Трансильвания, какая она есть Transylvania as it is

To all who read - good time of day.

Quite unexpectedly, as they say - on duty, took me to Romania, to the resort of Poiana Brasov. To be honest, I was going on a trip in a somewhat gloomy state: some Romania, Ceausescu, oil, mamaliga, gypsies, off-road and nothing to do there at all. After all, if you understand - no one really knows anything about Romania, because no one is particularly interested in this country ...I consoled myself with only one thing - a premonition to see the legendary Dracula's castle. And only when I return, when I sit and write these lines, I can fully appreciate the depth of my mistake in relation to this wonderful country, because I miss Transylvania terribly: -)

1. Hotel.
Poiana Brasov - "Sunny Glade" - one of the largest and most famous ski resorts in Romania, located 13 km from the ancient city of Brasov and 165 km from Bucharest Airport.

In winter, the resort is a great place for winter sports enthusiasts, as it has ten ski slopes of varying difficulty, and in spring / summer / autumn attracts climbers and people with a nervous system.
The hotel complex, which includes "Piatra Mare", is located at the foot of the mountain, surrounded on all sides by coniferous forests. The air is so fresh and clean that you are just constantly in a state of slight euphoria. Very beautiful and clean forest, where squirrels / hares and others are dying out. The hotel does not have its own territory as such: you leave it, and you can go at least to the left, at least to the right - it makes no difference, as both roads converge "horseshoe" at the foot of the mountain. If you need a funicular - to your left.
At the foot of the mountain there are a bunch of cafes from which you can choose an institution to your liking, small bazaars with lots of souvenirs and all sorts of things, a currency exchange, a black church and a bus stop with 7 lei (Romanian currency, 1 euro = 4.1 lei, 1 USD = 2.8 lei) and twenty minutes by bus to Brasov. The bus runs every half hour.
Hotel Piatra Mare is located at the highest point of the resort, a 6-storey red and white building. In general, the interior of the hotel is very good, quite cozy; of the features - a large pool is a big plus.
Restaurant one, is on - 1 level (if you turn your back to the reception - on the left on a small ladder down.
On the ground floor there is a shop that I have never seen open ...Probably not the season ...
Please note - the currency is not changed at the reception! ! ! !!
This means one thing: if you did not have time to exchange money in the exchanger, which works from 10 am to 6 pm - you ran out of money, because the euro is not taken anywhere ...When exchanging currency in the exchanger, take your passport - without it do not exchange!

2. Numbers.

For one or two residents - quite spacious, cozy, but without any special refinements (see photo). Each room has a balcony, which for some reason there is nothing - no table, no chair, no dryer. The room has: TV (no Russian-language channels; very funny when one evening I watched Indiana Jones in German), minibar - refrigerator (paid, prices are high), combined bathroom with bathtub, hairdryer. Rooms are cleaned daily, not very thoroughly, towels and rugs are changed daily.

5 Power supply.
Meals - probably the only downside of the hotel; I can't say that it's downright bad, but if the hotel is trying to position itself as elite, we could diversify the menu.
In general, do not stay hungry, but you will not enjoy food. Very strange relationship between the restaurant and the bar on the 1st floor: once I took coffee at the bar, and I think - and I'll cover it with ice cream. The bar said they didn't have ice cream, they had to go to a restaurant; and in the restaurant they said that they have ice cream, but it is impossible to take it out of the restaurant to the bar (where my coffee was standing) ...What could this policy be connected with - they couldn't explain ...

6. Excursions
a) Dracula's Castle
c) Brasov
c) Bushten Resort
d) Sinai Resort and Peles Palace

a) Dracula's Castle (Bran Castle)
Bran Castle can be called the most popular tourist destination in Romania - it is said about Dracula's Castle. This miracle is located in a very picturesque place, 30 km from Brasov.
Bran Castle was built in 1382 at the expense of the people of Brasov as an important strategic point for protection from various enemies, for which they were exempt from paying taxes to the treasury of Romania for several centuries. He has little to do with Dracula himself, as Dracula has only been there twice in his life: the first when he imprisoned peasants, and the second when he spent two years in a basement, arrested for cynically committed crimes.
The Romanians themselves do not consider Dracula a vampire, they respect him for beating both strangers and his own; in addition, it is with his name associated with the founding of the Romanian capital - Bucharest.
Frankly, I used to see the castle in Coppola's cult film "Dracula", so recognizing the familiar silhouette from afar, I prepared for the fountain of emotions during the visit. The fountain, however, began to weaken as it approached the castle.

The reason for such changes is Hollywood and the editing of the film: all the interior architecture of the sinister castle that we saw in the film was shot elsewhere.
Bran Castle, in itself, is very small, neat and does not look like a vampire's lair at all (at least during the day). Is it worth going there? Definitely, yes! At least to see the legend with your own eyes and touch it.

c) The historical part of the city of Brasov - like the Moscow Arbat: the same streets and the same atmosphere. A city for leisurely walks with a tour of well-preserved monuments.

c) I did not go to the resort of Bushten, because I was lazy to climb some more mountains after marches on the surrounding rocks of the hotel "Piatra Mare". Those who rode said that they saw the Sphinx and fell to the waist in the snow. Apparently, it was interesting.

d) The Royal Palace of Peles is a place that should definitely be visited in Romania!
The architecture and interior of the castle are an original mix of different styles to remember, as the palace was originally conceived as a museum that could attract the attention of other monarchs, and a prerequisite for its creation was the absence of any resemblance to other residences. The name of Peles Castle means "Family Nest" and was therefore created by King I with special attention and all possible uniqueness.

Transylvania ...Probably everyone who has read the novel "Dracula" or watched the film of the same name has an idea of ​ ​ what Transylvania is. This is a mysterious, little-studied, wild and to some extent even sinister country, where bloodthirsty vampires live, who must be beaten in a circle where you have to turn right and left, and where you can not go to bed without first wrapped in garlic. Not a very pleasant and far from true description, but very exciting.
This is what Romania's tourism business is based on: -))).

But here's what's interesting: as soon as you find yourself in Transylvania, the legend of Dracula is no longer the main object of attention, and to the forefront are stunning views of the Carpathian Mountains, which miraculously preserved in its original form medieval cities, powerful fortresses and elegant enchanting palaces without any vampires.

And the gypsies, you ask? Gypsies, they are there - colorful men in black leather vests and black hats (a la Gypsy barons), elegant women in colorful skirts and scarves. But no one is fussing around, tugging at clothes, begging for money. After opening European borders to Romanians, many Gypsies set out to conquer neighboring countries. So now meeting gypsies in Romania is a decoration of travel rather than a nuisance.

We were satisfied with the rest, we rested both soul and body!
I wish everyone a pleasant and magical holiday,
Sincerely, Alexander

PS As always, I will be happy to answer any questions about the hotel, so if you have any - feel free to ask.