Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9am-8pm) , once home to the country's most impressive gallery of statuary (back in the
18th century). Its buildings are being painstakingly restored and warrant a quick wander.
There's a cafe tucked in the corner of the grounds, and to spot some of those titan, god
and hero statues, peer in the little annexe as you enter through the archway.
Bistriţa
POP 82,300
A must for any Dracula diehard, Bistriţa (Bistritz in German) was the town Jonathan
Harker visited on the eve of St George's day, before passing onward for the nightmare
awaiting him at the Borgo Pass. For those less fang-inclined the town may not be quite as
exciting. Dominated by its magnificent 14th-century church, from which radiate pretty
cobbled streets, it makes for a pleasant wander, stopping at a cafe or treating yourself to a
read of that blood-soaked novel you keep hearing so much about. It's also a worthy
overnight base before setting out for the nearby charms of idyllic Lake Colibiţa and
rugged Tihuţa (Borgo) Pass.
First chronicled in 1264, Bistriţa was one of the seven towns founded by the Saxons,
whose presence still lives on in the old town's quaint 15th- and 16th-century merchants'
houses (only a few hundred Saxons still call Bistriţa home). Witch trials were also com-
mon events here during medieval times.
In August, the city hosts the International Folk, Dance and Traditions Festival
(Nunata Zamfirei). A good map of the town can be acquired at the Tourist Information Of-
fice ( Click here ) . A local 200-page colour guide, Bistriţa Năsăd Travel Guide, has some
useful information on county sights in English.
Sights
What remains of the city's 13th-century walls lies south of the town along the northwest
side of the municipal park. In 1530 Wallachian prince Petru Rareş (r 1541-46) besieged
Bistriţa, forcing its Saxon inhabitants to finally surrender. The Coopers' Tower remains at
the east of the park.
Evangelical Church
CHURCH
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