The Beyond Journal

The gypsy caravans annoy some drivers. But they spice up your life too. Just imagine driving past one … or talking to them when they stop for a meal. Or sometimes you can drive behind such a car. It’s just hay. You can have this experience in Romania. Just send me an e-mail. Best, Raluca

Is this what you expected? Cows leave their homes and head sleepily towards the fields … … kids wake up on their way to school … … and the grown ups in the village start their daily routines. It might not look it, but believe me this is busy for Viscri. No wonder this is […]

We tour the country every month in search of amazing places for you. We test hotels, restaurants, roads, sights, everything you can imagine. We also look for amazing people doing all sorts of incredible things that you might enjoy. Not long ago we spent the night in Harman, at the Country Hotel ; our host, […]

Ah, stereotypes! Those handy mental shortcuts which assist us in our daily lives occasionally lead us astray, too. As a neighbor, I’m heading to Romania with a bunch of preformed ideas and convictions. Here are some of the most salient ones and how they measure up to the facts. Corn is everywhere Mamaliga: The amazing […]

After an eventful run through Transylvania, it is time I head southeast and towards the big whopper of my journey. I am talking, of course, about Bucharest, the “Paris of the East”. City of joy The Triumphal Arc on Kiseleff Road. In its modern form, it beautifies Bucharest since the 1930s. (Source) The origin of […]

My journey through Transylvania has been vampire-free so far, but it’s high time to fill this major gap. My third destination happens to be the birth place of Vlad the Impaler. It’s hard to believe the fair city of Sighisoara was once the home of the ruler whose ruthlessness inspired Bram Stoker to create the […]