My trip to Romania was very spontaneous and not what I originally planned. Due to the history of Hungary, Romania is a country that tries to bring a lot of its own tradition into it. However, since Transylvania was Hungarian, it was very difficult for Romania to succeed. But now to my trip….

Day 1 +2

On Saturday we drove 10 hours by car from Hungary to Transylvania. Our first adventure took place in Retezat National Park. This place is full of brown bears and wolves, which made me very skeptical at first. There are two camps to stay overnight in this national park and I recommend you to use these camps as well. A Romanian citizen informed us that otherwise it could be very dangerous. In the summer, the bears often stay in the valley, but in the spring and autumn they head up into the mountains. On the first day we pitched our tents as we were very exhausted from the drive. The toilets were a big culture shock…exactly, there weren’t any. In Romania, one should familiarize oneself with Turkish toilets. That was really a big challenge for me.

On the second day we hiked to the mountain of the same name Retezat with 2500 meters of altitude. For people who love the mountains and hiking, it’s something you absolutely must do. The route to the mountain was clearly marked: it includes forests, crosses rivers, passes through valleys and includes a climb over huge boulders. Definitely not for the faint hearted. But the view is worth it. And just take a bottle of water with you. How so? You can fill it up at the lakes and rivers of the mountains. Believe me, it’s the best thing you’ve ever drunk.

Day 3

On the third day we went to the hotel. Don’t expect much. But after two wet nights in the forest, a room with a bed and a shower is a dream. Breakfast was also very, very bad. The visit to the baker has to be afterwards anyway.

In the afternoon we visited Corvin Castle. I’ve seen a lot of castles, but this one really disappointed me. From the outside it looks very nice but inside it was terrible. As the castle was Hungarian there was no history as the Romanians tried not to infuse any Hungarian tradition. There was nothing to see except empty rooms. It was chaotic and confusing. For small children who just want to explore a castle, however, quite good.

All in all, Romania is a country I never want to go to again. Everything is old, broken and dirty. For hikers, however, the Retezat National Park is really recommended. But other than that, it’s a country that’s way down on my list and not worth it in any way. It was a waste of your time and money.