Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
En Route to Maramure@
There's a long stretch between southern Transylvania and the northern
frontier region of Maramure@; consider cutting the journey by stopping in
Transylvania's capital city, Cluj-Napoca. A smart university town believed to
be the most expensive place in the country to live, it's a cosmopolitan place,
best measured by the popularity of its cafe culture; grab a seat at a venue
around Pia$a Unirii and you'll find the place filled with supercool posers
wearing D&G apparel and tearing around in sports cars, their faces hidden
behind massive sunglasses. The best place to stay is Déjà Vu (Str. Ion Ghica
2, Cluj-Napoca; & /fax 0264/35-4941/61; www.deja-vu.ro; 80 -88 /$100-$110
double with breakfast), a great little Art Nouveau-style hotel in a quiet res-
idential neighborhood near the historical center. The restaurant here is one
of the best in town, and the staff extremely helpful.
HIKING & CLIMBING IN THE FÂGÂRA! MOUNTAINS
Between Bra @ ov and Sibiu lie the lovely F â g â ra @ Mountains, a popular Carpathian hik-
ing region, studded with glacial lakes and soaring peaks. Reachable during peak sum-
mer months from Wallachia along the high-altitude Transf â g â r â@ an Highway, there are
other, less daunting routes accessed via Highway 1, running between Bra @ ov and
Sibiu. The region has plenty of overnight “cabanas,” making the massif well suited to
independent hikers. The main towns in the region are F â g â r â@ and Victoria, the lat-
ter the principal starting point for most hikers; it's just 10km (6 1 4 miles) south of the
highway. There are great hikes toward Mount Moldeveanu (Romania's highest point
at 2,543m/8,341 ft.), which is popular with climbers who can settle in for the night
at Cabana Podragu. About 10km (6 1 4 miles) east of Victoria is the 17th-century
Brâncoveanu Monastery; from the monastery, you can hike south, more or less along
the Sâmb â ta River, to reach Cabana Valea Sambetei ( & 0269/31-5756 ).
From Cabana Cascad â Bâlea, there's a cable car to take you up to 1,968m (6,560
ft.), where you can explore glacial Lake Balea, where Villa Paltinul ( & 269-524277;
www.balea-lac.ro; try to book the main bedroom), once a small hunting lodge for
Nicolae Ceau @ escu, is a convenient stopover for hikers, and well-managed by Olaru
Marius. From the lake, you can also follow a trail to Negoiu Peak, the region's second-
highest mountain.
In winter, there's now also novelty accommodations available at the eight-roomed,
highly seasonal Bâlea Lac Ice Hotel. Situated at an altitude of 2,040m (6,500 ft.) and
created with ice from Lake Bâlea, the star-shaped igloo of a hotel takes about 1 month
to build and requires an indoor temperature of 37°F (-3°C). First built in early 2006
and only available until May (at the latest), the hotel's guest rooms feature sheepskin-
covered ice beds and ice versions of Brancusi sculptures. Doubles are a mere 37
($46); book through Meridian Travel (www.ice.hotel.balea.lac.en.meridian-travel.ro).
6 Cri@ana & the Banat
Romania's westernmost regions, Cri @ ana and the Banat, only became part of Romania
in 1918, before which they formed part of a unique entity in the Austro-Hungarian
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