Restaurant Tod Gaz

There was no place to eat in Viscri. Back on the main road to Sighisoara, we found Tod Gaz, a restaurant that was attached to a hotel and a gas station. There were just a few patrons inside.

Ciorba de burta (tripe sour soup)--11 lei ($2.60)

Meatball Sour Soup--10 lei ($2.35). The flavor was good but this was microwaved--the meatballs were cold in the inside.

Chicken Parisian Schnitzel--17 lei ($4) & fries--6 lei ($1.41). I learned that Parisian schnitzel means it's dredged in egg and flour. No breadcrumbs. The chicken was a little dry but the breading was not greasy.

Tomato Salad--5 lei ($1.17).

2019 09 19

Viscri

From Dacia, it was a quick 10-minute drive to Viscri. Viscri is a former Saxon village with a fortified church. It is one of the better preserved villages. In 1123, Hungarian King Geza II invited Sazons from western Germany to settle in this region of Transylvania. In the 15th and 16th century, threat from Turkish attacks prompted the building of thick city walls and fortified churches.

Typical of Saxon villages, the buildings in Viscri are cornflower blue.

It's a sleepy village with just a few roads--none paved--just gravel or cobbled.

The fortified church in town is manned by a German. Admission is 10 lei ($2.35).

The church dates from 1724.

Within the fortified walls, you'll find narrow stairs.

and great views of the surrounding areas.

There are quite a few exhibits within the wall. This is a display of the pork fat that was stored. Villagers who stored their pork fat could enter the fortified area to cut their pork fat once a week for use in the upcoming week.

There were artifacts from centuries past. I loved the Santa cookie cutter.

The town is dotted with reminders of a time past.

Geese wander the town.

Horse & cart on the main road in town.

I was surprised to learn that Prince Charles bought this house in Viscri in 2006. Apparently, he has genealogical lineage to Vald Tepes and felt a connection to this area in Transylvania.

2019 09 19

Dacia

After Rupea, we continued our journey to Sighisoara.

We ran into a traffic jam--sheep crossing.

We saw a sign for Dacia and stopped to explore. Dacia was a province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 254 AD. We were curious what the modern namesake was like.

It's a tiny town but it was busy with a movie set being built.

The town still has horse & buggy.

We ran into the lighting director and he spoke English. He told us they were setting up for an Italian-American production of a vampire movie. Not sure we'll see the movie in the US.

We also ran into a food truck. It sold baked goods and some groceries. The locals ran out from their homes to purchase their daily provisions.

You know me. I get in lines when I see one. I got a brioche pretzel for 1.50 lei ($0.35)--it was fresh and delicious.

2019 09 19

Rupea Citadel

The manager at Antler Hotel in Brasov told us about Rupea. We were using "Lonely Planet" and there was no mention of it. As we drove north from Brasov to Sighisoara, we saw it from the highway and it looked impressive so we stopped.

Rupea Citadel sits on a basalt massif. It's located 1 hour north of Brasov.

Rupea Citadel is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Romania. There's evidence of human settlement dating from the Paleolithic but the first recorded settlement dates from 1324. It was in ruins until it was restored in 2010, using 32 million lei ($7.5 million) from the EU.

There is a large parking lot on site. Admission to the Citadel is 10 lei ($2.35).

The well within the Citadel is the only source of water.

There are several watchtowers.

The Citadel is divided into several sections--the Lower, Middle & Upper Citadel.

View of the valley from the Citadel

The buildings are empty but it's worth a stop. Plan on spending 30 minutes onsite.

2019 09 19

Sergiana Restaurant

Back in Brasov, we had dinner at Sergiana Restaurant.

It's located at Strada Mureșenilor 28, at the edge of Old Town and a 9-minute walk from the Antler Hotel. It can get busy so we made reservations the day before.

After we ordered, complimentary fried pork, onion and bread were served. Very tasty but very fatty.

Transylvania Sour Soup with Smoked Gammon (pork) & Tarragon--15 lei ($3.54). This was really good and I liked the tarragon flavor.

Green Salad with Lemon--8 lei ($1.88). In Romania, They don't dress the salad in Romania. Use the oil & vinegar on the table.

Fried "Mountain Oysters" with Tomatoes & Onions--34 lei ($8). This was pork testicle and tasted like gizzard but not as chewy. Quite good.

Beef Tongue with Potatoes--29 lei ($6.84). This was a thick slice but the tongue was tender.

We also had 400 ml of Ursus beer for 7 lei ($1.65) and a glass of house Merlot for 9 lei ($2.12). I've been impressed with Romanian wine. We haven't had a bad glass. And, it's a bonus that it's so inexpensive.

2019 09 18

Prejmer

After leaving the canyon, we drove 30 minutes north to Prejmer.

Prejmer has a fortified church. It has the thickest walls in all of Transylvania. It was originally constructed in the 1200s by Teutonic knights. Today, it's a Unesco World Heritage Site. Admission is 15 lei ($3.54).

The wall is 4.5 meters thick and has small openings.

Inside the wall, there are 270 rooms.

The church is pretty spartan.

The organ is not large.

You can explore the wall.

The window covers were double sided. You can load one side, launch it while loading the other side.

Prejmer is a small town and there weren't a lot of options for lunch. Just outside the church, there was a food stand.

Kurtos--small for 5 lei ($1.18). The dough had a hint of citrus and the outside was caramelized. It was so good.

The dough is wrapped around a tube and grilled until golden. 

Langos--6 lei ($1.41). This is fried dough with a layer of sour cream and sprinkled cheese. It was okay and would have been better if the cheese was melted.

2019 09 18

Seven Ladders Canyon

Just 20 minutes south of Brasov, you'll find the Seven Ladders Canyon (Canionul Sapte Scari).

When we arrived at 9:20 am on a Wednesday, there were no cars at the parking area. We followed the signs and found the trail.

The trail is well maintained. You can probably hike it with tennis shoes. There are shelters and picnic tables along the way.

The trail is along a river but it was a dry bed in September. The workers drove up the river in off-road vehicles.

After 45 minutes, you come upon a building where you pay the 10 lei ($2.35) admission fee. Apparently, you can also spend a night in the shelter.

Another 5-minute walk from the entrance, you'll find the start of the canyon.

It's a slot canyon with 7 ladders that connect one section to another. Some of the ladders are steep but they're fairly easy to negotiate.

It only took about 15 minutes to climb the 7 ladders then you hike through the woods, following the red dots to return to the building.

You can either hike back to the parking area or zipline back for 100 lei ($23). You get a helmet and the harness. Ask for gloves. After 10 minutes of instruction and a practice zip, you're off on your own. You hook yourself up and stop on your own. There were over 20 zip lines and they were a lot of fun but on some of the lines, you do come in pretty quickly. If you've never zip lined or have a fear of heights, this is not right for you. Some of the platforms were pretty high. It took us over 2 hours to do the course.

2019 09 18