ZOOM OUT: My Romanian Romance in Transylvania.
How a "ZOOM OUT" experience took me to the Carpathian Mountains.
Here’s an idea for your next trip: instead of picking a typical place that you and everyone else would want to visit — Italy, Greece, France — pull up Google Flights, type in your local airport, and then hit “explore”. What awaits, on the other side, is an unexpected journey; this is the moment you “zoom out” on the map and see what destinations are available at a lower price. “Holy shit, I can hop over to Estonia for that price?!” My trip to Romania started from a “zoom out” experience…
I had been wanting to go on a solo adventure, for quite some time, and I decided to plan a last minute trip somewhere new. I pulled up the map and saw that United Airlines had a deal for Bucharest. My eyes widened, I paused my breath, and then I smiled. Romania had been on my wish list for quite some time, but I never thought of a good reason to pull the trigger…until now. I zoomed in and saw that Sofia, Bulgaria was right next door, which was also on my list, so I added a stopover there, as well. A round-trip flight from Bucharest to Sofia was $82 — you really can’t get much better than that.
Both Bucharest and Sofia have been cities that digital nomads1 have been flocking to more and more with remote work expanding, globally. They’re both extremely affordable, and they’re relatively easy to navigate. Additionally, there was a lot of new information on both cities, thanks to said nomads, so there were a lot of gaping holes, from past research, that had now been filled in with very new information.
We’ll save Bulgaria for the next article, because this one is all about Romania. Before we dive in on my excellent adventure, let’s take it back a bit, shall we? There’s a lot to unpack here in this short period of time…
In 1947, following WWII, Romania was placed under the Soviet Empire with communist rule implemented. From 1947-1992, the USSR, under communist regime, made the rules and you were required to obey — they held all power politically and socially. To this day, agriculture makes up 30% of Romania’s GDP, so, at the time, it was very important for the USSR to control Romania’s booming industry (fast forward to 2021 and see what Russia is doing to Ukraine — Ukraine is the 7th largest wheat producer in the world).
Until the early 1960s, the Government, under its new communist regime, launched several campaigns of “purges” during which numerous "enemies of the state" and "parasite elements" were targeted for different forms of punishment including: deportation, internal exile, internment in forced labour camps and prisons—sometimes for life—as well as extrajudicial killing. Nevertheless, anti-communist resistance was one of the most long-lasting and strongest in the Eastern Bloc.
In 1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power and started to conduct the country's foreign policy more independently from the Soviet Union. Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country who did not participate in the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, it was the only communist state to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, after the Six-Day War, and also established diplomatic relations with Western Germans, the same year.
As Romania's foreign debt increased sharply between 1977 and 1981 (from US$3 billion to $10 billion), the influence of international financial organizations—such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank—grew, gradually conflicting with Ceaușescu's autocratic rule. He eventually initiated a policy of total reimbursement of the foreign debt by imposing austerity steps that impoverished the population and exhausted the economy.
At the same time, Ceaușescu greatly extended the authority of the Securitate secret police and imposed a severe cult of personality, which led to a dramatic decrease in the dictator's popularity and culminated in his overthrow in the violent revolution.
The Romanian revolution, also known as the Christmas Revolution, was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily within the Eastern Bloc. The Romanian revolution started in the city of Timișoara and soon spread throughout the country. After a trial, Ceaușescu and his wife were executed by firing squad at a military base outside Bucharest on December 25th, 1989. The charges for which they were executed were, among others, genocide by starvation.
It was also the last removal of a Marxist–Leninist government in a Warsaw Pact country during the events of 1989, and the only one that violently overthrew a country's leadership and executed its leader
A 2006 commission estimated the number of direct victims of the Communist repression at two million people.
All this aside, Romania had a long way to go to find its new identity. The post–1989 period is characterized by the fact that most of the former industrial and economic enterprises, which were built and operated during the communist period, were closed. This is mainly as a result of the policies of privatization of the post–1989 regimes.2
I arrived in Bucharest, on my first solo trip, at the end of October, 2022. The Fall foliage was on full display, and the weather was a mild 48-60 degrees each and every day. I had a day and a half to explore the capital before I headed North to Transylvania.
Bucharest is a very unique city, one that is still finding its identity, and one that is learning how to prosper in a new day and age. As a first timer in Eastern Europe, I was slightly worried about the language barrier and the cultural differences; however, Bucharest was a very easy city to navigate and, thanks to the digital nomad revolution, English language was very welcoming at all restaurants, bars, and shops. You’ll walk down one street and see the entire avenue still dominated by towering Communist Block Housing structures, and then you’ll walk down another street and see beautiful, artsy representations of a new Romania, like this…
The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of people walking at all times of the day, going every which way, like you see when you’re in New York City. It is a very busy city—roughly 2 million people—and if the Uber ride from the airport was any indication of what it’s like to drive in Romania…you would best stay on foot, too.
The cafes and bars were always packed, no matter what, at all times of the day. Was there a specific time to drink coffee? Answer: always. Was there a specific time to have a Romanian beer? Answer: always. Morning, noon, and night the bars and cafes were always alive. The Old Town, where a lot of the tourists go, has some serious hipster vibes on every corner. In a city where two worlds collide, old Eastern Bloc Romania and new hipster bloc Romania, it’s easy to be simultaneously confused and fascinated by what Romania has to offer.
I need to give a special shoutout to Caru’ cu Bere, because it was one hell of a restaurant. The food in Romania is heavily inspired by Germany (more on this later), so think bread bowls, hunks of meat from every order, large beers, lots of cheese and potatoes, along with cheesy potatoes, and of course, we cannot forget the prized menu item, the “very-slowly roasted” pork knuckle, with sour cabbage and polenta. This, my friends, is what I call a hunk of meat:
As usual, the “big city” is fun and necessary to kick off a long trip. I had a fun time in Bucharest, and I certainly would go back, again, but the real magic of Romania lies North, in the mountains…
BRAȘOV
Brașov is a city in the Transylvania region of Romania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. It's known for its medieval Saxon walls and bastions, the towering Gothic-style Black Church, and lively cafes.
Historically, the city was the centre of the Burzenland, once dominated by the Transylvanian Saxons, and a significant commercial hub on the trade roads between Austria and Turkey. It is also where the national anthem of Romania was first sung.
Brașov and Bucharest couldn’t be more different, in my opinion. Most people will probably just go to Bucharest, to see another big city, but the mountains are where you need to be! The minute I stepped off the train I knew I was somewhere special.
The train is a short walk to the city center, so I grabbed my bags and started walking. Once you get into the main square, Piața Sfatului, it’s almost like you walked into the middle of a real-life fairytale. Is this the beginning of Beauty and the Beast when Belle is dancing around with song birds and a stack of books near the library? Honestly…I think so…
It is as charming and enchanting as a village can be, in my opinion, but if you take a closer look…what does it look like to you?
This brings us to…zee Germans!
Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov's development and were invited by Hungarian Kings to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania at different stages between 1141 and 1300. The settlers came primarily from the Rhineland, Flanders, and the Moselle region, with others from Thuringia, Bavaria, Wallonia, and even France.
In 1211, by order of King Andrew II of Hungary, the Teutonic Knights (sounds bad ass, if nothing else) fortified the Burzenland to defend the border of the Kingdom of Hungary. On the site of the village of Brașov, the Teutonic Knights built Kronstadt – 'the City of the Crown' - which is modern day Brașov. Although the crusaders were evicted by 1225, the colonists they brought in long ago had remained and begun to settle themselves in their new territory.3
Being a good German (American) boy, myself, I felt right at home! I had a couple of days to explore the city, which is quite small, so I took advantage of the surprisingly warm weather and enjoyed the outdoors that were blanketed by Fall’s most beautiful colors. The city has many, small parks surrounded on the outer walls, and there are more than enough restaurants, bars, and shops for you to keep your time busy.
When in Romania, specifically the rural areas like Transylvania, you must try țuică.
Țuică is a traditional Romanian spirit made only from plums. Think something between gin and saki, that has a wide range of alcohol content, but when it goes down…it might as well be firewater. Do as I was told and wash it down with a crisp, local beer. Romania loves its beer (zee Germans influencing them again), and the craft beer scene has come a long way — I tried as many as I could and all of them were fantastic. The țuică, sadly, was a one and done situation for me.
Transfăgărășan
When researching Romania, my #1, top of the list, most important thing to do…was to drive on the Transfăgărășan Mountain Highway.
The Transfăgărășan or DN7C is a paved mountain road crossing the southern section of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Top Gear named Transfăgărășan the “ best road in the world”, but, then again, when you’re driving an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini, I am sure you can find a way to enjoy yourself.
Sadly, I didn’t end up driving on the road, as you have to get a separate drivers license just to drive a car over there, BUT I do think I ended up falling into the best choice possible — an eBike ride from the bottom, to the top, and back, with my main man Adrei. This would become one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
I am not one to take a guided tour, as I like to explore on my own, but given the extreme circumstances of this logistical nightmare of a road, I found a wonderful AirBnB Experience that, to this day, is one of the best tours I have ever been on. Plan ahead, because the drive is two hours, each way, and the bike ride is another 2-3 hours.
Andrei, my eBike guide, picked me up in Brasov city center, and we headed East into the Carpathian Mountains. Andrei was a wealth of knowledge. I had to have asked him a minimum of 100 questions, on the ride up alone, and although he kept apologizing for his broken English, he answered everything with a subtle nuance and understanding that only a local, of many generations, could educate a foreigner on.
Although I was fascinated to learn more about Communism, how the hell do you just bring that up into a conversation with a foreigner? I ended up telling Andrei about my experience in Bucharest — what it was like to go to the Communist museums, see the murals, and how shocking it was to still see Communist Block Housing still scattered all over the city. Andrei then told me he has a very interesting perspective on Communism, because he was 17 years old, during the Christmas Revolution, and he was now about to turn 50 years old. He felt like his entire childhood, his formative years, were normal, because it was all the people knew and he wasn’t quite old enough to have a developed understanding of his nations politics. However, in the time since Communism, a lot has made him realize what this new, democratic life can offer he and his family. He told me he had been to the U.S. once (Miami), and he was hoping to go back again. He told me he gets to travel with his family more, around Europe, and he now has family living in other parts of Eastern Europe, as well. And then he told me something I hadn’t realized: he’s trying to teach his son and daughter to get out and explore the world, because he was now allowed to at their age. I said, “what do you mean?” And he said, “you couldn’t leave Romania during Communist rule.” It sounds dumb saying this, but I did not realize Communism meant you couldn’t leave your own country.
We, as in Americans, are so very spoiled. At any part of the day, I can hop in my car, get on a plane, or hop a train and go wherever I please. I can do whatever I want, with my money, whenever I damn well please. Andrei had many questions for me, as I told him how much I travel, and he almost made it sound like I had a special, golden ticket that got me anywhere I wanted to go in the world. At the end, he said it’s a strange time in Romania, because there are people who still want Communism; Nicolae Ceaușescu obviously ran the country into the ground, but there are people who found Communism to have its benefits. Ignorance is bliss, and Andrei said his Grandmother, for instance, knew one way and one way only. She always had food (I didn’t bother to mention the end period where Nicolae Ceaușescu decided to starve everyone) . She always had a place to live. She had healthcare. She had a job. She understands she never had a lot of money — very little money, in fact — but she was always taken care of. Andrei said, “when you only know one way, even if that way isn’t ideal, some people fall in line and accept someone else’s planned reality for them. To them, they believe it’s safe, and that they won’t have to worry anymore.”
Fuck that, I say…
Andrei and I took off up the mountain, stopping along the way to get some photos, let some cars pass, and also hydrate. Andrei was very professional and very much had rules — you DO NOT take your hands off of the handles, at any point, on the entire ride. I love to ride one-handed, so I definitely got yelled at, multiple times, but I started to listen and that made things much easier. You see, if you haven’t already figured this out, people in Romania do not have a lot of money; the two eBikes that Andrei had purchased took a long time to pay off; be respectful — just because it’s cheap as hell for me to go there, doesn’t mean they’re in the same boat.
Andrei said we were very lucky, because there weren’t as many cars on the road as there usually are. Some of this was because of the season, and some of this was because it was a weekday. Andrei said everyone comes in the summer, and, as you can see from the winding roads, the drive up turns into a parking lot, so it’s not quite the same experience.
As you can see, when you get to the top, it seems like you are on another planet. I’ve always said, as great as urban cities can be if you want to see the country the right way you need to get out to the rural areas. Get off the beaten path, stop looking at TripAdvisor (the worst), and find different travel bloggers/vloggers (like me!) — you’re obviously not going to be able to hit every site, restaurant, bar, or attraction so you might as well get your money’s worth.
Another hidden gem, at the top of the mountain, is Bâlea Lac. This has some serious Austria/Switzerland vibes, and you definitely feel like you are out here all by yourself. Surrounding the lake, hovering over the edge of the cliff, is a Chalet where you can rent a room, and during peak season the restaurant and bar is open, as well.
From top to bottom (pun intended), this bike ride was one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life. Never in a million years would I have imagined riding an eBike, on the Transfăgărășan Mountain Highway, in the Carpathian Mountains, ending at Bâlea Lake at an elevation of 6,900 feet. I am so very happy I didn’t rent a car, because I think being on the bike made me feel more engulfed in the mountains.
The simple willingness to improvise is more vital, in the long run, than research.” - Rolf Potts
At the end of the day, Romania was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been; it has its faults; it’s still trying to create its own identity; but it remains somewhat untouched by tourism. The people are as friendly and accommodating as one could hope when traveling the world. Next time, I will need to plan more time to make it out to Timișoara and Oradea, both in Western Romania, because I have heard those are also some incredible places to visit.
Without my ZOOM OUT experience, would I have ever pulled the trigger on Romania? I’m not quite sure…it’s something I still think about, to this day. However, this is why I implore all of you to take a leap, take a chance — ZOOM OUT — and see what the world has to offer.
Digital nomads are people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet. Such people generally have minimal material possessions and work remotely in temporary housing, hotels, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles, using Wi-Fi, smartphones or mobile hotspots to access the Internet.
Spittin’ the truth about Transylvanian Saxons.