One of the most beautiful hiking routes from a cultural perspective, is here to impress with the most amazing things that Romania has to offer. What is Via Transilvanica?
1.Sucevița Monastery
It is a fortified monastery that stands to this day, it is a UNESCO heritage site as one of the painted monasteries of Bucovina and if you arrive at the right time you might actually get invited to eat by the nuns.
It is the largest statue of Jesus in Eastern Europe, 22 meters high stainless steel structure, built from the donations gathered by the small town of Lupeni.
It is an inhabited medieval fortress that withstood the test of time. Also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Romania. (Top 10 Most popular places in Romania link)
Once a year something exciting happens: European Museum Night! It is an opportunity for big cities all over Europe to open their museums for free and put on special events to wow visitors. It’s a great opportunity to explore and discover new things about art, history, and science. So mark your calendar 13th of May and get ready to pump some intellectual blood.
Most museums in Bucharest will be open to the public for free but what Dracula really recommends is visiting buildings you cannot access during the year. Museums are available at any time but historical administrative buildings are not… Also you will need to be extremely patient, it can get really crowded!
First confirmation of a place that you can visit:
Palace of the Commerce Chamber (Palatul Camerei de Comerț)
Food is the cornerstone to any culture! Romanians love food and to get to know Romania properly you need to experience the full food immersion.
Sarmale – stuffed vine / cabage leaves
Each area does them differently and of course the best ones are made by my grandma!
Mămăligă, Brânză și Smântână – Polenta, cottage cheese and sour cream (Vegetarian)
Berryl made the recipe look fancy, when I was growing up, raw chopped onion mixed with the cheese elevated the whole dish!
Mici – Skinless sausages
Romanians eat mici at every barbecue they go to, generally we don’t make them ourselves but if you do so you get extra Romanian points!
Salată de Vinete – Eggplant (aubergine) dip (Vegetarian)
Big no, no! My grandma says never chop the eggplant salad (it is a dip) with a knife, always use the wooden cleaver. My grandma has a wooden cleaver that she only uses for eggplant salad.
Saramură de crap – Carp in brine
Grilled fish and brine makes Romanians really really happy!
Unfortunately Bucovina is worth visiting in it’s entirety but with the war in Ukraine you can’t visit the Ukranian side like: Cernowitz (Cernăuți in Romanian) and Khotyn Fortress (Hotin in Romanian) and Zoological Reserve of “Zubrovytsia” that has European Bison.
So we will focus in Suceava county in Romania. Why is this region so special? Austrian influence, capital of Moldavia, amazing views, hiking (check Via Transilvanica), Painted monasteries, 6 UNESCO heritage sites and so many things to add. Basically the heart and soul on Romania (People might disagree but Dracula awaits suggestions in the comment section)
Voroneț Monastery
Impossible not to start here… It is a beautiful painted monastery with an iconic blue color that has an exquisite depiction of Judgement Day close to the entrance. It is considered the Sistine Chapel of the East for that reason alone.
It is a medium difficulty hike that involves a bit of endurance, and I mention this at the beginning because I have received complaints from friends as it was harder than expected. If you like hiking it is not going to be difficult. Passed that moment you will get on a clear day one of the most beautiful views of Buovina ever!
Bucovina has 2 decorated egg museums, this one has one of the largest collection of decorated eggs in the world and offers courses on making your own painted eggs. Usually made just for Easter celebrations, the designs are truly intricate and the different colors depict different regions in just Suceava county alone. Also you get to see decorated python eggs made traditionally by different African nations.
One of the most underrated places to visit as it is not the most famous of the Painted Monasteries (actually it recently became a monastery again). It has some cool stories behind it but what really makes it stand out is the relationship with the sun, at different moments in time the sun shines over different paintings telling a story.
This is part of Romanian heritage, generations of artisans have been working on preserving this unique method of obtaining dark pottery. Best part is you can bring home these unique works of art!
Pro Tip:big restaurants in Romania generally serve vegan food for Orthodox lent, a period in the Orthodox faith when no meat or dairy is consumed. For this special period, generally around Easter or Christmas, people do not eat meat and cheeses, so restaurants usually have something vegan on the menu or they make vegan food for this special occasion.
This food is called “mâncare de post” and you can find it in restaurants written “DE POST”. Hanul lui Manuc, Caru cu Bere and City Grill can offer some vegan options DE POST.
Disclaimer: there might be honey if it says DE POST
As you know Dracula loves blood but from time to time a break is needed, so here are the best Vegan recommendations for Bucharest, in no particular order:
1. Level Up
PROS:
Vegan traditional food (the sarmale and papanași are really good)
Amazing landscape, that will keep your head up most of the time.The Red Lake was formed in 1838 after an earthquake blocked a river and you can row in a sea of submerged trees
Many stands selling local products all across the path (it can also be a con if you prefer less crowded places)
You can get some adrenaline from crossing a scary bridge: Podul Ungurilor
Dracula's Guide to Romania 