On route to Romania we had seen some very backwards stuff such as near non-existent road
networks and donkeys and carts. We eventually reached the border and were surprised by
just how small it was given it was not more than an hour from Bucharest. So small in fact
we almost missed the junction for it at the roundabout. However we eventually got through
and were now in Romania.
As soon as we cleared the border we were clearly on a brand new motorway and there was
really no traffic around at all. It was very nice. This didn’t last though and we soon hit
the Bucharest ring road. From our map it looked to be the M25. In actual fact it was a single
carriageway road with cross roads for junctions serving all traffic into and out of the city
and no real rules of priority. It was anarchy to say the least. It also caused 30 minutes
tailbacks from every crossroads. This all while being in blistering 32°C heat.
Romania was also the least pleasant country we visited during this trip to drive in. It was
very populated and mostly contained single carriageway roads. This meant that every time there
was a road vehicle not speeding you ended up with a big queue on windy roads and people desperate
to get past even if they lost their lives. This made driving quite intense as you had to constantly
be aware of who was behind you, in front and watch was coming the other way at all times even when
the road markings explicitly denied overtaking.
During our time in Romania we stayed in Brasov. We only spent a total of 2 days in the country but during
this time we explored the old city of Brasov. The old city contains lots of beautiful buildings, a nice
historic square and a central church. From the square you can also see the Brasov sign. A bit of a cheesy
rip off of the Hollywood sign high up on the hill that is almost upon the city. The scenery is absolutely
stunning for a city and the air seems really clear and healthy. This was also combined by nice restaurants.
The old city had a feel not to dissimilar from Rome. With similar restaurants and drinks. A bit touristy
in places as well of course.
During our time in Brasov we went out and visited Bran Castle, the place Dracula was said to have lived and
Rasnov Fortress. Bran Castel was worth a quirky visit but it was far better viewing it from the outside than
the inside and there was not a lot to do within the grounds. Rasnov Fortress however had great views out over
Rasnov and was nice and quite with a refreshing breeze. We ended up walking up to Rasnov Fortress and then
walked around. It was a nice end to our day viewing the sites around Brasov.
We had wanted to do some treks during our time here, but we just didn’t really have the time for it.
From here we left on route to Belgrade, Serbia across a large swath of the country.
