Romania - Eastern Europe - page 523

of Wallachia, this is Transylvania's first Orthodox church, built 1493 to 1564 on the
site of an earlier wooden building; it's lavishly adorned with frescoes and rugs. Near
the church, behind the statue of an intellectual-looking man holding a scroll, is the
First Romanian School Museum ( Muzeul Prima ! cual â Româneasc â ; Pia $ a Unirii
1-2; & 0268/44-3879; 9am-5pm), where the first Romanian Bible is kept, along
with the first Romanian letter written using the Latin alphabet, and the country's first
press, used in this building when it was a printing house. From the square, head far-
ther along Str. Prof. Vasile Saftu until you get to lovely Biserica Sfânta Treime
(Church of the Holy Trinity), well off the beaten track, but memorable for its early-
morning Mass (from 7:30am), attended by a congregation of retired locals; the interior
is fantastically frescoed, and there's a small museum. The cemetery is where the city's
Romanian serfs are buried. Schei also shelters the country's original Romanian
lyceum (Str. Prundului), which hosted the first vernacular opera in 1882.
Schei, via Str. Porta Schei, south of Pia$a Sfatului.
POIANA BRA! OV
Bra @ ov's fabulous little forest-fringed ski resort, Poiana Bra @ ov, is situated on the
slopes of the Post â varul Massif, a fine year-round Carpathian Mountain getaway. It's
beautiful in summer, when the mountains are perfect for extended hikes and when
Romania's athletes come to train in open space and clean air. From December through
March, it fills up with skiers; casual winter-sports enthusiasts will have an easy time of
it. Experienced skiers won't be challenged, however; this is generally for beginners and
anyone looking for a relaxing time on the slopes, although some of the pistes are rated
“difficult.” There is limited off-piste skiing. There's a gondola service as well as two
cable cars to get you to the summit of Cristianul Mave (1,690m/5,543 ft.) and Mt.
Postavarul (1,802m/5,911 ft.), the two peaks here. Poiana Bra @ ov offers ski instruction
as well as a range of slope activities; for all the information you might need, visit
www.ana.ro; alternatively try www.skiresorts.ro. The best restaurant in town is Coliba
Haiducilor (Str. Drumul Sulinarului; & 0268/26-2137 ), with a lovely country
atmosphere, warm log fire, and home-style cooking. If the salubrious atmosphere
works its charms on you, ask the owners about their accommodations at Casa Viorel
(Str. Poiana lui Stechil; & 0268/26-2431 ). You can also organize accommodations
through many agencies in Bra @ ov; try to avoid staying at the larger hotels, which are
soulless.
Bran Castle Part medieval fortress, part tourist con, Bran Castle is probably
the best-known attraction in Romania. Most people arrive in modest Bran village,
just 30km (19 miles) from Bra @ ov, expecting to find “Dracula's Castle,” and many
suckers leave oblivious to the truth: Vlad Tepe @ may have passed through Bran at some
stage of his violent career, but he certainly never lived here (see “Vlad & the Epic
Mythology of Count Dracula,” earlier in this chapter). If anything, Bran Castle is very
much a fairy-tale castle; perched upon a cliff, with whitewashed turrets and defensive
bastions, it is somehow too quaint, too fragile, too pretty, to entertain thoughts of bats
or monsters. Completed in record time, between 1377 and 1382, Bran was built as a
defensive outpost to protect Hungary's Transylvanian interests against the expanding
Ottoman Empire; it also collected customs on goods moving between Wallachia and
Transylvania. Control of the castle changed repeatedly over the centuries, until the
people of Bra @ ov gave it to the Romanian Royal family in 1920. At the request of
Queen Marie, chief architect Karl Liman (who also worked for her at Peli @ or in Sinaia)

Overrated