Belgrade (Serbian: Београд, Beograd) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where Central Europe’s Pannonian Plain meets the South European Balkans.
Likewise, the city is placed along the pan-Europeancorridors X and VII. With a population of 1,630,000 (official estimate 2007), Belgrade is the fourth largest city in Southeastern Europe, after Istanbul, Athens and Bucharest. Its name in Serbian translates to White city.
One of the oldest cities in Europe, with archeological finds tracing settlements as early as the 6th millennium BC, Belgrade’s wider city area was the birthplace of the largest prehistoric culture of Europe, the Vinča culture.
It was first inhabited by the Thracio-Dacian tribe of Singi who would give the name to the city after a fortress was founded in 3rd century BC by the Celts who named it Singidun (dun, fortress).
It was awarded city rights by the Romansbefore it was permanently settled by White Serbs from the 7th century onwards. As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times since the ancient period by countless armies of the East and West.
In medieval times, it was in the possession of Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian rulers. In 1521 Belgrade was conquered by the Ottomans and became the seat of the Pashaluk of Belgrade, as the principal city of Ottoman Europe and among the largest European cities. Frequently passing from Ottoman to Austrian rule which saw destruction of most of the city, the status of Serbian capital would be regained only in 1841, after the Serbian revolution.
Northern Belgrade, though, remained an Austrian outpost until the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918. The united city then became the capital of several incarnations of Yugoslavia, up to 2006, when Serbia became an independent state again.
Belgrade has the status of a separate territorial unit in Serbia, with its own autonomous city government. Its territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each having its own local council. It covers 3.6% of the territory of Serbia, and 24% of the country’s population lives in the city.Belgrade is the central economic hub of Serbia, and the capital of Serbian culture, education and science.
Source: Wikipedia
Inside of the international train from Bucharest to Belgrade (second class). The two-way ticket it's 50 euro-226 Lei at second class)
The railway station of Vrsac
The New Belgrade railway and Beovoz station
Beovoz train at Novi Beograd "New Belgrade"
Serbian Railways (Железнице Србије/Železnice Srbije). The locomotive is made in Romania, at Craiova
The info panel from the international train
The railway station in Belgrade, from inside
The same station from outside
The tram no 12, near to the railway station
Saint Sava hospital
A building which was bombarded by NATO in 1999
The same building
A public phone which is very rare used
Car plate from Belgrade
Palata Beograd (Belgrade Palace)
Parking
Police car (Policija)
Serbian cats near to Belgrade Hostel
On Kralja Milana, near to Terazije Square. The tall building is Albania Palace
Ascension Church from Admirala Geprata 19, which was build in 1863
Brodsko Torpedo TG-53, near to Military Museum, in Kalemegdan Park
Anti-aircraft gun M 1935 Breda 20 mm
German mine
Other german mine
The confluence between Sava and Danube rivers
The walls of Kalemegdan fortress
Clock gate with Clock tower
Ružica Church in Kalemegdan fortress
The confluence between Sava and Danube rivers
Are you prepared for attack ?:P
The medieval tower from the time of Stefan Lazarevic (1389-1427)
Humvee vehicle at the entrance into the Military Museum
The entrance into the Military Museum
Medieval demonstration of throwing axes and using arrow
Tram no 9, near to Hostel City Center
The statue of Prince Michael "Mihailo" from Republic Square (Трг Републике)
Mihailo Obrenović III, (Михаило Обреновић) Prince of Serbia which has two reigns: 1839-1942 and 1860-1868
Russian Tsar "Ruski car" fast-food
A guide panel from center (you can see the english version)
Hotel Moscow from Terazije Square
Old center
The Spanish Institute "Miguel Cervantes"
Tram no 9, near to Hostel City Center
A nice shop with souvenirs, near to the railway station
Târgovişte (old spelling: Tîrgovişte) is a city in the Dâmboviţa county of Romania. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River[update]. As of 2003, it had an estimated population of 89,000. One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.
Târgovişte is a name derived from Slavic, its original meaning being of marketplace, cf. Serbian Трговиште and Bulgarian Търговище, being derived from the slavic word trъgъ, which means market.
After Constantin Brâncoveanu moved the capital to Bucharest, Târgovişte lost its importance, decaying economically as its population decreased.
Târgovişte was the site of the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena in December 1989. Interestingly, there are towns with the same name (albeit with different spellings as they are written in our days in the Cyrillic alphabet) in both Bulgaria and Serbia.
The Romanian and Bulgarian towns are twinned. The name is of Slavic origin, from the root -trg- or -tǎrg- (“trade”) and the placename suffix -ište, and means “marketplace”.
Source: Wikipedia
A short history of the Chindia Tower
Vlad III the Impaler (Vlad Ţepeş)
The coil-staircase inside of the Chindia Tower
Woodblock print of Vlad the Impaler dining in the presence of numerous impaled corpses
A view from the up (down are the ruins of Royal Court)
Royal Court ("Curtea Domnească") was built in the time of Mircea the Elder (cel Bătrân; 1355 – 1418)
The church inside of Royal Court
Other view from up
The base of Chindia Tower
Walls in the Royal Court
Footbridge for tourists
The Chindia Tower was built by Vlad III Dracula, in 15th century
The main corridor inside of Royal Court
Other corridor
Other chamber
Other photo with the church inside of Royal Court, which is in reconstruction, together with Royal Court
The Stelea Church-Targoviste, it was built in 1645 by the Moldavian ruler, Vasile Lupu, on the place of an old monastery belonging to Stelea Spataru. It was erected as a sign of friendship to Matei Basarab that's why it was named the Church of Reconciliation
Consiliul Judeţean Dâmboviţa (Dâmboviţa County Council)
The center of the city
Hotel Valahia
Muntenia Shopping Center
Other photo from the center (it was a raining day )
Kaufland supermarket in Târgovişte
The Metropolitan Church-Targoviste, it was built in the 19th century on the place of an old church belonging to Neagoe Basarab, ruler who moved here the Metropolitan Seat from Curtea de Arges
Statue of Michael the Brave "Mihai Viteazul" (Reign: 11 October 1593 – 9 August 1601)
The Dealu Monastery-it was built by Radu the Great between 1495-1508, the monastery represents one of the most valuable monuments of Medieval architecture in Wallachia. In the monastery is the head of Michael the Brave
Near to Stelea monastery are houses for nuns
Here is buried the head of Michael the Brave, which was taken by Radu Buzescu and put here
The church of the monastery is dedicated to Saint Nicholas
Odessa or Odesa (Ukrainian: Одеса; Russian: Одесса; Romanian: Odesa; Greek: Οδησσός; Yiddish: אדעס) is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast (province) located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 (as of the 2001 census).
Odessa was founded by Hacı I Giray, the Khan of Crimea, in 1240 and originally named Khadjibey after him. After a period of Lithuanian control, it passed into the domain of the Ottoman Sultan in 1529 and remained in Ottoman hands until the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in the Russo-Turkish War of 1792.
The Russians renamed the city Odessa in 1794. From 1819–1858 Odessa was a free port. During the Soviet period it was the most important port of trade in the Soviet Union and a Soviet naval base. On January 1, 2000 the Quarantine Pier of Odessa trade sea port was declared a free port and free economic zone for a term of 25 years.
In the 19th century it was the fourth largest city of Imperial Russia, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Warsaw. Its historical architecture has a style more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings are built in a mixture of different styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 during World War I, Odessa was occupied by several groups, including the Ukrainian Tsentral’na Rada, the French Army, the Red Army and the White Army. Finally, in 1920, the Red Army took control of Odessa and united it with the Ukrainian SSR, which later became part of the USSR.
During World War II, from 1941–1944, Odessa was subject to Romanian administration, as the city had been made part of the Transnistria occupation district. Romanians used the name ‘Odessa’ as the Ukrainian version of the city. The Romanian occupation may be described a “soft one” compared to the short period of German occupation in 1944.
The Romanian commanding General made an unofficial armistice with the partisans hidden in the city’s catacombs, who in turn did not mount much resistance to the Romanians.
When the people of Odessa suffered from hunger, the Romanians transported grain from Bessarabia to Odessa in 1942 and 1943. It is told that the Romanians imported the best cognac and wines, in addition to two train loads of the best French food in 1942 to the restaurants of Odessa, from France.
During the April 1944 battle Odessa suffered severe damage and many casualties. Many parts of Odessa were damaged during its siege and recapture on 10 April 1944, when the city was finally liberated by the Red Army.
Following the Siege of Odessa, and the Axis occupation, approximately 25,000 Odessans (mostly Jews) were murdered and over 35,000 deported. Most of the atrocities were committed during the first six months of the occupation which officially begun on 17 October 1941, after the bombing of the Romanian HQ and the subsequent brutal response of the Romanian military.
After this time period, the Romanian administration changed its policy, refusing to deport the remaining Jewish population to extermination camps in German occupied Poland, and allowing Jews to work as hired labourers. As a result, despite the tragic events of 1941, the survival of the Jews in this area was higher than in other areas of occupied Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Travel journal
If you are in Chisinau and you want to arrive in Odessa, the best idea is to get a vehicle –a bus from North Station (near Calea Basarabiei market).
So we did.
At 07.30 we took the first bus which goes to Odessa and we paid for a ticket 93 Moldavian lei (it means 5.8 euros). The bus-driver gave us an inquest to complete for entering in Ukraine.
A half of this inquest you give when you come in the country and another one when you leave it. We passed the customs very quickly, without problems and in 4-5 hours we arrived in Odessa.
As we didn’t have a map for orientation, we started to ask people how to arrive to Potemkin Stairs, which was our first visit. Honestly, we tell you, you must be patient with Ukrainian people because how many people you ask, you will receive different contradictory answers to arrive at the place you need
In this way, we took the trolley number 5, we paid for the ticket 1 grivna (0.08 euros) and after 4 stations we were on Tiraspol’skaya Street. We walked for other 15 minutes among some nice old buildings and we arrived at the Poteomkin Stairs.
By the way, the streets from Odessa are very nice in autumn .
We visited the Passage from Odessa which impressed us very much by its architecture. We have to recognize the prices from those shops were pretty high. On the streets, we saw a lot of expensive bars, restaurants and pubs, but interesting arranged, however, with few clients.
From the beginning, we were a bit disappointed a cause of those stairs-we thought it would be more imposing, but it looked like some usually stairs. From the right side, there was a funicular which leave you down, at the beginning of the stairs.
Sincerely, we don’t see the meaning of this funicular because the distance is not so long, it’s only 142 meters you can descend in 2 minutes!
A funny moment was when we had to split thousands of balloons threw from the roof of a building-people from Odessa celebrated the inauguration of a shopping center. It was nice to see people of all ages doing a thing that gave them a smile on theirs faces.
If you are in Ukraine, it is impossible to not respect the tradition- we bought beer and dry salt fish! How the harbour was near, we had a freezing walk on the promenade; the sea was not so hospitable with us.
At half past 5 we had to take the bus to return in Chisinau so we had to hurry to arrive at the bus station. We had the same problem: all people we asked what trolley we must take gave us different answers, but in the end we arrived to the final destination.
From the bus station we bought some carrot pies (3.5 griva=0.25 euros each pie). The ticket price Odessa-Chisinau was 53 grivnas/person (equal 4 euros). At the customs; we gave the second part of that inquest we completed before we entered in Ukraine and in 4 hours we were in Chisinau.
Odessa seemed us to be a nice, pretty big city, with a lot of interesting places to visit, however, better in summer
Bus station (Avtovokzal)
A kiosk with all kind of crumpets, just near to bus station
A soviet block
A very width tram (the ticket is 1 UAH which means 0.08 EURO)
Just a photo from the center, with ukrainian yellow marshrutka
A bus...
A nice building, with Cuba Cafe
Paved road in the old center
Trolley...
Old center (the road to harbour)
Military of Ukraine (Southern forces)
Real hypermarket
You can observe the colour of the bars (Ukrainian flag)
I think this is Preobrazhenskiy Cathedral from Sobornaya Square
Beeline mobile phone company from Russia and life:), Kyivstar, Golden Telecom and MTS from Ukraine
The Passage from Odessa (1899) "baroque style"
Built in 1899, by polish architect Lev Vlodek, the passage belonged to the merchant Mendelevich. Now, passage is one of the lare largest auction centers in Odessa
McDonald's
An exchange panel
This is the monument of the founders of the city, build in 1900, restored in 2007
Nice buildings...
That was near to the Potemkin Stairs
The 142-metre-long Potemkin Stairs
Slavic style
Wedding near to the Black Sea
The Potemkin Stairs were constructed between 1837–1841
Hair for all Ukraine from Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko (Ukrainian: Юлія Володимирівна Тимошенко), the Prime Minister of Ukraine
In Kiev is cheaper
Trains near to the Odessa Harbour
I love you, my Odessa
The highway from the harbour
An info panel at the harbour
An ukrainian vessel
Other vessels
Hotel Odessa on the Black Sea, just near to the harbour
UKRFERRY "Caledonia" which can take you to Istanbul
Lenin is alive
A cute ukrainian cat
Public phone cabin
A panel with the condition of weather in the Bus station
Bender, also known as Tighina (Romanian; Russian: Бендеры, Bendery; Ukrainian: Бендери, Bendery) is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under de facto control of the unrecognized PMR since 1992. Located on the right (western) bank of the river Dniester, together with its suburb Proteagailovca, the city forms a municipality, which is separate from Transnistria according to the Moldovan law. Bender is located in the buffer zone established at the end of the 1992 War of Transnistria.
While the Joint Control Commission has overriding powers in the city, Transnistria has de facto administrative control.
First mentioned in 1408 as Тягянякяча (Tyagyanyakyacha) in a document in Old Slavonic, the town was known in the Middle Ages as Tighina in Moldavian sources and Bender in Ottoman sources. The fortress and the city were called Bender for the most part of the time they were a rayah of the Ottomans (1538-1812), and during most of the time they belonged to the Russian Empires (1828-1917).
They were known as Tighina in the Principality of Moldavia, in the early part of the Russian Empire period (1812-1828), and during the time the city belonged to Romania (1918-1940).
The city is part of the historical region of Bessarabia. During the Soviet period the city was known in the Moldavian SSR as Бендер (Bender) in Moldovan (Romanian) written then with the Cyrillic alphabet, and as Бендéры (Bendery) in Russian. In the independent Moldova, officially it is known as Bender, but otherwise both names Bender and Tighina are used.
Tighina was part of the Moldavian Democratic Republic in 1917-1918, and after 1918, as part of Bessarabia, the city belonged to Romania, where it was the seat of Tighina County.
Along with Bessarabia, the city was occupied by the Soviet Union on June 28, 1940, following an ultimatum. In the course of World War II, it was retaken by Romania in July 1941, and again by the USSR in August 1944.
In 1940-41, and 1941-1991 it was one of the four “republican cities” (i.e. not subordinated to a district) of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union. Since 1991, the city is part of the independent Republic of Moldova.
For more informations about the city you can click on the map
Lyon also spelled Lyons, is a city in east-central France in the region Rhône-Alpes.
Lyon is a major center of business, situated between Paris and Marseille, and has a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy and having a significant role in the history of cinema with Auguste and Louis Lumière.
Lyon is located at 470 km from Paris, 320 km from Marseille, 160 km from Geneva, 280 km from Torino, 450 km from Milano and 600 km from Barcelona.
The local professional football team, Olympique Lyonnais, has increased the profile of Lyon internationally through participation in European football championships.
The residents of the city are called Lyonnais.
Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris, with the population of its urban area estimated to be 1,783,400 and that of its metropolitan area 4,415,000 (2007).
Its urban region (Urban Community of Lyon), represents half of the Rhône-Alpesrégion population with three million inhabitants. Lyon is also a major industrial center specializing in chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The city also contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games.
Lyon is the préfecture (capital) of the Rhônedépartement, and also the capital of the Rhône-Alpesrégion. The city is known for its historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lyon was historically known as the silk capital of the world.
The city is known as the culinary capital of France. It also hosts numerous international headquarters like Interpol, Euronews, International Agency for Research on Cancer or Cité Scolaire Internationale de Lyon.
Source: Wikipedia
A building with a butcher's shop and charcuterie in Charbonnières-les-Bains
Blocks in Charbonnières-les-Bains
Louis ROUGEAT De MARSONNAT (the greatest man from Charbonnières-les-Bains)
Charbonnières-les-Bains in night... (it was in december)
Charbonnières-les-Bains is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France, near Lyon
The center of the commune
The meat shop was open Bon Appétit !
This photo is made near to the Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu (railway station)
A nice shopping center...
A bus which take you to the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport
Near to the Athena Hotel
From here you can take a bicycle for a walk in the city
*Note: These photos are made in December, few years ago.
Predeal is between Ploieşti and Braşov (for a better view of the map, click on the picture)
Predeal (Hungarian: Predeál, German: Schanzpass) is a town in Romania, in Braşov County.
An important mountain resort, Predeal is located on the Prahova Valley and is surrounded by five massifs: Postăvarul, Piatra Mare, Bucegi, Baiului and Fiţifoi.
The name is derived from the Romanian archaic form “pre deal” which means “on the hill” or from the Slavic word “predel“, which means “bound“, “limit“.
In the late years the town has known a remarkable boom in construction, with many well-off people from all over the country, having a mountain retreat in Predeal.
Predeal is the highest town in Romania with an altitude between 1033m-1110m.
William of Wied, Prince of Albania, died here in 1945. Predeal was the hometown of one of Romania’s less known poets, Mihail Săulescu.
Sighişoara (German: Schäßburg; Hungarian: Segesvár; Latin: Castrum Sex) is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania.
Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 32,287 (2002).
Sights
Sighişoara is a popular tourist destination, due to its well-preserved walled old town. The landmark of the city is the Clock Tower, a 64m high tower built in 1556. It is today a museum of history.
Other interesting sights are:
Sighişoara Citadel – a 12th Century Saxon edifice, is the historic center of the city. Still occupied, the citadel is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Clock Tower – Built in 1360 and standing at 60 meters tall atop the citadel hill. Inside is a museum that finishes in a great view from the top.
Weapon Museum – next to Vlad’s birthplace. Very small, but it contains an interesting selection of medieval weapons (swords, arrows, etc.).
Covered Staircase – a very old stone staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span. This leads up to the Church on the Hill and the cemetery.
Church on the Hill – contains many frescoes and a crypt. Built on the location of the Roman fort. Close to the cemetery on the side of the hill, which contains many German tombstones.
Bust of Vlad Tepes – Located around the corner from his birthplace, within sight of the Clock Tower.
Johannes Kelpius, a German intellectual, musician, and mystic who founded a religious community when he immigrated to the American colony of Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century
Clock Tower - Built in 1360 and standing at 60 meters tall atop the citadel hill. Inside is a museum that finishes in a great view from the top.
The museum
A photo from the tower
A view with the city
Other view with medieval houses
The hill inside the citadel
The best restaurant in the citadel (waiters were wearing medieval clothes)
Church on the Hill - contains many frescoes and a crypt. Built on the location of the Roman fort. Close to the cemetery on the side of the hill, which contains many German tombstones.
The panel at the entrance into the cemetery
The cemetery
Some crypts
Covered Staircase - a very old stone staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span. This leads up to the Church on the Hill and the cemetery.
A good shop with folkloric souvenirs from Transylvania.
Sinaia is a town and a mountain resort in Romania. The town was named after Sinaia Monastery, around which it was built; the monastery in turn is named after the Biblical Mount Sinai.
Sinaia is about 60 km northwest of Ploieşti and 50 km south of Braşov, in a mountainous area on the Prahova River valley, just east of the Bucegi Mountains. The altitude varies between 767 m and 860 m.
Sinaia was also the summer residence of the Romanian composer George Enescu, who stayed at the Luminiş villa.
Source: Wikipedia
The Sinaia Monastery was founded by Prince Mihai Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Sinai Monastery on Mount Sinai. As of 2005 it is inhabited by 13 Christian Orthodox monks led by hegumen Macarie Bogus. It belongs to the archdiocese of Bucharest.
Oradea (Hungarian: Nagyvárad, colloquially also Várad, German: Grosswardein, former Turkish: Varat, Yiddish: גרויסווארדיין, Italian: Gran Varadino) is the capital city of Bihor County, in Crişana, Romania.
The city proper has a population of 206,614 as of the 2002[update] census; this does not include areas from the metropolitan area, outside the municipality; they bring the total urban area population to approximately 260,000.
Oradea is one of the most prosperous cities of Romania.
Geography
The city lies at the meeting point of the Crişana plain and the Crişul Repede’s basin. It is situated 126 meters above sea-level, surrounded on the north-eastern part by the hills of Oradea belonging to the Ses hills.
The main part of the settlement is situated on the floodplain and on the terraces situated down the river Crişul Repede. Oradea is famous for its thermal springs. The river Crişul Repede crosses the city right in the centre, providing it with a picturesque beauty.
Its output depends on the season; the water containers (the dyke near Tileagd) have partly controlled it ever since they were built in the early 1980s.
Attractions
The beautiful city centre is worth visiting, as are the Băile Felix health spas, accessible by bus and located outside the city.
Other sites worth visiting are:
Baroque Palace of Oradea – today Muzeul Ṭării Criṣurilor, a wonderful Baroque museum with 365 famous windows. It was the Roman Catholic bishop’s palace until 1945, when the Communist regime took the building into public ownership. It was returned to the Roman Catholic Church in 2003. Its collection includes many fossils of dinosaurs and birds from the bauxite mines at Cornet-Brusturi.
Ady Endre Museum – a museum dedicated to one of the greatest Hungarian poets,
Teatrul de Stat – the State Theatre, plans for which were designed by two Austrian architects who had built around 100 theatres and opera houses in Europe by the end of the 19th century,
Str. Republicii – one of the most beautiful streets of Transylvania, displaying an incredible number of Art Nouveau buildings (under restoration in 2006),
There are around 100 religious sites of different denominations in Oradea, including three synagogues (however, only one is said to be still in use) and the biggest Baptist church in Eastern Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
At the end of the tram line (last station)
From the tram...
The panel from the entrance into the "Cetatea Oradea" - Oradea's Fortress (XI century)
Roman Catholic Church inside of fortress
Inside of the fortress
Sculpture in the garden
Near to the entrance (inside)
One of the gate
The tunnels...
Fleuron from the old gothic cathedral
Military barracks build for Austrian army in XVIII century
The walls
Communist blocks
The bridge over the Crişul Repede River
Crişul Repede River
Together with the rivers Crişul Alb (White Criş) and Crişul Negru (Black Criş), it makes up the Three Criş rivers ("Cele Trei Crişuri")
At the entrance into the Pasajul Vulturul Negru – the "Black Eagle" Passage
Inside of Black Eagle Passage
Pasajul Vulturul Negru (Black Eagle Passage) was build between 1907-1908 together with the Palace with the same name
The statue of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the brave) in the center
The palace Vulturul Negru (Black Eagle)
St. Ladislaus church (Catholic)
The altar
Inside the church...
Virgin Mary statue
Near to the church, outside (the center and Michael statue is in left)
The Central Railway Station (Gara Centrală din Oradea )
The city is marked with green line, just between Ploieşti and Braşov (click on the picture for bigger size)
Buşteni is a small mountain town in the north of the county Prahova, in the center of Romania. It is located in the Prahova Valley, at the bottom of the Bucegi mountains, that have a maximum altitude of 2505 m.
Its name literally means tree-logs in Romanian.
Buşteni’s average altitude is 900 m. It is one of the most popular mountain resorts, offering spectacular views, with lots of year-round tourism opportunities, ranging from skiing to mountain climbing.
The town and the surrounding mountains were the site of military confrontations in 1916, during World War I.
A large commemorative monument (about 25 m high), Heroes’ Cross (Crucea Eroilor) lies atop nearby Caraiman Peak, at nearly 2,260 m. The monument is lighted at night and is visible from virtually everywhere in Buşteni.
The average population is 15,000 inhabitants, although numbers vary greatly because of tourism. The main local industries are wood industry and tourism. Many holiday houses have been recently built in the town.
Also a new Information Tourism Center was set up near the City Hall.
Source: Wikipedia
A board which confirms that Busteni is similar to a french city, Moissy Cramayel
The Town Hall of Busteni
The cultural club from Busteni,the advertisment announces the beginning of the cultural week (10-18 august 2009)
The main road that takes us to Brasov
A "small" artistic moment captured in Nature
Heroes Cross from Caraiman Peak seen in Busteni
How to protect the Nature (Do not throw the garbage in the forest!). Unfortunately, this message is not respected by all tourists.
A mioritic picture caught in a quite,green angle (specific to this region),captured on the road to gondola lift
On the road which goes to gondola lift.Here you can find a lot of arbors with traditional Romanian souvenirs,bars and restaurants
A view of mountains in front of gondola lift point,near to Silva Hotel
First panoramic view at high! We were ready to get out of the gondola lift,at 2205 m high
Some nice donkeys sitting near the exit from gondola lift.We think they were ready for another road on the mountains
Such a silent and cold panorama surrounded us during our short excursion.You must take something warm to put on you if you don't want to get frozen
Near to this zone,is an inexplicable positive magnetical field,so you can get immediately fresh,no mater how tired you are!
The pathway that goes to the Sphinx; to the right you see Babele Hut with a large restaurant down and a hotel (the prices are not so high)
Another "high view" at 2205 meters
A millennial natural monumental rock climbed by people...
An ancient altar of our ancestors..
Another extraordinary panoramic view!
A little Viola flower
The Sphinx-an ancient sacred place;even the plate says that climbing on it is forbidden,a lot of people don't pay attention to it.
Circular sanctuary near the Sphinx
The Sphink,picture taken in a perfect angle!
Surrounded by all these beauties,feeling the fresh,cold air and the silent settled around,you just can't stop making panoramic photos!
Another panoramic view...
Babele (meaning Old Women); another mystical rocks; some people believe it's an ancient historical monument, others that it's just the resulf of erosion.
An interesting cute mushroom noticed near rocks.It looks like a golden egg,doesn't it?
The place from where we take the gondola lift to bring us down (it takes 11 minutes to descend)
The "extremity" point of this part of mountains-from here,it starts to descent quickly...
The next attraction captured in gondola lift
The HUGE crowd-all these persons wait the gondola lift to descend,crowd longer than 50 meters (the same treatement expects you down,we waited more than an hour to take gondola lift).The whole ticket costs 54 lei-13 euros
Silva Hotel,a pretty expensive place to spend your vacations..
Appartament houses in Busteni
A sweet,living dummy cat sleeping in a shopwindow which takes the glance of everyone who pass through..
Costila-the new commercial center opened recently in Busteni
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