Is been almost one year since the hike in Bucegi Mountains, starting from Buşteni, but I have to finish the description of the hiking trip.:)
So by the end of the first day I go up to Ţigăneşti to see the lake and the area over Piatra Craiului. There is a short hike of about one 40 minutes - hour up, starting right behind Mălăieşti Hut, up to Padina Crucii Ridge.
From here I already see the glacial caldera starting under Ţigăneşti Towers. I head south, on the ridge. the weather is calm right now so I have no worry. I decide to pass and go on Ţigăneşti Ridge. I go down to Ţigăneşti Lake, where the dogs from a sheepfold welcome me, barking dangerously. I wait for the shepherd and manage to go ahead on the ridge. There still is time up to the sunset, so I decide to stay on the ridges as much as possible.
I take some pictures , admire Piatra Craiului and the depression between Bucegi and Piatra Craiului, Bârsa County.
Than I step down, have some problems with the dogs at the sheepfold, but manage to get rid of them and talk to the sheepherd. He ask me the phone to call his boss, a lady, to tell her that his colleague did not arrived (the guy was already one week late). Of course she didn't answer the phone, so I continue back to Mălăieşti.

Heracleea fortress

Heracleea fortress was built by the end of the XIIth century by Venice merchants. The stronghold was partially built on the ruin of the Roman and Roman-Byzantine stronghold and used by Mircea the Old and than the Turks.

Monasteries of Moldova

A video dedicated to Spiritual Communication, presenting the monasteries of Moldova. We get presented Sucevita, Moldovita, Humor, Neamt Monastery, Sihastria:

Hiking in Eastern Europe

While driving from Italy to Romania i've seen a lot of interesting places while approaching the Eastern Europe: Croatian or Slovenian Mountains as well as the Romanian Carpathians. Threfore, one week after reaching Romania I went for a weekend of hiking in Eastern Europe's mountains: Piatra Mare, in Romania.

We climbed from the 7 stairs slot canyon, hiked up to Piatra Mare Mts and continued to see and interesting stone porch that we didn't know. I remind you that the Romanian Carpathians shelter the most interesting caves and natural cavities in Eastern Europe

Here is a photo taken after getting out of the forest, just before reaching Piatra Mare Hut:

Travelling in Romania

Travelling in Romania is not only an adventure in a misterious world.
This superbe video presents the most interesting places in Romania, starting with a presentation of the Carpathian Mountains.
The transylvanian culture and the traditional houses are presented, as well as the painted monateries in Moldova. Superbe landscape in Carpathians alternate with landscapes of the Danube Delta



so travel to romania and meet a land where life is still traditional, nature is still pure and the mountains are still covered with forests.

Danube Delta

Nature Freunde International, declared Danube Delta as “the landscape of the year2007/2008″

A World without Romania

Here is a video-clip ordered by the romanian government for promoting Romania's image worldwide :

Dracula Fortress "Poienari" in Romania

Here is Poienari, Vlad Dracula's real Castle in Romania:

Beautiful Romania

Here is a clip made by the Romanian Government to promote Romania, presents the romanian athenaeum in Bucharest, the Carpathians, the Danube Delta, the Black Sea Beach, the Sphynx in Bucegi Mountains, the painted monasteries in Moldova (Voroneţ), Hunyadi Castle in Hunedoara.

Hiking in Bucegi Mountains

Bucegi Mountains, Romania

August 2007

In August I manage to escape two days in the mountains. After some reflection on the itinerary I choose the beloved Bucegi Mountains.
So Monday, Ausust, 20, 2007 I head thru the mountains. fortunately, Irina, my sister is going to Brasov with the same train. Fortunetely because I realise in the train station that I forgot the money at home :(. Irina gives me some 50 Euro, that I'll have to exchange in Busteni.
I step down the train in Busteni, spend some time waiting for the bank to open, change the money and by 8:30 here I am heading for Gura Diham Chalet (the chalet, despite the crowds around it during the week-end is a good place to eat some ciorba (a romanian dish similar with soup) and a starting point for the hikes in Bucegi Massif.

I spot two big Ravens (corvus corax) on the peak of a fir-tree (I have to mention that I was coming after a birdwatching tour in Danube Delta). By the time I get my camera from the backpack they fly away, but I manage to shoot some images of them.

After some pictures with Caraiman Massif I continue to Gura Diham, the weather is good but some clouds are showing up.

From Gura Diham I am still not decided where to go, at the end I cilmb the steep slope thru Poiana Izvoarelor Hut. After the initial slope, where I stoped for a first braek the walk to Poiana Izvoarelor is really relaxing. I reach the hut by 10:20 , the sun is still up and I don't worry about the clouds that come over Costila Massif. There are two guys that arrived in the same time with me, some people working on the new hut and a lot of quiet. I see another big ravens, this time I don't manage to take any pictures of them :(.

I eat something, drink some water, admire the landscape and ...well I am still not decided where to go. I don't need a map, but the problem is I wouldn't like to hike an alpine unsigned valley alone (the clouds showing up made me decide not to do this) but the touristic pathes are somehow too common. Well, at the end I decide to go to Malaiesti Hut. I know a new hut has been built, but I haven't seen it yet. So I head to Pichetul Rosu, from where the path takes you directly to Malaiesti. On the way to Pichetul Rosu two guys with some market bags and street shoes ask be about the path to Omu hut and Omu Peak. I tell them meantime strongly advice them not the go because the weather, now good, will probably change in a couple of hours.
I reach Pichetul Rosu soon, take a short break (I am still thinking on going to Malaiesti passing by Glajarie, a narrow, wild path that I've done 9 years ago. But the problem there is you have to descend a lot and then climb back all that hill, on the other side of a small spring. So I made up my mind: directly to Malaiesi Hut. I meat a group of four Germans from Râsnov (two elders and them doughter with her German husband). I was singing when we meet, so I think this amused them a lot. My "singing" was not for testing my abilities, but to keep away the wild animals, mailny the brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos). It starts raining, but I don't really mind too much, as I have the brand new raining coat and pants. The rain stops soon, I continue alone as the group of four hikes really slow, so we say good-bye and we'll knwo we'll meet again in the hut. The landscape opens over Postavaru Mountains, Piatra Mare Mountains, Diham hut, and the area between Bucegi and Postavaru.

The "nice" moment is when I reach an area with a lot of berry and I know the bear loves this areas. So I am expecting to see it, even if not desiring this as much as in other hikes. Well, it didn't came so I continue to Malaiesti. I see the hut at 13:15, and soon it starts raining again. I stop to get my rain coat from the backpack again, but anyway I reach the hut in a matter of minutes. The view of Malaiesti Hut, near the Salvamont Refuge, at the foothills of Padina Crucii Ridge surely deserves a photo, so I really don't mind about the slow raining. One can easily see Padica Crucii Ridge, Tiganesti Mountains with it's ridge heading North, the Malaiesti Glaciar caldera.

The people is really nice here in the hut, I meet the hut-keeper, his wife and them son, a girl that I guess is about 13 years old, some mountain lovers from Galatzi. I take a "ciorba", a beer and something to eat. Anyway the real rain starts in about 40 minutes since my arrival in the hut. The mountain walls are full of water, ad-hoc waterfall ; in the first moment I didn't realise the waterfall will only exist for a few minutes so I wonder how I didn't notice them on my other hikes in the area. I found out that Malaiesti is the oldest mountain hut in Romania, there is a picture on the wall with Caragiale, romanian XIXth century writer.

When the storm stops and the weater gets calm again, I decide to spend the evening in the hut (I was also prepared camping, I have my tent with me). As there still is a lot of time till the sunset I take a hike to Tiganesti Lake, that I haven't seen before.

Following the hike on Tiganesti Ridge here

Transylvania - History, Legend, Mistery

Well, maybe Transylvania is the most beautiful piece of land in Eastern Europe. At least in Europe, only the Danube Delta can compete with. However, the diversity of cultures, of landscapes and the mistery of some medieval citadels makes Transylvania unforgettable.

Here I found a very nice presentation of Transylvania: