Romania - Eastern Europe - page 526

itinerary; you can for instance get a direct train here from Budapest, Vienna, and
Prague. Sighi @ oara's train station is about 1km ( 2 ⁄ 3 mile) from the old city, at one end
of a quiet residential neighborhood outside the medieval center. When trains arrive,
taxis turn up to drive visitors to their hotels; there is an access road leading from the
lower city into the citadel. Although your hotel should be able to organize any onward
travel, you can buy train tickets from the CFR Agen $ ie de Voiaj (Str. O. Goga 6A;
& 0265/77-1820; Mon-Fri 8am-4pm), in the lower part of town.
The information center ( & 0265/77-7844 ) of the charitable organization on the
town square (Pia $ a Cet â$ ii) organizes tours, bike rentals, and Internet access.
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
Part of the Burg Hostel (Str. Bastionului 4-6; & 0265/77-8489; fax [phone];
www.ibz.org.ro) occupies the only building in the citadel with a wooden roof, built in
the early 14th century, and right near the town square. Thoroughly clean and reason-
ably comfortable, sleeping quarters include large dorm rooms (with seven beds at
L30/$11/£5.75 per night), and a few en-suite doubles (around 30

€

/$38). Popular
with locals and travelers alike, the restaurant and bar get very busy (although the food
is uninspired). A fair step up from the hostel is a comfortable private room, with mod-
ern en-suite shower, in the home of Teo Coroian, the local palinca distiller (Str. ! colii
14; & 0265/77-1677; www.delateo.com); 40

€

($50) gets you a good double room
with breakfast and a help-yourself bar fridge filled with mineral water, beer, and—of
course—plenty of homemade plum, pear, and apple brandy; also included are coffee
and snacks, and the comfortable vibe of a small home.
Of the hotel restaurants, Casa Wagner (daily 8am-11pm) is the best, with a lovely
wine cellar as well as a sheltered courtyard terrace round the back. If you've left Bran
Castle disappointed, you may be interested in dining at Casa Vlad Dracul, the only
restaurant in the country with any authentic link to the legend. History claims that
Vlad Tepi @ was born in this house in 1431. The medieval decor and candlelit tavern
atmosphere do little to render the place “spooky” but the menu does however offer an
unforgiving vampire bent: “Dracula House medallions,” for example, are slithers of
pork on bread, covered with a slop of garlic, mushroom, and tomato ketchup, that
popular stand-in for blood.
Casa Epoca A stylishly spick-and-span guesthouse occupying a 15th-cen-
tury Gothic building, Epoca has timbered floors, exposed wood-beam ceilings, and
wrought-iron, wall-mounted electric candelabras. The gracious owner has gone to
lengths to give character to the rooms, which are furnished with lovely wooden items,
including reproduction medieval Saxon beds with firm mattresses and clean white
linens (televisions are hidden away in a cupboard). All bathrooms have showers, except
the apartment, which has a corner tub. The attic rooms are especially lovely. Breakfast
is served in a fine vaulted brick cellar.
Str. Tamplarilor 4, Sighi@oara 545400. & 0265/77-3232. Fax [phone]. www.casaepoca.ro. 11 units. 45 € -50 €
($56-$63) double; 68

Finds

($113-$125) apt. Rates include breakfast. No credit cards.
Amenities: Bar; laundry; 24-hr. medical assistance; car rental; massage. In room:TV, minibar.
Casa Wagner Perfectly sited in the center of the citadel, this intimate hotel is
defined by its tasteful layout and Saxon antiques. While it doesn't have the long list of
amenities offered at Hotel Sighi @ oara (virtually neighboring Wagner), you're likely to
enjoy more personal attention from the staff. White-walled guest rooms are spacious,
with wooden floors and simple, carefully selected furnishings. The stairs to the upper

€ -75 € ($85-$94) suite; 90 € -100 €