochu ozvláštnili, kukuričnú kašu zmiešali s bryndzou. Príloha bola taká sýta, že som ju mal problém dojesť. Tradičný rumunský večer spríjemňovali folklórny súbor a historická skupina, ktorá sa zameriava na 1. svetovú vojnu.

Prečítajte si tiež:

• Șirnea – z pastierskej osady na turistickú obec
• 2 dni v regióne Vysoké Tatry
• Mosonmagyaróvár – maďarský triatlon na zelených ostrovoch

Článok vznikol v spolupráci s FIJET Romania.

Ceny boli prepočítané podľa aktuálneho kurzu Národnej banky Slovenska platného k 13. 10. 2023 (1 eur = 4,9648 lei).

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Fundata – obec plná naj je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

How to get to Șirnea?

Șirnea is located in southeastern Transylvania in the central part of Romania at the foot of the Piatra Craiului National Park at an altitude of 1,244 m above sea level. From an administrative point of view, it is located on the edge of the Brașov county.

By car

Route number 730 passes through the village. It connects to the European route E574, which starts in Bacău and ends in the city of Craiova.

By bus

Buses stop at the bus stop Statie Șirnea Ramificatie, which is located 3.4 km/6 minutes by car southeast of the center of the village.

By train

You cannot get to the village of Șirnea by train, because there is no railway line running through the village.

By plane

Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (Aeroportul Internaionale Brașov-Ghimbav; international code according to IATA: GHV) is located 44.5 km/49 min. by car northeast of the village of Șirnea. The airport boasts the title of the 1st airport built in Romania in the last 50 years. At the same time, it is the 3rd largest airport after Henri Coandă Airport (OTP) in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca Airport (CLJ). The airport was opened only in June 2023. Brașov is the 2nd most visited city after Bucharest.

From the airport, you can reach destinations such as Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia in Spain, Brussels in Belgium, London-Gatwick, London-Luton in the United Kingdom, Dortmund, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart in Germany or Rome-Fiumicino airport in Italy. In 3 months of operation (June-August 2023), they transported more than 30,000 people to the airport.

What to do, see and visit in Șirnea?

The DeȘirnea Experience tourist activity center will take care of your leisure time in the municipality of Șirnea. In the village there is a cozy museum of regional importance, a house in which Romanian traditions still live and a house in which the world-famous British journalist Charlie Ottley lives.

DeȘirnea Experience

The aim of the DeȘirnea Experience association is to support and promote activities for the protection of the environment and the well-being of the local community. All activities for visitors are eco-friendly with no impact on the environment and supported by local residents. You can explore the village and its surroundings on foot, on a classic MTB bike, electric bike, electric mountain bike, from the saddle of a horse or from the seat of an all-terrain vehicle.

The center also focuses on hippotherapy (treatment using horses). Some activities you complete by yourself, others with a guide. You can reserve all services by filling out the on-line form on the company’s official website. If I worked in a company in Romania, I would definitely suggest to my boss that we do team building with this center during some activity, or even at all of them. The center also includes a shop with products from local craftsmen.

School museum

The former school provided its premises for the local museum. It is also located in the center of the village. You can find the location of the museum in the maps as a School (Şcoala), but also as a cultural center of Radu G Teposu (Centru cultural Radu G Teposu). We were guided through the museum by a man who looked like a magic grandpa from a fairy tale. The museum’s permanent exhibition was very similar to the ethnographic exhibitions in museums in Slovakia. It’s a pity that all the explanations for the objects on display were in Romanian.

House of traditions

Only 230 m/3 minutes on foot south of the center of the village stands the house of traditions. In it, we could see how wooden shingles were made in the past (why not today). The work of a skilled craftsman was very well looked at with a fantastic cone in hand. Well, better said, it tasted like our doughnut. At the same time, the very nice lady of the house showed us what it looks like in such a (perhaps typical) Romanian household. But be careful, the house is not an open-air museum or a museum. It is still inhabited.

Charlie Ottley’s house

Charlie Ottley, the British journalist and TV presenter behind the travel documentary Flavors of Romania, also fell in love with Romania. The documentary was accessible on the Netflix streaming platform. Charlie even moved to the village of Șirnea. You can find his house at the end of the village. Maybe you’ll be lucky and Charlie will host you at his place.

Where to eat in the village of Șirnea?

I tasted a (non) traditional Romanian dinner at the Valea Lupilor guesthouse. We started the dinner with a cold appetizer, a plate covered with smoked meat (similar to our smoked ham that we eat on Easter in Slovakia), sheep’s cheese, Romanian cheese (70% cow’s milk and 30% sheep’s milk, matured in fir bark), which is much more aromatic than our Slovak one, olives, cucumber and onion. Roast pork, grilled sausages and roasted chicken legs were served as the main course. At the end of the dinner, a pancake with jam. Nothing for vegetarians or vegans. A nice guesthouse, in the garden of which you can pet (if they let you) deer, ostriches, and even a llama.

Where to stay in Șirnea?

I did not stay in the village of Șirnea, but you can. The village offers countless accommodation facilities. I am choosing for you at least those that were shown to us and recommended:

• The Barn (1.5 km/23 minutes walk east of the center of the village)
• Crai Nou (1.5 km/21 minutes walk southeast of the village center)
• Valea Lupilor (550 m/8 minutes walk north of the center)
• Poarta Craiului (1.3 km/20 minutes walk north of the village center)

Read more articles from Transylvania:

• Deva full of stories
• Hunedoara – a castle with a raven sign
• Alba Iulia – Romania freedom flower

Read another articles from Oltenia:

• Târgu Jiu – city jungle of Oltenia
• Drobeta-Turnu Severin on the Danube bank and just a jump to Serbia
• Râmnicu Vâlcea – Olt valley gate

The article was created in cooperation with FIJET Romania.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Șirnea – from a pastoral settlement to a tourist village je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

Ako sa do obce Șirnea dostať?

Șirnea sa nachádza v juhovýchodnej Transylvánii v centrálnej časti Rumunska na úpätí národného parku Piatra Craiului vo výške 1 244 m n. m. Z administratívneho hľadiska sa rozkladá na okraji župy Brașov.

Autom

Obcou prechádza cesta II. triedy číslo 730. Napája sa na európsku cestu E574, ktorý začína v Bacău a končí v meste Craiova. 

Autobusom

Autobusy stoja na autobusovej zastávke Statie Șirnea Ramificatie, ktorá sa nachádza 3,4 km/6 min. autom juhovýchodne od centra obce.

Vlakom

Vlakom sa do obce Șirnea nedostanete, pretože cez obec nevedie žiadna železničná trať.

Lietadlom

Medzinárodné letisko Brașov-Ghimbav (Aeroportul Internațional Brașov-Ghimbav; medzinárodný kód podľa IATA: GHV) sa nachádza 44,5 km/49 min. autom severovýchodne od obce Șirnea. Letisko sa pýši titulom 1. letisko, ktoré v Rumunsku postavili za posledných 50 rokov. Zároveň je 3. najväčším letiskom po letisku Henri Coandă (OTP) v Bukurešti a letisku v Cluj-Napoca (CLJ). Letisko otvorili len v júni 2023. Brașov je 2. najnavštevovanejším mestom po Bukurešti.

Z letiska sa dostanete do destinácií ako Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Valencia v Španielsku, Brusel v Belgicku, Londýn-Gatwick, Londýn-Luton v Spojenom kráľovstve, Dortmund, Mníchov, Norimberg, Stuttgart v Nemecku či na letisko Rím-Fiumicino v Taliansku. Za 3 mesiace prevádzky (jún-august 2023) na letisko vybavili viac ako 30 tisíc osôb.

Čo v Șirnea robiť, vidieť a navštíviť?

O váš voľný čas sa v obci Șirnea postará Centrum turistických aktivít DeȘirnea Experience. V dedinke sa nachádza útulné múzeum regionálneho významu, dom, v ktorom rumunské tradície stále žijú a dom, v ktorom býva svetoznámy britský novinár Charlie Ottley.

DeȘirnea Experience

Cieľom združenia DeȘirnea Experience je podporovať a propagovať aktivity na ochranu životného prostredia a blahobyt miestnej komunity. Všetky aktivity pre návštevníkov sú ekologické bez dopadu na životné prostredie a podporované miestnymi obyvateľmi. Dedinku a jej okolie môžete spoznávať pešo, na klasickom MTB bicykli, elektrobicykli, horskom elektrobicykli, zo sedla koňa alebo zo sedadla terénneho auta.

V centre sa zameriavajú aj na hipoterapiu (liečba pomocou koní). Niektoré aktivity absolvujete sami, iné so sprievodcom. Všetky služby si môžete rezervovať vyplnením on-line formulára na oficiálnej stránke spoločnosti. Keby som robil v nejakej spoločnosti v Rumunsku, svojmu šéfovi by som určite navrhol, aby sme teambuilding absolvovali s týmto centrom pri nejakej aktivite, alebo pokojne aj pri všetkých. Súčasťou centra je i obchod s výrobkami od miestnych remeselníkov.

Školské múzeum

Bývalá škola poskytla svoje priestory pre miestne múzeum. To sa nachádza taktiež v centre dedinky. Polohu múzea v mapách nájdete ako Škola (Şcoala), ale aj ako kultúrne centrum Radu G Teposu (Centru cultural Radu G Teposu). Múzeom nás previedol pán, ktorý vyzeral ako Deduško Večerníček. Stála expozícia múzea sa veľmi podobala etnografickým expozíciám v našich múzeách. Škoda len, že všetky vysvetlivky k vystaveným predmetom boli v rumunčine.

Dom tradícií

Len 230 m/3 min. pešo južne od centra dedinky stojí dom tradícií. V ňom sme mohli vidieť, ako sa kedysi (prečo nie aj dnes) vyrábali drevené šindle. Na prácu zručného remeselníka sa veľmi dobre pozeralo s fantastickou šiškou v ruke. Teda, lepšie povedané, chutilo to ako naša šiška. Zároveň nám veľmi milá pani domu ukázala, ako to vyzerá v takej (možno typickej) rumunskej domácnosti. Pozor ale, dom nie je žiadnym skanzenom ani múzeom. Ešte stále sa v ňom býva.

Dom Charlieho Ottleyho

Rumunsko si zamiloval aj Charlie Ottley, britský novinár a televízny moderátor, ktorý stojí za cestopisným dokumentom Príchute Rumunska. Dokument bol prístupný na streamovacej platforme Netflix. Do dedinky Șirnea sa dokonca aj presťahoval. Jeho dom nájdete na konci dediny. Možno budete mať šťastie a Charlie vás u seba aj pohostí.  

Kde sa v obci Șirnea najesť?

(Ne)tradičnú rumunskú večeru som ochutnal v penzióne Valea Lupilor. Večeru sme začali studeným predjedlom, obloženou misou s údeným mäsom (podobné našej údenej šunke, ktorú jedávame na Veľkú noc), ovčím syrom, rumunskou bryndzou (70 % kravského mlieka a 30 % ovčieho mlieka, zreje v jedľovej kôre), ktorá je omnoho výraznejšia, či už chuťou alebo arómou ako tá naša slovenská, olivami, uhorkou a cibuľou. Pečené bravčové mäso, grilované klobásky a pečené kuracie stehná podávali ako hlavný chod. Na záver večere palacinka s džemom. Nič pre vegetariánov a ani pre vegánov. Pekný penzión, v ktorého záhrade môžete pohladiť (ak vám to dovolia) jelene, pštrosy, ba dokonca i lamu.

Kde sa v obci Șirnea ubytovať?

Ja som sa síce v dedinke Șirnea neubytoval, zato vy môžete. Obec ponúka nespočetné množstvo ubytovacích zariadení. Vyberám pre vás aspoň tie, ktoré nám ukázali a odporučili:

• The Barn (1,5 km/23 min. pešo východne od centra dedinky)
• Crai Nou (1,5 km/21 min. pešo juhovýchodne od centra dediny)
• Valea Lupilor (550 m/8 min. pešo severne od centra)
• Poarta Craiului (1,3 km/20 min. pešo severne od centra obce)

Prečítajte si ďalšie články zo župy Brașov:

• Brașov – Hollywood Rumunska
• Prejmer – stredoveká „bytovka“
• Navštíviť či nenavštíviť Draculov hrad Bran?
• Făgăraș – moderné múzeum uprostred Rumunska

Vydajte sa na túru do týchto lokalít:

• Obrov chodník a Hra o tróny
• Má rozhľadňa Šance u vás šancu?
• Mosonmagyaróvár – maďarský triatlon na zelených ostrovoch

Článok vznikol v spolupráci s FIJET Romania.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Șirnea – z pastierskej osady na turistickú obec je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

How to get to Alba Iulia?

Alba Iulia is located in the Alba county, a historical region of Transylvania in central Romania, 355 km / 4.5 hours northwest of Bucharest.

By car

The city of Alba Iulia is crossed by 3 national roads DN1, DN14B and DN74, while part of DN1 is part of the E81 European road.

• DN1 leads through Bucureşti – Ploiești – Brașov – Făgăraș – Sibiu – Alba Iulia – Turda – Cluj-Napoca – Oradea – Borș to Hungary. In the city, it identifies with the E81 European road, which connects Transcarpathian Ukraine with the Romanian Black Sea coast (Mukachevo – Halmeu – Satu Mare – Cluj-Napoca – Turda – Sibiu – Piteşti – Bucureşti – Constanţa),
• DN14B leads from Alba Iulia via Blaj to Copșa Mică,
• DN74 leads from Brad via Abrud – Zlatna to Alba Iulia.

By bus

There are 5 bus stations or stops around the fortress:

• Autogara Autotrans STP Alba – 260 m / 3 minutes walk north of the train station and 2 km / 22 minutes walk south of the fortress,
• Autogara Livio Dario SRL – 170 m / 2 minutes walk north of the train station and 2 km / 25 minutes walk southeast of the fortress (at Autogara Autotrans STP Alba),
• Benzinaria Petrom – Gara – 230 m / 3 minutes walk west of the train station and 1.7 km / 21 minutes walk south of the fortress,
• Statie Intersectie Magazin Spar – 1.5 km / 20 minutes walk northwest of the fortress and 3 km / 40 minutes walk northwest of the railway station,
• Statie Intersectia Autogarii – 2 km / 22 minutes walk northeast of the fortress and 2.5 km / 30 minutes walk north of the railway station.

The bus journey from Râmnicu Vâlcea (174 km) took 3 hours and 49 minutes and the ticket cost 39 lei / 8.06 eur / person. You can buy a ticket for this long-distance bus directly at the bus station and just show it to the driver when entering the bus.

By train

The railway station (Gara Alba Iulia) is located 1.8 km / 22 minutes walk south of the fortress. From the station we traveled back to Slovakia. Before the trip, we bought train seats. Behind the window was a nice English-speaking cashier. We did not get to Poprad (of course) directly from Alba Iulia. Fortunately, it was necessary to change train only 3 times – in Vințu de Jos, Budapest, Hungary and finally in Košice, Slovakia.

The journey took (incredible) 15 hours and 46 minutes. A return ticket from Poprad to Alba Iulia cost 73.50 eur / person. The ticket was valid for 1 month. Price did not include seats. To Vințu de Jos we took a regional train. A seat from Vințu de Jos to Budapest cost 3 eur / person. From Budapest to Košice a seat also cost 3 eur / person. A seat from Košice to Poprad cost 1 eur / person.

Before the trip, stock up on food very well. The station in Vințu de Jos was a bit strange. There was an overpass, which was not used at all. The waiting room was heated, but if you only have a hole instead of a window, it is probably not very effective. And you won’t find a vending machine for drinks or food at the whole station.

Where to get information in Alba Iulia?

The National Center for Tourism Information and Promotion (Centrul Național de Informare și Promovare Turistică; 500 m / 6 minutes walk west of the fortress center) is literally hiding among the western bastions. We managed to visit the center in 5 minutes 12 (in fact it was 4.55 p.m.). The employee of the center was already about to lock up when we „robbed“ her and asked for promotional materials about the city at the last minute. She „put“ maps and brochures in our hands and respectfully sent us away.

What to do, see and visit in Alba Iulia?

Alba Iulia has been the capital since ancient times. At that time, however, it was called Apulum and was the most important center of the Roman province of Dacia. The first fortress was a Roman military camp. In the years 1542-1690 it was the capital of Transylvania. The citadel of Alba Iulia is the largest fortress in Romania. Although the medieval fortress (2nd in a row) was built in the 13th century (on the foundations of a Roman military camp), its current appearance is slightly younger and dates back to the 18th century.

This, 3rd fortress, the Citadel of Alba Carolina (Cetatea Alba Carolina; in German Karlsburg, named after Emperor Charles VI, who initiated its construction), was built for more than 20 years (1715-1738). The fortress was designed by Italian architect Giovanni Morando Visconti using the Vauban military architectural system. Albu Iulia has been considered the symbolic capital of Romania for more than a century. Admission to the fortress is free.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd gate of the fortress of Alba Iulia and the Obelisk of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan

You can enter the citadel through three entrances – from the east, from the west and north and through 7 gates. On the east and west sides of the fortress there are, on each three gates, on the north side one gate.

The 1st fortress gate (Poarta I-a a Cetății) at the eastern entrance has the form of a triumphal arch and is decorated with rich sculptural decoration inspired by Greek mythology. From the gate, a 130 m long paved sloping road leads to the 2nd fortress gate (Poarta a II-a a Cetății), which was partially destroyed in 1937 due to the construction of the obelisk and later rebuilt.

From the 2nd gate you can see the 3rd fortress gate (Poarta a III-a a Cetății), I dare say the most beautiful. It has the shape of a double triumphal arch. It is dominated by the equestrian statue of the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI. In the area between the gates, the 22.5 m high stone obelisk (Obeliscul lui Horea, Cloșca şi Crișan) will certainly not escape your view. The obelisk was erected on 14 October 1937 (on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the peasant uprising) to commemorate the three martyrs (Horea, Cloșca and Crișan), leaders of the peasant uprising which took place in the years 1784-1785. At night, all sights are impressively lit.

History

The reason for the uprising was the poor level of feudal servitude in Transylvania. Orthodox Romanians were also not politically equal to Catholics, represented mainly by the Saxon, Hungarian and Székelys nobility. Leaders Horea and Cloșca were tortured by breaking in the wheel. Crișan hung himself in his cell to avoid torture. It is assumed that Horea’s death cell was in the 3rd gate under the statue of the king. The uprising ended with the servitude abolition in Transylvania in 1785.

Bronze model of the medieval citadel and the Michael the Brave church

From the obelisk to 3rd gate you walk around a bronze model of medieval citadel marked with attractiveness. Looking south you can see the wooden Michael the Brave church (Biserica Mihai Viteazul), built in 1988 in the „Maramureș“ style. The church stands on the site of the former metropolitan cathedral, which was built here by Michael the Brave in 1597 and which was destroyed by the Habsburg in 1714.

Via Principalis and the path of the Three Fortresses

When you pass the 3rd gate, you get on the so-called The Via Principalis, which led through the entire Roman military camp from north to south. On your left hand you will see The path of the three fortresses (Traseul Celor Trei Fortificații), which is open to visitors during the summer tourist season. Three fortresses because the first fortress was a Roman military camp, the second a medieval fortress and the third the Citadel of Alba Carolina from the 18th century. Every fortress they built here included the previous one.

Principia Museum

In the center of the citadel is the Fortress Square (Piața Cetății). In the northern part of the square is the University December 1, 1918 (Universitatea 1 Decembrie 1918) and the Principia Museum (Muzeul Principia). Archaeologists have found the most important part of the Roman military camp in these places – the seat of the 13th Legion of Gemina, the only legion that remained in the province of Dacia during the entire period of Roman rule. In the museum you can admire, among other things, the old walls and the ingenious in situ heating system.

The Union Hall

The western side of the square is bordered by one of the most important buildings not only of the city, but of the whole Romania – The Union Hall (Sala Unirii). It was in this hall on December 1, 1918 that the representatives of Transylvania and Romania signed the Treaty of Unification. Why did they meet in this room? The answer is simple. Because it was the largest room in the whole city, which could accommodate up to 1,228 Romanian delegates. Admission to The Union Hall is free. You will receive a zero ticket at the entrance.

The equestrian statue of Michael the Brave

South of the hall is the equestrian statue of Michael the Brave (Statuia Ecvestră a lui Mihai Viteazul), a Wallachian prince who united Wallachia with Transylvania and Moldova in the 16th century. Alba Iulia is one of the few places that Michael the Brave personally visited. It happened on November 1, 1599 and he stayed in the city for 10 months. However, after his execution in 1601, this union disintegrated. The statue was ceremoniously unveiled on November 28, 1968, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of unification.

The Custozza and Lossenau Monuments

In the middle of the square, two monuments rise in height – Custozza and Lossenau. The Custozza Monument (Monumentul Custozza), in the shape of an obelisk, was erected in 1906 to commemorate the soldiers and officers of the 50th Infantry Regiment who fought alongside the Habsburg army against the Italians at the Battle of Custozza in 1866.

The Lossenau Monument (Monumentul Lossenau) was erected in memory of Austrian Colonel Ludwig Losy von Losenau, the leader of the Habsburg troops, who fell in the battle of Simeria in 1849 during the revolution in Transylvania. The neo-Gothic monument was built in the 1950s. Although there is no one in the square, it is „enlivened“ by statues of figures typical of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

National Museum of Unification

To the west of The Union Hall stands the National Museum of Unification (Muzeul Național al Unirii). The museum is comparable to other county museums in Romania. On three floors, it offers a walk through history from prehistory to the 19th century, which covers an entire floor of the museum. The tour ends with an exhibition of sculptures in the lapidary. The ticket cost 5 lei / 1.03 eur / person.

St. Michael’s Cathedral and the Coronation Cathedral

If we continue further west, we will suddenly find ourselves in the shadow of two monumental churches. To the left is the St. Michael’s Cathedral and on the right the Coronation Cathedral.

Roman Catholic St. Michael Cathedral (Catedrala Romano-Catolică Sfântul Mihail) was built in the 13th century. It thus became the oldest cathedral in Transylvania. The cathedral is a kind of royal tomb. John Hunyadi (Iancu de Hunedoara), the Duke of Transylvania and the Governor of Hungary, Isabela Jagiellon, Queen of Hungary and finally her son John II Sigismund Zápolya, the first prince of Transylvania, all found eternal rest in it.

Coronation Cathedral, Unification Cathedral or also the Orthodox Church of St. Michael (Catedrala Încoronării) was founded only in the first quarter of the 20th century in the years 1921-1922. The first religious building to be built in Transylvania after the great unification. For Romanians, it is a real monument of national unity. Coronation because on October 15, 1922, they crowned King Ferdinand I and Queen Mary here. Opposite the main entrance to the cathedral rises a 52 m high bell tower.

The 4th, 5th and 6th gate of the fortress of Alba Iulia

The 4th fortress gate (Poarta a IV-a a Cetății) is located on the west side of the citadel and is decorated with several Baroque sculptural elements. We also know it as the „New Gate“ or „Bishop’s Gate“. It is the only ornate gate on the west side of the citadel. The 5th fortress gate (Poarta a V-a a Cetății) has a simple architecture without decorative elements and the shape of an arched corridor. Gates were once connected by a drawbridge over the moat. The 6th fortress gate (Poarta a VI-a a Cetății) freely connects to the 5th gate. It is a simple gate with two massive pillars, on which are placed two stone cannonballs at the moment of firing.

Museikon

Museikon (240 m / 3 minutes walk northwest of Fortress square) focuses mainly on sacred art. It contains a valuable collection of Transylvanian icons, historical prints and other religious objects. It is exhibiting medical items in the basement, as the building housed the first military hospital in Romania in the 18th century.

The 7th fortress gate

The last, northern, 7th fortress gate (Poarta a VII-a a Cetății) was discovered by chance during reconstruction works. It is believed that it did not serve its purpose and was bricked up before the completion of the fortress. Again, it has the simple form of an arched corridor without statues.

Where to stay in Alba Iulia?

Villa Matia Resort is located (850 m / 10 minutes walk east of the fortress; 1.2 km / 16 minutes walk north of the railway station and bus station Autogara Autotrans STP Alba) directly at the eastern side of the fortress. The property does not have a 24-hour reception. There was a telephone number on the front door that we called, and a very nice English-speaking receptionist arrived in about half an hour.

The lady accommodated us in a double room overlooking the road in front of the facility with a private bathroom with shower. But if we had had a room on the opposite side of the facility, we would have had a direct view of the fortress. Very nice, elegantly furnished and spacious room, which consisted of an entrance hall, the room itself and a private bathroom. There was an electric kettle in the room. It is not necessary to reserve a space in the free private car park, which is available on site. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

For one double room for 2 people for one night we paid 124 lei / 25.63 eur. The price included a room and 5% value added tax. The price did not include breakfast (5 eur / person / night), which is served only during the summer season. We paid at the property with a credit card in local currency.

Villa Matia Resort is the 2nd best accommodation during our last visit to Romania and one of the best in all of Transylvania the way we saw it.

Where to eat in Alba Iulia?

The food in Alba Iulia was great.

Hotel Vila Preciosa

Hotel Vila Preciosa (1 km / 11 minutes walk east of the fortress) is a modern hotel in the wider city center. The hotel has a clean and elegant restaurant where we stopped for lunch. I tasted Caramelized chicken breast with cherry sauce and curry rice. After the main course, we ordered the Papanași dessert covered in breadcrumbs and sugar served with sour cream and blueberry jam. Dessert was excellent. We were served by a very nice, English-speaking waitress. We paid 117 lei / 24.18 eur for lunch for 2 people. One of the best restaurants during our last visit to Romania.

PUB 13 – Restaurantul Cetății

The medieval restaurant PUB 13 – Restaurantul Cetății (550 m / 6 minutes walk east of the fortress center) is located directly in the citadel wall. The medieval atmosphere is enhanced by stone vaults, solid wooden furniture, weapons, flags and coats of arms on the walls. English speaking staff. I tasted chicken breast with onion and Mămăligă, which were served on a hot decorated earthenware dish. The food was really great. We paid 150.50 lei / 31.11 eur for dinner for 2 people.

I finally managed to visit the city of Alba Iulia after a few years. I have tied the loose ends and I can not but recommend a visit. The attractive and interesting city abounds in a rich offer of cultural monuments, accommodates you in a cozy hotel and satiates with selected dishes in attractive restaurants. In addition, the bonus is nice people who welcome every visitor.

Prices were converted according to the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Slovakia valid as of 15 April 2020 (EUR 1 = 4.8378 lei).

I did not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage of the services provided by tourism businesses, institutions and organizations.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Alba Iulia – Romanian freedom flower je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

How to get to Hunedoara?

Hunedoara hides in southwestern Transylvania in western Romania.

By car

National road 68B connects Hunedoara with the largest town of Hunedoara County – Deva, which is 15 km / 15 minutes by car north.

By bus

The bus station (Autogara Interservice SRL) is located 2 km / 24 minutes walk north of the castle. Buses run from Deva to Hunedoara approximately every 20 minutes. The bus ride takes about 40 minutes. A travel ticket costs 9-9.50 lei / 1.87-1.97 eur / person.

By train

Hunedoara was once connected to Simeria by railway line 207, which is not currently in operation. If the line is renewed, the train station is right next to the bus station.

What to do, see and visit in Hunedoara?

I guess all visitors who come to Hunedoara are heading to Corvinus Castle. In addition to the castle, the city has 4 smaller museums, a historical park and a ZOO.

Corvinus castle

Corvinus Castle (Castelul Corvinilor, Castelul Huniazilor) is an important Gothic-Renaissance fortress in Romania. It is one of the largest castles in Europe. The castle is one of the most important examples of secular and military architecture in Transylvania. It dominates the List of 7 Wonders of Romania, the TOP 10 castles in Europe and is visited annually by more than 300,000 visitors.

The first stone fortress is supposed to date back to the 14th century, but some historians date it to the first half of the 15th century. In 1440, the castle underwent a major reconstruction, led by its owner John Hunyadi. We assume that this stage of castle construction ends before 1446, when Hunyadi became the governor of Hungary. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Hunedoara was the main center of iron mining and processing in Transylvania. The swords and spears produced here during this period were known throughout Europe.

Who was John Hunyadi?

John Hunyadi (Romanian Iancu de Hunedoara, Hungarian János Hunyadi; 1387-1456) was a Transylvanian nobleman, duke and legendary Turkic slayer. In Slovakia, he fought against John Jiskra of Brandýs. For his wife Elizabeth Szilágyi, he had a house built in Baia Mare in the Maramureș region in northern Romania, which bears his name. John Hunyadi spent most of his life on the battlefield in the battles against the Turks – in 1444 near Varna, in 1448 the second battle on the Kosovo field, which he lost and finally the siege of Belgrade in 1456. Although Hunyadi won, a plague epidemic broke out in the military camp, which on August 11, 1456 he finally succumbed to. He was buried in the Catholic Cathedral of St. Michael in Alba Iulia.

The next, third stage of the castle construction, which is expected to have ended around the year 1480, is already associated with his son Matthias Corvinus.

John Hunyadi has a raven in his coat of arms, which symbolizes wisdom and longevity. The raven comes from the Latin corvus, the Romanian is called corb. Although we call his son Matthias Corvinus, he himself was never called that.

Who was Matthias Corvinus?

Matthias Corvinus (Romanian Matei Corvin, in Hungarian Mátyás Hunyadi, 1443-1490) was the second-born son of John Hunyadi. He was born in the current „capital“ of Transylvania – Cluj-Napoca. You can still see his birthplace there today. In the years 1458-1490 he was the king of Hungary. We know him in Slovakia thanks to the Academia Istropolitana (the oldest university in Slovakia territory), which he founded in 1465, and the promotion of the ideas of humanism and the Renaissance in the Kingdom of Hungary. We can thank his wife, Queen Beatrix of Aragon of Naples, for this. He died at the age of 47 two days after suffering a stroke. He was upset when the servants brought him unwashed figs.

The fourth, late Renaissance reconstruction of the castle took place in the 17th century, when the castle was inhabited by Gabriel Bethlen, who was Prince of Transylvania (1580-1629). We know him from our history as the leader of the uprising during the 30-year war. But he was not the only one. A few years later, another leader of the anti-Habsburg peasant uprising, Emeric Thököly (1657-1705), lived in the castle. Emeric was born in Kežmarok, Slovakia, where he is also buried. Since the 18th century, the castle has been the property of the state, first Austria, later Austria-Hungary and finally Romania.

On April 13, 1854, a fire caused by lightning destroyed all wooden parts of the castle. Already in the 19th century, the first restoration work began on the castle, which can be described as the 5th construction stage. Work continued in the early and second half of the 20th century. In 1974, the Hunedoara Museum was founded. In addition to this function, the castle also serves as a film backdrop. It even served as a model for the Museum and Library of Hungarian Agriculture in Budapest.

Castle tour

Corvinus Castle is entered by a long narrow bridge on high stone pillars. Immediately after entering, there is an exhibition of torture instruments in the rooms on the left and right. The largest rooms of the castle include a knight’s and banquet hall. They are dominated by octagonal columns with Gothic vaults decorated with marble.

At Corvinus castle you will find a few rooms furnished with period furniture. There is an extensive lapidary in the basement of the castle. A significant element of the castle is the tower „Nje boisia“ („Do not be afraid“) in the western part. It got its name thanks to Serbian mercenaries who were in the castle garrison. It is connected to the castle by a gallery, which is 33 m long.

The legend of the castle well

In 1442, John Hunyadi defeated the Turks on the Ialomița River and captured them at his castle. He had been wondering how they could possibly help him before he would sold them into slavery. He promised that if they dug a well in the castle, he would release them. Three Turkish prisoners kept digging for 15 years and 28 days before water first appeared in the well.

Meanwhile, in 1456, however, John Hunyadi died, so the release of the prisoners remained with his wife, the noble Elizabeth Szilágyi. She feared the revenge of the Turks after their release and therefore sentenced them to death. The last wish of the Turkish prisoners was to place an inscription with their names (Ali, Mehmed and Ibrahim). Names written in lower case in a certain order are said to be text from the Koran, which means:

„You have a well, but you have no soul.“

However, the actual inscription is:

„The one who wrote this inscription is Hassan, who lives as a slave in the rocks in the fortress near the church.“

The inscription is at a height of about 2.50 m on the outer wall of the chapel near the well.

Set aside 1-2 hours for a tour of the castle. The tour is unmanned, so you can roam the castle freely. Admission to the castle is 31 lei / 6.43 eur / person.

Museums, park and garden

In Hunedoara you can visit 4 other museums, a historical park and a zoo.

The Museum of Archeology, History and Ethnography of Hunedoara (Muzeul de Arheologie Istorie Eti Etnografie Hunedoara) is a permanent exhibition focusing on the history of the town from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The „Guild’s House“ Museum (Muzeul Casa Breslelor) contains various objects on the ground floor dedicated to 4 guilds – weavers, tanners, shoemakers and furriers. It exhibits numismatic collections upstairs. Admission is 9 lei / 1.87 eur / person.

Torture Exhibition (Expoziție Inedita Ev Mediu Tortura și Execuție), as the name suggests, focuses on medieval torture and torture instruments. All three museums are located in the outer (hussar) courtyard of the castle. Exposition „The steps of Romania through socialism and democracy (Expoziție Permanentă Pașii României prin Socialism Demi Democrație) is located 2.5 km / 30 min. walk east of the castle. Based on the photographs I found, this is an exhibition of objects from the period of socialism in Romanian territory.

Hunedava (1 km / 10 min. walk west of the castle) is a kind of park of living history, which will transport you to antiquity and the Middle Ages and through the Dacians, Romans or Turks will bring you closer to life in this area. The ZOO Hunedoara (Grădina Zoologică Hunedoara) is located 3.5 km / 10 min. by car east of the castle.

Where to stay and eat in Hunedoara?

We went to Hunedoara for a 1-day trip from Deva. You will find recommended accommodation and catering facilities in the article Deva full of stories.

It is true that the inside of Corvinus Castle may not be as impressive as the outside, but I am very happy that I finally visited it. A tour of the castle is definitely an unforgettable experience that I will remember forever.

Prices were converted according to the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Slovakia valid on 12 March 2020 (EUR 1 = LEI 4.8213).

I did not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage of the services provided by tourism businesses, institutions and organizations.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Hunedoara – a town with a raven sign je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

How to get to Deva?

Deva is located on the main road and railway from Hungary to Romania, so you can easily get here from the capital of our southern neighbor (Budapest) without a single transfer.

By car

Deva is crossed by the European roads E68, E79 and E673. The E68 starts in the Hungarian town of Szeged and continues through the border crossing Nădlac – Arad – Deva – Sibiu – Făgăraş to Braşov. The European route E79 leads from north to south from Hungary via Romania, Bulgaria to Greece. In Romanian territory, it passes through the cities of Oradea – Deva – Târgu Jiu – Craiova – Calafat. The European road E673 from Lugoj ends in the city.

By bus

If you are traveling to or from the city by bus, you can come to one of the following bus stops:

• Autogara BV Dasler SRL – main bus station next to the train station,
• Parcare McDonald’s – north of the bus station,
• Benzinaria PETROM (langa McDonald’s) – north of the “ McDonald’s“.

Do not worry about anything, the station and both stops are next to each other. Regional and some long-distance buses leave from the southern part of the station, and public transport and some long-distance buses start in the northern part. Some regional buses also stop at public transport stops.

By train

All international trains from Budapest stop in Deva. The railway runs in Romania through the cities of Arad – Deva – Sibiu – Făgăraş – Braşov. Gara Deva (the railway station) is located 700 m / 9 minutes walk east of the city center. The journey from Budapest takes 7 hours 51 minutes. A return ticket from Poprad to Alba Iulia cost 147 eur for 2 people. The seat cost 3 eur / person (2020).

The train literally flies over Hungary, in Romania it „drags“ a bit then. Prepare for checks on both sides of the border. You will stay on the Hungarian side for 40 minutes, on the Romanian side for about 25 minutes. During this time, they manage to replace the locomotives and take about half of the train on their way from Hungary. I was surprised that there is no restaurant car on the train and the offer of refreshments from the trolley is not available. Therefore, get enough food before the trip.

Where to get information in Deva?

The Tourist Information Center (Centrul Național de Informare și Promovare Turistică) is located at the lower station of the funicular to the fortress (Telecabină Cetatea Devei; 850 m / 10 minutes walk north of the city center).

What to do, see and visit in Deva?

Deva does not have an overflowing tourism primary offer. Nevertheless, it offers a few attractions that make it worth staying in the city longer.

Deva fortress

The stone fortress in Deva (Cetatea Devei), which sits on a hill high above the city, is unmissable from every side from which you come to the city. It dates back to 1269. In 1784 it served as a refuge during the peasant uprising.

Hungarian legend says that the builder of the Deva fortress had his wife walled up in one of the walls of the fortress. He wanted to ensure that Satan never destroyed the fortress. The death of his wife was probably in vain. The fortress was conquered by Hungarian rebels after a 4-week siege in 1849 by the explosion of gunpowder warehouses. The tooth of time has been biting into her ever since. Projects for the gradual restoration of the fortress emerged only in this century.

You can go to the fortress on foot or by cable car (20 lei / 4.16 eur / person). Two walking routes – 30- and 40-minute start north of the manor house. Both routes are worthwhile. While the shorter one winds around the hill from the west side, the longer one from the east side. The lower station of the funicular is located at the eastern foot of the hill. You can enter the fortress at any time of the day or night. Admission is free.

In the Deva fortress there are information boards (also in English) and vending machines in case you get hungry or thirsty. From the fortress you will have a view of the surrounding hills, valleys and the city itself, which lies below the hill. In the past, the so-called the „Salt road“ that connected Rome with Transylvania, passed through the city.

Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization

Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization (Muzeul Civilizației Dacice și Romane) is housed in the Renaissance manor house of Magna Curia, which dates from 1621. On the ground floor you can get acquainted with natural history collections, on the first floor with historical and archaeological ones. Permanent exhibitions are complemented by temporary exhibitions. We saw exhibitions dedicated to contemporary photography, wooden sculptures, treasure from the museum’s collections, or the 750th anniversary of the fortress. The ticket costs 20 lei / 4.16 eur / person.

I was surprised by the exhibition of dresses of Maria Szechy (1610-1678), who was the granddaughter of the infamous „bloody“ Countess Elisabeth Bathory. However, we know her from legends as „Venus of Muráň“. Maria was born and raised in Muráň, Slovakia, but at the age of 17 she married Stephen Bethlen and moved to the manor house in Deva, Transylvania. According to other sources, she allegedly fled to Deva from her second husband, Stephen Kun. After the death of her first husband, she married twice more.

For the first time to the already mentioned Stephen Kun, with whom she divorced. It should be noted that then it was not as common as it is today. The last time she married Ferenc Wesselényi, the Fülek castle captain, later the Hungarian palatine (the second highest position after the monarch). He married Maria only four months after the death of his wife Zsófia Bosnyák, whom we know from Strečno Castle in Slovakia.

Statue of Decebalus

The equestrian statue of King Decebalus of Dacia (Statuia lui Decebal; 500 m / 5 minutes walk south of the center) is located in front of the Drăgan Muntean Cultural Center. Decebalus ruled in the years 87-106 AD. His name means „as strong as ten men“. He fought against the Roman army several times. Last in 106 AD, when he was defeated by the legions of Emperor Traian. Decebalus would rather commit suicide (allegedly pierced his throat) than fall into captivity.

Statue of the Roman emperor Traian

The statue of the Roman Emperor Traian (Statuia lui Traian) is located in the city center in the pedestrian zone behind the huge inscription „I love Deva“. The decisive battle between Traian and Decebalus is also depicted on Traian’s Column in Rome.

Where to stay in Deva?

Rooms Cristian is located (1.8 km / 23 minutes walk south of the center) in a residential area in the southern part of the city. There is a bus stop near the hotel, with public and regional buses.

We were accommodated in a spacious twin room „Deluxe“ with a private bathroom with shower and a view of the street in front of the hotel. At check-in, the receptionist was a little confused, but tried to solve everything to our satisfaction. She made sure I had her phone number so I could contact her with any questions. Rooms Cristian was another of the accommodation facilities in which smoking is probably allowed inside as well, because in our room it was quite felt perceived. The shower flowed a bit.

We found out after its first use, when the bathroom was slightly flooded. The bathroom window was facing the opposite apartment buildings, so you won’t enjoy much privacy there. They prepared breakfast only for us, so we ate both days the same, but it doesn’t matter. They prepared a rich breakfast, which gave us enough strength to explore the city and the region. The receptionist spoke German, the waitress spoke English. Free private parking is available on site. Reservation is needed. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout the hotel.

For one twin room for 2 people for 2 nights we paid 200 lei / 41.57 eur. The price includes room, value added tax, city tax and breakfast. You can only pay in cash in the local currency.

Where to eat and go for coffee in Deva?

During two days we tried 3 restaurants and one café in the city.

BöRD13

The Swedish-sounding BöRD13 (700 m / 9 minutes walk south of the center) is a pleasant modern restaurant on the floor of an older building. The restaurant offers fantastic views of Deva city center with the statue of Decebalus in the foreground and the Deva fortress in the background. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, there was no free table by the window and the staff seated us at a larger table by the bar. Only one English-speaking waiter was found among the attending staff though. I didn’t want to experiment very much, so I chose a classic and ordered lasagna, which was very tasty. We paid 95 lei / 19.75 eur for dinner for 2 people.

Grizzly Restaurant

Grizzly Restaurant (only 140 m / 2 minutes walk west of the train station) was our first stop after arriving to Romania. Nice, clean, minimalist restaurant with English speaking staff. I tasted fried chicken breast with basil, green sauce and rosemary potatoes. Dinner was simply delicious. After dinner, we enjoyed a local brandy, which did not taste us so much. We paid 110 lei / 22.86 eur for dinner for 2 people.

Restaurant Capriccio Deva

The Italian Restaurant Capriccio Deva is located right in the city center in the pedestrian area. You just enter one of the gates and the restaurant is hidden in the garden of the house. After a tour of the castle, museum and fortress, we got a taste for something big and rich. Naturally, we got a pizza that was mediocre. The waiter forgot about us with the order of the drink, which he later admitted. But he hadn’t had the time to serve us anyway. A little surprising when I think that it is his job, but probably common. We paid 90 lei / 18.71 eur for lunch for 2 people.

The Refresh

The stylish The Refresh Café is located in the city center, right in the pedestrian zone. I really like the fact they did care about the details in the café. On Sunday morning, it filled with many young guests. There was almost nowhere to sit. The café seems to have captured its target audience accurately. I tasted cappuccino and brioche. The coffee was great, so was the cake. If I had lived in Deva, this would have been a coffee shop where I would probably spend my entire salary. We paid 24 lei / 4.99 eur for a bill for 2 people.

I think that two days will be enough for a city tour. The old town retains the atmosphere of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is already surrounded on all sides by socialist apartment buildings, but do not be discouraged. The gastronomic scene of the city is excellent. I recommend visiting.

Prices were converted according to the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Slovakia valid on 5 March 2020 (EUR 1 = 4.8110 lei).

I did not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage of the services provided by tourism businesses, institutions and organizations.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Deva full of stories je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

Ako sa do mesta Alba Iulia dostať?

Alba Iulia sa nachádza v župe Alba, historickom regióne Transylvánia v strednom Rumunsku, 355 km/4,5 h severozápadne od Bukurešti.

Autom

Mestom Alba Iulia prechádzajú 3 národné cesty DN1, DN14B a DN74, pričom časť DN1 je súčasťou európskej cesty E81.

• DN1 vedie cez Bucureşti – Ploiești – Brașov – Făgăraș – Sibiu – Alba Iulia – Turda – Cluj-Napoca – Oradea – Borș až do Maďarska. V meste sa stotožňuje s európskou cestou E81, ktorá spája zakarpatskú Ukrajinu s rumunským čiernomorským pobrežím (Mukachevo – Halmeu – Satu Mare – Cluj-Napoca – Turda – Sibiu – Piteşti – Bucureşti – Constanţa),
• DN14B vedie z Alba Iulia cez Blaj do Copșa Mică,
• DN74 vedie z Brad cez Abrud – Zlatna do Alba Iulia.

Autobusom

Okolo pevnosti sa nachádza 5 autobusových staníc, resp. zastávok:

• Autogara Autotrans STP Alba – 260 m/3 min. pešo severne od železničnej stanice a 2 km/22 min. pešo južne od pevnosti,
• Autogara Livio Dario SRL – 170 m/2 min. pešo severne od železničnej stanice a 2 km/25 min. pešo juhovýchodne od pevnosti (pri Autogara Autotrans STP Alba),
• Benzinaria Petrom – Gara – 230 m/3 min. pešo západne od železničnej stanice a 1,7 km/21 min. pešo južne od pevnosti,
• Statie Intersectie Magazin Spar – 1,5 km/20 min. pešo severozápadne od pevnosti a 3 km/40 min. pešo severozápadne od železničnej stanice,
• Statie Intersectia Autogarii – 2 km/22 min. pešo severovýchodne od pevnosti a 2,5 km/30 min. pešo severne od železničnej stanice.

Cesta autobusom z Râmnicu Vâlcea (174 km) trvala 3 h a 49 min. a cestovný lístok stál 39 lei/8,06 eur/os. Na tento diaľkový autobus si môžete kúpiť lístok priamo na autobusovej stanici a šoférovi ho pri vstupe do autobusu už len ukázať.  

Vlakom

Železničná stanica (Gara Alba Iulia) sa nachádza 1,8 km/22 min. pešo južne od pevnosti. Zo stanice sme cestovali naspäť na Slovensko. Pred cestou sme si ešte kupovali miestenky na vlak. Za okienkom bola milá anglicky hovoriaca pokladníčka. Z Alba Iulia sme sa do Popradu (pochopiteľne) priamo nedostali. Na trase bolo potrebné (našťastie) len 3x prestúpiť – vo Vințu de Jos, Budapešti a nakoniec v Košiciach.

Cesta trvala (neuveriteľných) 15 h a 46 min. Spiatočný cestovný lístok z Popradu do Alba Iulia stál 73,50 eur/os. Lístok bol platný 1 mesiac. Cena nezahŕňala miestenky. Do Vințu de Jos sme sa odviezli regionálnym vlakom, ktorý stál za každou zákrutou. Miestenka z Vințu de Jos do Budapešti stála 3 eur/os. Z Budapešti do Košíc stála miestenka takisto 3 eur/os. Miestenka z Košíc do Popradu stála 1 eur/os.

Pred cestou sa veľmi dobre zásobte potravinami. Stanica vo Vințu de Jos bola trochu zvláštna. Bol tam napr. nadchod, ktorý sa vôbec nevyužíva. Čakáreň síce vykurovali, ale keď máte namiesto okna len dieru, tak to veľmi efektívne asi nie je. A na celej stanici nenájdete automat na nápoje ani na potraviny.

Kde získať v meste Alba Iulia informácie?

Národné centrum pre informácie a propagáciu cestovného ruchu (Centrul Național de Informare și Promovare Turistică; 500 m/6 min. pešo západne od centra pevnosti) sa doslova ukrýva medzi západnými bastiónmi. Centrum sa nám podarilo navštíviť o 5 minút 12 (v skutočnosti bolo 16.55 h). Pracovníčka centra sa už-už chystala zamykať, keď v tom sme ju „prepadli“ a vyžiadali si ešte na poslednú chvíľu propagačné materiály o meste. „Strčila“ nám do ruky mapy a prospekty a úctivo nás poslala preč.

Čo v meste Alba Iulia robiť, vidieť a navštíviť?

Alba Iulia bola hlavným mestom už v staroveku. Vtedy sa ale volala Apulum a bola najdôležitejším centrom rímskej provincie Dácia. Prvou pevnosťou bol rímsky vojenský tábor. V rokoch 1542-1690 bola hlavným mestom Sedmohradska. Citadela Alba Iulia je najväčšou pevnosťou v Rumunsku. I keď stredovekú pevnosť (2. v poradí) postavili už v 13. storočí (na základoch rímskeho vojenského tábora), jej súčasná podoba je o niečo mladšia a pochádza z 18. storočia.

Túto, 3. pevnosť, Citadelu Alba Karolína (Cetatea Alba Carolina; po nemecky Karlsburg, pomenovaná po cisárovi Karolovi VI., ktorý inicioval jej stavbu), budovali viac ako 20 rokov (1715-1738). Pevnosť navrhol taliansky architekt Giovanni Morando Visconti pomocou vojenského architektonického systému Vauban. Albu Iuliu už viac ako storočie považujú za symbolické hlavné mesto Rumunska. Vstup do pevnosti je zdarma.

I., II., III. brána pevnosti Alba Iulia a Obelisk Horea, Cloșca a Crișan

Do citadely môžete vstúpiť troma vstupmi – z východu, zo západu a severu a 7 bránami. Na východnej i západnej strane pevnosti sa nachádzajú, na každej tri brány, na severnej strane jedna brána.

I. brána pevnosti (Poarta I-a a Cetății) pri východnom vstupe má podobu víťazného oblúka a zdobí ju bohatá sochárska výzdoba inšpirovaná gréckou mytológiou. Od brány vedie 130 m dlhá dláždená šikmá cesta ku II. bráne pevnosti (Poarta a II-a a Cetății), ktorá bola čiastočne zničená v roku 1937 kvôli výstavbe obelisku a neskôr prestavaná.

Od II. brány dovidíte na III. bránu pevnosti (Poarta a III-a a Cetății), dovolím si tvrdiť najkrajšiu. Má tvar dvojitého víťazného oblúka.  Dominuje jej jazdecká socha habsburského cisára Karola VI. V areáli medzi bránami vášmu pohľadu určite neunikne 22,5 m vysoký kamenný obelisk (Obeliscul lui Horea, Cloșca şi Crișan), ktorý vztýčili 14. októbra 1937 (pri príležitosti 150. výročia roľníckeho povstania) na pamiatku trom martýrom (Horea, Cloșca a Crișan), vodcom roľníckeho povstania, ktoré sa uskutočnilo v rokoch 1784-1785. V noci sú všetky pamiatky pôsobivo vysvietené. 

Príčinou vzniku povstania bola zlá úroveň feudálneho poddanstva v Transylvánii. Ortodoxní Rumuni si taktiež neboli politicky rovní s katolíkmi, ktorých predstavovala prevažne saská, maďarská a sikulská šľachta. Vodcov Horeu a Cloșcu mučili lámaním v kolese. Crișan sa vo svojej cele obesil, aby sa mučeniu vyhol. Predpokladá sa, že Horeova cela smrti sa nachádzala v III. bráne pod sochou kráľa. Povstanie bolo ukončené zrušením poddanstva v Transylvánii v roku 1785.

Bronzový model stredovekej citadely a kostol Michala Chrabrého

Od obelisku ku III. bráne budete prechádzať okolo bronzového modelu stredovekej citadely s vyznačenými atraktivitami. Pri pohľade smerom na juh dovidíte na drevený kostol Michala Chrabrého (Biserica Mihai Viteazul), postavený v roku 1988 v marmarošskom štýle. Kostol stojí na mieste bývalej metropolitnej katedrály, ktorú tu nechal postaviť Michal Chrabrý v roku 1597 a ktorú Habsburgovci zničili v roku 1714.

Via Principalis a Cesta troch pevností

Keď prejdete III. bránou, dostanete sa na tzv. Via Principalis, ktorá viedla cez celý rímsky vojenský tábor od severu na juh. Po svojej ľavej ruke budete mať tzv. Cestu troch pevností (Traseul Celor Trei Fortificații), ktorá je návštevníkom prístupná v letnej turistickej sezóne. Tri pevnosti preto, lebo prvou pevnosťou bol rímsky vojenský tábor, druhou stredoveká pevnosť a treťou Citadela Alba Carolina z 18. storočia. Každá pevnosť, ktorú tu postavili, zahŕňala tú predošlú.

Múzeum Principia

V centre citadely sa nachádza Námestie pevnosti (Piața Cetății). Severnú časť námestia ohraničujú Univerzita 1. decembra 1918 (Universitatea 1 Decembrie 1918) a Múzeum Principia (Muzeul Principia). V týchto miestach našli archeológovia najvýznamnejšiu časť rímskeho vojenského tábora – sídlo 13. légie Gemina, jedinej légie, ktorá ostala v provincii Dácia počas celého obdobia rímskej nadvlády. V múzeu môžete obdivovať okrem iného staré múry a dômyselný vykurovací systém in situ.

Sála zjednotenia

Západnú stranu námestia ohraničuje jedna z najdôležitejších budov nielen mesta, ale celého Rumunska – Sála zjednotenia (Sala Unirii). Práve v tejto sále 1. decembra 1918 podpísali predstavitelia Transylvánie a Rumunska zmluvu o zjednotení. Prečo sa stretli práve v tejto miestnosti? Odpoveď je jednoduchá. Pretože to bola najväčšia miestnosť v celom meste, ktorá mohla poňať až 1 228 rumunských delegátov. Vstup do Sály zjednotenia je zdarma. Pri vchode dostanete nulovú vstupenku.

Jazdecká socha Michala Chrabrého

Južne od sály stojí jazdecká socha Michala Chrabrého (Statuia Ecvestră a lui Mihai Viteazul), valašského kniežaťa, ktorému sa podarilo zjednotiť Valašsko s Transylvániou a Moldavskom už v 16. storočí. Alba Iulia je jedno z mála miest, ktoré Michal Chrabrý aj osobne navštívil. Stalo sa to 1. novembra 1599 a v meste sa zdržal 10 mesiacov. Táto únia sa ale po jeho poprave v roku 1601 rozpadla. Sochu slávnostne odhalili 28. novembra 1968 pri príležitosti 50. výročia zjednotenia.

Pamätník Custozza a Lossenau

Uprostred námestia sa do výšky vypínajú dva pamätníky – Custozza a Lossenau. Pamätník Custozza (Monumentul Custozza), v tvare obelisku, vztýčili v roku 1906 na pamiatku vojakov a dôstojníkov 50. pešieho pluku, ktorí bojovali po boku habsburskej armády proti Talianom v bitke pri Custozze v roku 1866.

Pamätník Lossenau (Monumentul Lossenau) postavili na pamiatku rakúskeho plukovníka Ludwiga Losy von Losenau, vodcu habsburských vojsk, ktorý v roku 1849 padol v bitke o Simeriu počas revolúcie v Transylvánii. Novogotický pamätník postavili v 50. rokoch 19. storočia. Aj keď sa na námestí nikto nenachádza, „oživujú“ ho sochy postáv, typických pre prelom 19. a 20. storočia.

Národné múzeum zjednotenia

Západne od Sály zjednotenia stojí Národné múzeum zjednotenia (Muzeul Național al Unirii). Múzeum je porovnateľné s inými župnými múzeami Rumunska. Na troch podlažiach ponúka prechádzku históriou od praveku po 19. storočie, ktoré zaberá celé jedno podlažie múzea a prehliadka končí expozíciou sôch a plastík v lapidáriu. Vstupenka stála 5 lei/1,03 eur/os.

Katedrála sv. Michala a Korunovačná katedrála

Ak budeme pokračovať ďalej na západ, náhle sa ocitneme v tieni dvoch monumentálnych kostolov. Naľavo sa vypína Katedrála sv. Michala a napravo Korunovačná katedrála.

Rímskokatolícku katedrálu sv. Michala (Catedrala Romano-Catolică Sfântul Mihail) postavili v 13. storočí. Stala sa tak najstaršou katedrálou v Transylvánii. Katedrála je akousi kráľovskou hrobkou. Večný odpočinok v nej našli Ján Huňady (Iancu de Hunedoara), sedmohradský vojvoda a guvernér Uhorska, uhorská kráľovná Izabela Jagelovská a napokon aj jej syn Ján II. Žigmund Zápoľský, ktorý bol prvým sedmohradským kniežaťom.

Korunovačná katedrála, Katedrála Zjednotenia alebo tiež pravoslávny Kostol sv. Michala (Catedrala Încoronării) vznikol len v prvej štvrtine 20. storočia v rokoch 1921-1922. Prvá náboženská stavba, ktorú postavili v Transylvánii po veľkom zjednotení. Pre Rumunov predstavuje skutočný pamätník národnej jednoty. Korunovačná preto, lebo v nej 15. októbra 1922 korunovali kráľa Ferdinanda I. a kráľovnú Máriu. Oproti hlavnému vstupu do katedrály sa týči 52 m vysoká zvonica.

IV., V. a VI. brána pevnosti Alba Iulia

IV. brána pevnosti (Poarta a IV-a a Cetății) sa nachádza na západnej strane citadely a zdobia ju viaceré barokové sochárske prvky. Poznáme ju tiež pod názvami „Nová brána“ alebo „Biskupská brána“. Je jedinou zdobenou bránou na západnej strane citadely. V. brána pevnosti (Poarta a V-a a Cetății) má jednoduchú architektúru bez ozdobných prvkov a tvar klenutej chodby. Brány kedysi spájal padací most ponad priekopu. VI. brána pevnosti (Poarta a VI-a a Cetății) voľne nadväzuje na V. bránu. Je to jednoduchá brána s dvoma mohutnými stĺpmi, na ktorých sú umiestnené dve kamenné delové gule v momente výstrelu.

Museikon

Museikon (240 m/3 min. pešo severozápadne od Nám. pevnosti) sa zameriava predovšetkým na sakrálne umenie. Vo svojich zbierkach obsahuje cennú kolekciu transylvánskych ikon, historické tlače a ďalšie náboženské predmety. V suteréne vystavuje lekárske predmety, pretože v budove sa v 18. storočí nachádzala prvá vojenská nemocnica v Rumunsku.

VII. brána pevnosti Alba Iulia

Poslednú, severnú, VII. bránu pevnosti (Poarta a VII-a a Cetății) objavili náhodne počas rekonštrukčných prác. Predpokladá sa, že svojmu účelu neslúžila a bola zamurovaná ešte pred dokončením pevnosti. Opäť má jednoduchú podobu klenutej chodby bez sôch.

Kde sa v meste Alba Iulia ubytovať?

Vila Matia Resort sa nachádza (850 m/10 min. pešo východne od pevnosti; 1,2 km/16 min. pešo severne od železničnej stanice a autobusovej stanice Autogara Autotrans STP Alba) priamo pri východnej strane pevnosti. Ubytovacie zariadenie nemá 24-hodinovú recepciu. Na vstupných dverách sa nachádzalo telefónne číslo, na ktoré sme zavolali a veľmi milá anglicky hovoriaca recepčná prišla asi do polhodiny.

Slečna nás ubytovala v 2-lôžkovej izbe s výhľadom na cestu pred zariadením so súkromnou kúpeľňou so sprchovacím kútom. Keby sme ale mali izbu na opačnej strane zariadenia, mali by sme výhľad priamo na pevnosť. Veľmi pekná, vkusne zariadená a priestranná izba, ktorá pozostávala zo vstupnej chodby, samotnej izby a súkromnej kúpeľne. V izbe sa nachádzala rýchlovarná kanvica. Nie je potrebné rezervovať si miesto na bezplatnom súkromnom parkovisku, ktoré je k dispozícii na mieste. Bezplatné Wi-Fi pripojenie na internet je k dispozícii v celom zariadení.

Za jednu 2-lôžkovú izbu pre 2 osoby na jednu noc sme zaplatili 124 lei/25,63 eur. Cena zahŕňala izbu a 5 % daň z pridanej hodnoty. Cena nezahŕňala raňajky (5 eur/os./noc), ktoré servírujú len počas letnej turistickej sezóny. V zariadení sme platili platobnou kartou v miestnej mene.

Vila Matia je 2. najlepším ubytovacím zariadením počas našej poslednej návštevy Rumunska a jedným z najlepších v celej Transylvánii.

Kde sa v meste Alba Iulia najesť?

Hotel Vila Preciosa (1 km/11 min. pešo východne od pevnosti) je moderným hotelom v širšom centre mesta. Hotel disponuje čistou a elegantnou reštauráciou, v ktorej sme sa zastavili na obed. Ochutnal som Karamelizované kuracie prsia s čerešňovou omáčkou a karí ryžou. Po hlavnom jedle sme si objednali dezert Papanași, ktorý tu ale pripravujú trochu inak ako v iných častiach krajiny. Viac sa podobal našim zemiakovým šúľancom so strúhankou ako vyprážaným šiškám s džemom. Napriek tomu bol vynikajúci. Obsluhovala nás veľmi milá, po anglicky hovoriaca čašníčka. Za obed pre 2 osoby sme zaplatili 117 lei/24,18 eur. Jedna z najlepších reštaurácií počas našej poslednej návštevy Rumunska.

Stredoveká reštaurácia PUB 13 – Restaurantul Cetății (550 m/6 min. pešo východne od centra pevnosti) sa nachádza priamo v múre citadely. Stredovekú atmosféru umocňujú kamenné klenby, masívny drevený nábytok, zbrane, zástavy a erby na stenách. Anglicky hovoriaca obsluha. Ochutnal som Kuracie prsia s cibuľou a mamaligou, ktoré servírujú na rozpálenej zdobenej kameninovej nádobe. Jedlo bolo naozaj výborné. Za večeru pre 2 osoby sme zaplatili 150,50 lei/31,11 eur.

Mesto Alba Iulia sa mi podarilo po niekoľkých rokoch konečne navštíviť. Napravil som staré resty z minulosti a neostáva mi nič iné, než vám jeho návštevu odporučiť. Atraktívne a zaujímavé mesto oplýva bohatou ponukou kultúrnych pamätihodností, ubytuje vás v útulnom hoteli a zasýti vyberanými jedlami v atraktívnych reštauráciách. Bonusom navyše sú milí ľudia, ktorí sa tešia z každého návštevníka.

Užitočné linky:

• Oficiálny turistický portál mesta Alba Iulia
• Alba Iulia QR
• Oficiálny portál mesta Alba Iulia
• Podstránka venovaná propagácii cestovného ruchu mesta Alba Iulia

Ceny boli prepočítané podľa aktuálneho kurzu Národnej banky Slovenska platného k 15. 4. 2020 (1 eur = 4,8378 lei).

Za uvedenie a pozitívne hodnotenie služieb podnikov, inštitúcií a organizácií cestovného ruchu som nedostal nič zdarma.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Alba Iulia – rumunský kvet slobody je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.

Ako sa do mesta Hunedoara dostať?

Hunedoara sa ukrýva v juhozápadnej Transylvánii v západnom Rumunsku.

Autom

Národná cesta 68B spája mesto Hunedoara s najväčším mestom župy Deva, ktorá je 15 km/15 min. autom severne.  

Autobusom

Autobusová stanica (Autogara Interservice SRL) sa nachádza 2 km/24 min. pešo severne od hradu. Z Deva do mesta Hunedoara jazdia autobusy približne každých 20 min. Cesta autobusom trvá okolo 40 min. Cestovný lístok stojí 9-9,50 lei/1,87-1,97 eur/os.

Vlakom

Mesto Hunedoara kedysi spájala so Simeriou železničná trať číslo 207, ktorá momentálne nie je v prevádzke. Ak by sa linka obnovila, tak železničná stanica stojí hneď vedľa autobusovej stanice.

Čo v meste Hunedoara robiť, vidieť a navštíviť?

Dovolím si tvrdiť, že hádam všetci návštevníci, ktorí prichádzajú do mesta Hunedoara, smerujú na Korvínov hrad. V meste sa okrem hradu nachádzajú 4 menšie múzeá, historický park a zoologická záhrada.  

Korvínov hrad

Korvínov hrad (Castelul Corvinilor, Castelul Huniazilor) je významná goticko-renesančná pevnosť v Rumunsku, ktorá patrí medzi najväčšie hrady Európy. Je jednou z najdôležitejších ukážok svetskej a vojenskej architektúry Transylvánie. Dominuje Zoznamu 7 divov Rumunska, TOP 10 hradov Európy a ročne ho navštívi viac ako 300 tisíc návštevníkov.

Prvá kamenná pevnosť sa predpokladá už v 14. storočí, avšak niektorí historici ju datujú až do prvej polovice 15. storočia. V roku 1440 hrad prešiel významnou rekonštrukciou, ktorú viedol jeho majiteľ Ján Huňady. Predpokladáme, že táto etapa výstavby hradu sa končí pred rokom 1446, keď sa Huňady stal guvernérom Uhorska. V 14. a 15. storočí bola Hunedoara hlavným strediskom ťažby a spracovania železa v Transylvánii. Meče a oštepy, ktoré sa tu vyrábali počas tohto obdobia, boli známe po celej Európe.

Kto bol Ján Huňady?

Ján Huňady (rumunsky Iancu de Hunedoara, maďarský János Hunyadi; 1387-1456) bol sedmohradský šľachtic, vojvodca a legendárny turkobijec. Na Slovensku bojoval proti Jánovi Jiskrovi z Brandýsa. Pre svoju manželku Alžbetu Szilágyi nechal postaviť v Baia Mare v regióne Maramureš na severe Rumunska dom, ktorý nesie jeho meno. Väčšinu svojho života strávil Ján Huňady na bojovom poli v bitkách proti Turkom – v roku 1444 pri Varne, v roku 1448 druhá bitka na Kosovom poli, ktorú prehral a napokon obliehanie Belehradu v roku 1456. Huňady síce vyhral, avšak vo vojenskom tábore vypukla epidémia moru, ktorej 11. augusta 1456 napokon podľahol. Pochovali ho v katolíckej katedrále sv. Michala v Alba Iulii.

Ďalšia, tretia etapa, ktorej koniec sa predpokladá okolo roku 1480, sa už spája s jeho synom Matejom Korvínom.  

Kto bol Matej Korvín?

Matej Korvín (po rumunsky Matei Corvin, po maďarsky Mátyás Hunyadi, 1443-1490) bol druhorodeným synom Jána Huňadyho. Narodil sa v súčasnom „hlavnom“ meste Transylvánie – Cluj-Napoca. Jeho rodný dom tam môžete vidieť dodnes. V rokoch 1458-1490 bol uhorským kráľom. Na Slovensku ho poznáme vďaka univerzite Academia Istropolitana, ktorú založil v roku 1465 a presadzovaniu myšlienok humanizmu a renesancie vo vtedajšom Uhorsku. Za to môžeme vďačiť jeho manželke, neapolskej kráľovnej Beatrix Aragónskej. Zomrel vo veku 47 rokov dva dni po tom, čo dostal mŕtvicu. Rozčúlil sa, keď mu služobníctvo prinieslo neumyté figy.

Ján Huňady má vo svojom erbe havrana, ktorý symbolizuje múdrosť a dlhovekosť. Havran pochádza z latinského corvus, po rumunsky sa povie corb. Jeho syna Mateja síce označujeme ako Matej Korvín, ale on sám sa tak nikdy nenazýval.

Štvrtá, neskororenesančná prestavba hradu sa uskutočnila v 17. storočí, keď hrad obývalo sedmohradské knieža Gabriel Betlen (1580-1629). Z našich dejín ho poznáme ako vodcu stavovského povstania počas 30-ročnej vojny. Nebol ale jediný. O niekoľko rokov neskôr na hrade býval ďalší vodca protihabsburského stavovského povstania Imrich Tököli (1657-1705), ktorý sa narodil v slovenskom Kežmarku, kde je aj pochovaný. Od 18. storočia je hrad majetkom štátu, najskôr Rakúska, neskôr Rakúsko-Uhorska a nakoniec Rumunska.

13. apríla 1854 zničil oheň spôsobený bleskom všetky drevené časti hradu. Už v 19. storočí začali na hrade prebiehať prvé reštaurátorské práce, ktoré môžeme označiť ako 5. stavebnú etapu. Práce pokračovali na začiatku a v druhej polovici 20. storočia. V roku 1974 bolo založené Múzeum Hunedoara. Okrem tejto funkcie hrad slúži aj ako filmová kulisa. Poslúžil dokonca ako predloha Múzeu a knižnici maďarského poľnohospodárstva v Budapešti.

Prehliadka hradu

Do hradu sa vstupuje po dlhom úzkom moste na vysokých kamenných pilieroch. Hneď po vstupe sa v miestnostiach naľavo i napravo nachádza expozícia mučiacich nástrojov. Medzi najväčšie miestnosti hradu patria rytierska a hodovacia sála. Dominujú im osemhranné stĺpy s gotickými klenbami zdobené mramorom. Na hrade nájdete zopár miestností zariadených dobovým nábytkom. V suteréne hradu je rozsiahle lapidárium. Výrazným prvkom hradu je veža „Nje boisia“ („Neboj sa“) v západnej časti. Svoje meno získala vďaka srbským žoldnierom, ktorí boli v hradnej posádke. S hradom je spojená galériou, ktorá má dĺžku 33 m.

Legenda o hradnej studni

V roku 1442 porazil Ján Huňady na rieke Ialomița Turkov a zajal ich na svojom hrade. Uvažoval, ako by mu mohli pomôcť predtým, než ich predá do otroctva. Navrhol im, že ak na hrade vykopú studňu, prepustí ich na slobodu. Traja tureckí zajatci kopali 15 rokov a 28 dní, kým sa v studni prvýkrát objavila voda. Medzitým, v roku 1456, ale Ján Huňady zomrel, takže prepustenie zajatcov ostalo na jeho manželke, šľachtičnej Alžbete Szilágyi. Tá sa obávala pomsty Turkov po ich prepustení a preto ich odsúdila na smrť. Posledným želaním tureckých zajatcov bolo umiestnenie nápisu s ich menami (Ali, Mehmed a Ibrahim). Mená napísané malými písmenami v určitom poradí sú údajne textom z Koránu, ktorý znamená: 

„Máte studňu, ale nemáte dušu.“

Skutočný nápis však znie:

„Ten, kto napísal tento nápis, je Hassan, ktorý žije ako otrok v skalách v pevnosti pri kostole.“

Nápis je vo výške asi 2,50 m na vonkajšej stene kaplnky neďaleko studne.

Na prehliadku hradu si vyčleňte 1-2 h. Prehliadka je bez sprievodcu, takže sa môžete voľne túlať hradom. Vstupné na hrad je 31 lei/6,43 eur/os.

Múzeá, park a záhrada

V Hunedoare ešte môžete navštíviť ďalšie 4 múzeá, historický park a zoologickú záhradu.

Múzeum archeológie, histórie a etnografie Hunedoara (Muzeul de Arheologie Istorie și Etnografie Hunedoara) tvorí stála expozícia, ktorá sa zameriava na históriu mesta od praveku po stredovek. Múzeum Cechový dom (Muzeul Casa Breslelor) obsahuje na prízemí rôzne predmety venované 4 cechom – tkáčom, garbiarom, obuvníkom a kožušníkom. Na poschodí vystavuje numizmatické zbierky. Vstupné je 9 lei/1,87 eur/os.

Múzeum útrpného práva (Expoziție Inedita Ev Mediu Tortura și Execuție) ako už názov napovedá sa zameriava na stredoveké mučenie a mučiace nástroje. Všetky tri múzeá sa nachádzajú na vonkajšom (husárskom) nádvorí hradu. Nedopátral som sa k oficiálnej internetovej stránke stálej expozície „Kroky Rumunska cez socializmus a demokraciu“ (Expoziție Permanentă Pașii României prin Socialism și Democrație; 2,5 km/30 min. pešo východne od hradu). Na základe fotografií, ktoré som našiel, ide o výstavu predmetov z obdobia socializmu na rumunskom území.

Hunedava (1 km/10 min. pešo západne od hradu) je akýmsi parkom živej histórie, ktorý vás prenesie do staroveku a stredoveku a prostredníctvom Dákov, Rimanov, či Turkov vám priblíži život na tomto území. Zoologická záhrada (Grădina Zoologică Hunedoara) sa nachádza 3,5 km/10 min. autom východne od hradu.

Kde sa v meste Hunedoara ubytovať a najesť?

Do mesta Hunedoara sme sa vybrali na 1-dňový výlet z Devy. Odporúčané ubytovacie a stravovacie zariadenia nájdete v článku Deva plná príbehov.

Je pravda, že zvnútra Korvínov hrad možno nie je taký impozantný ako zvonku, napriek tomu sa veľmi teším, že som ho konečne navštívil. Prehliadka hradu je určite nezabudnuteľným zážitkom, ktorý si budem navždy pamätať.

Ceny boli prepočítané podľa aktuálneho kurzu Národnej banky Slovenska platného k 12. 3. 2020 (1 eur = 4,8213 lei).

Za uvedenie a pozitívne hodnotenie služieb podnikov, inštitúcií a organizácií cestovného ruchu som nedostal nič zdarma.

© Ing. Adam Vanečko

Príspevok Hunedoara – hrad so znamením havrana je zobrazený ako prvý na Adam Vanecko Traveller Food & Travel Blog.