The Beyond Journal

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 […]

My Romanian holiday fantasy continues eastward and takes me to Brasov (Braṣov in Romanian), one of Transylvania’s finest cities. It was originally an old Saxon settlement, the birth place of the Romanian national anthem, and home to the Golden Stag Festival which features world-class musical entertainment year after year. I can’t wait to explore! Crowned […]

The Maramures Village Museum wasn’t on my list … In fact I might have skipped it –  I’m not really fond of museums. But I got the recommendation from an old local man.  I loved it! I think you might too.  If you’re lucky like me, the sun will shine. And you’ll have a perfect […]

Since honesty is always the best policy, I must start with a confession: I have not visited Romania yet. I flew over it a couple of times, but it was cloudy, so it’s safe to say I have never touched or even spotted Romanian soil. Not for much longer, though! This summer, I am finally […]

The thinning snow cover on the surrounding hills melts away as the dawn’s first rays seem to kiss it away. The only sound you hear is the gentle murmur of ice water running down your lodging’s roof. Your gaze meanders between the green hills. It’s time to go. As you leave the family-run hotel, you […]