For the remaining part of our time in Romania, we rented a villa in a small town called Cristian, which is outside of Brasov. We felt this was a good place for a home base as we did day trips out to explore.
The drive from Bucharest to Cristian was about 2 1/2 – 3 hours long. We broke it up by making a couple stops along the way – one for lunch and another to see Peles Castle in Sinaia.
Autumn Walk up to Peles Castle
We had heard of Peles Castle through a member in our stake who is from Romania so we weren’t sure what we should be expecting. But, when we rounded a turn to see the palace on the hill, we were stunned at its beauty. The autumn colors were amazing!
Stunning Peles Castle
We were a little disappointed to find the palace was closed on Mondays, but we enjoyed the grounds until they closed them for a wedding photo shoot.
Castle Grounds
Empty Fountain
This palace was built for King Carol I (the horseman in Bucharest). Above the palace is another building called Foisor Lodge. This was Queen Elisabeta’s (King Carol’s wife) private residence until her son and daughter-in-law moved in.
Foisor Lodge
It truly was a gem, even if we couldn’t go inside. The autumn is the perfect time to be in the Carpathian Mountains.
Cristian Villa
The kids were excited to get to our rental villa as there was the promise of an indoor pool. It made the sour weather forecast not as disappointing.
Rented Villa
Inside the Gate
We felt we actually had some flexibility in our days so we planned all our outings on days when the weather would be good and planned a ‘home day’ for the worst day of the week.
Indoor Pool
It didn’t bother the kids in the least bit. We ended up not having the snow that was forecasted, but had plenty of rain and freezing cold temperatures. It’s nothing the heated pool or sauna couldn’t remedy. Of course, that was only if the power wasn’t out . . . again.
Sauna Party
Brasov
Our first destination – Bran Castle, the legendary castle of Dracula. Funny enough, Vlad the Impaler, who Dracula is said to be based on, never lived here. He may have attacked it in 1460 when he attacked the Burzenland, but he most likely only traveled back and forth in the valley below.
Bran Castle
Bran Castle’s most famous resident was Queen Marie of Romania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Caleb in an Inner Courtyard
Ghostly Stairs
Courtyard
Trevon, Madeleine, Dallin, Cami, Hannah, & Caleb
Castle Fortress
Handstands Around the World
Below the castle is a crafts market. However, I’m sure in years past it had been pretty amazing. Now it is full of cheap Dracula items or miscellaneous touristy souvenirs. But, we did manage to find a cute little stall where a woman paints eggs using melted wax (crayons). These blown-out shells are then hung as decorations.
Painting Demonstration
Nearby is the town Brasov. At one time it was at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe so became quite a large fortressed city.
Brasov
Only one of the original entrances to the city still exists – Catherine’s Gate.
Catherine’s Gate
The Old City is filled with fun colorful houses and other flavors that made it a fun place to explore.
Old Town
Dallin and Caleb in Clock Tower
A Long Way from London
‘Stephash’ Cluster
Best Colorful Street
Not surprisingly, the graffiti around Brasov was similar to that in Bucharest. Of course, this is the perfect backdrop for a photographer. We are always so grateful to travel with Shannon and get an inside view of the beauty behind locations.
Traveling with a Photographer
We also hiked up to “The Church on the Hill,” a beautiful Gothic church. It can only be reached by climbing the 175 steps of a covered wooden stairway. These stairs actually date from 1642 and were a trek to climb. However, the kids liked being by the church at the top and explored the fun grounds.
Covered Wooden Scholars’ Stairs
Of course there were fun foods to find along the way. The kürtőskalács is sweet bread baked around a spit, brushed with butter and sugar. It was fun to watch them come off the spit inside the small street-cart. Ours came piping hot, even fogging up Chris’s glasses!
Kürtőskalács
We can never say no to gelato. It has become a true ‘Stephash’ treat.
As we left the Old Town of Brasov, we found Vlad the Impaler’s birthplace, now a restaurant.
Marking the Birthplace of Vlad Dracul
Snagov – Final Stop
On our last day, as we drove back to Bucharest to fly home, we took a little sidestep to see Vlad the Impaler’s grave in the small village, Snagov. It felt only appropriate as we had seen his birthplace and had learned about some of his life (I had even read Bram Stoker’s Dracula during our stay).
Monastery
When Vlad the Impaler was decapitated nearby, it is assumed that the monks at this monastery (which is actually on a small island) would have felt obligated to take the body. Indeed, in 1935 a richly dressed corpse, who had been decapitated, was found.
Tomb of ‘Dracula’
It was another successful trip with the Ashton’s – we’re so grateful for travel companions that have similar likes and dislikes to our own. It really does make traveling enjoyable for everyone – whether we are being tourists or hanging out in our accomodations.
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