Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Bus
The
bus station
( 0263-233 655)
sends four daily buses to Braşov (57 lei, seven to
eight hours), three to Cluj (22 lei, 2½ to three hours) and Oradea (47 lei), two to Satu
Mare (47 lei), three to Sibiu (53 lei, six hours), five to Suceava (39 lei) and nine to Târgu
Mureş (23 lei, 2½ hours). There are as many microbuses to Braşov, Oradea and Sibiu, and
more to Cluj; call
0263-213 621 or
0744-693 676 for more information.
Train
The
train station
( 0263-223 572)
sends one daily train to Bucharest (85 lei, 10 hours),
four daily trains to Cluj (16 lei, three to four hours) and one to Vatra Dornei (16 lei, five
hours). It's easier to reach Lunca Ilvei from Cluj. To reach Suceava (57 lei, eight hours)
you must change trains in Beclan Someş. You can also buy tickets at the
Agenţia de Voiaj
CFR
( 0263-213 938; Piaţa Petru Rareş; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri)
, which is also an
agent for Blue Air.
Bârgău Valley
Bârgău Valley's
Tihuţa Pass
is one of the most photogenic passes in the country: cast
your eye over its forbidding pine forests and rocky crags and you can imagine a weary
Harker rattling up here in the mysterious black coach towards the castle, for the Borgo
Pass of the novel is today's Tihuţa Pass. Your final destination (via Mureşeni) will be the
little hamlet of
Piatra Fântânele
, (47km from Bistriţa), at the head of the Tihuţa Pass
(1200m), home to the ever tacky but hugely fun Hotel Castle Dracula. But don't rush here
without savouring first the woody charms of Lake Colibiţa and little Lunca Ilvei, west of
the pass.
Sights
HOTEL
Hotel Castle Dracula
( 0266-264 020, 0266-264 010;
www.hotelcasteldracula.ro
; s/d/apt 175/220/350 lei;
)
Positioned roughly on the promontory where the Count's castle would have stood,
