Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria
Page 21
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0755-030 895; www.csikisor.com/gyarlatogatas; Sânsimion; tour with 2-beer tasting/unlimited beers 25 lei/55 lei)
Learn the secrets of Miercurea Ciuc's beloved brew at this factory tour, 12km south of Miercurea Ciuc, through tastings and traditional Hungarian beer snacks. After a few sips, you too will be singing the praises of the Harghita Mountains' spring water and quality hops. Tours are according to demand, so book a few days ahead by phone or the website.
Mikó CastleCASTLE
(Csíki Székely Múzeum; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.csszm.ro; Piața Cetății; adult 10 lei, student 7 lei, child under 7yr free; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun May-Oct, to 5pm Sep-Apr)
Miercurea Ciuc’s centrepiece, and the proud source of the Ciuc beer logo, is Mikó Castle. Today it houses the impressive Csíki Székely Múzeum, which hosts rotating displays of mostly Hungarian art within its venerable walls.
Built from 1623 to 1630, the castle was burnt down by Tatars in 1661 and then rebuilt in 1716. It later played a role as defence for the Habsburg empire, housing the first Székely infantry in 1849.
Franciscan MonasteryCHURCH
( GOOGLE MAP ; Str Szék 148)
Some 2km northeast of the centre in the Şumuleu district (Csíksomlyó in Hungarian) is a fine Franciscan monastery, built in 1442 by Iancu de Hunedoara (János Hunyadi), governor of Hungary from 1446 to 1452, to commemorate his great victory against the Turks at Marosszentimre.
The monastery today is the site of the city’s main tourist draw, the Pentecostal Pilgrimage. About 300,000 Székelys flock here on Whitsunday (late May/early June) to celebrate their brotherhood.
4Sleeping
There is a handful of budget and midrange options for stays in Miercurea Ciuc. Pensions tend to be well-worn; apartments are often more modern.
Hilcon Family ApartmentsAPARTMENT$
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.apartments.hilcon.ro; Str Salciei; ste from 65 lei; pW)
The stripey apartment blocks in Miercurea Ciuc's residential areas seem endless, but judging by Hilcon Family Apartments, they're exceedingly pleasant inside. Simple and serviceable 'studios' include access to a kitchen (shared with one other room). Furnishings are bare but washing machine, zippy fast wi-fi and can-do hosts make up for it. Bookings through website only.
Hotel KoronaHOTEL$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-310 993; www.korona.panzio.ro; Str Márton Áron 40; r from 140 lei; pW)
This graceful Habsburg-era building is ornamented in stucco casts and carriage lamps and has 16 functional rooms with en suites.
5Eating
Pedestrianised Str Petöfi Sándor is comprised almost entirely of cafes and pizza joints.
La JupânuROMANIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.lajupanu.ro; Str Zöld Péter 1; mains 12-20 lei; h8am-midnight Mon-Fri, from 10am Sat, from noon Sun)
Popular with lively eaters and drinkers, this traditional restaurant has bench seats and locally recommended food (pork schnitzels, chicken breast and more).
NovákCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Str Petőfi Sándor; h7am-10pm Mon-Fri, from 8am Sat, from 9am Sun)
Creamy Black Forest gateau, Sachertorte (Viennese dark chocolate cake), macarons and coffee are all the more enjoyable when served to diverting views of locals ambling down Miercurea Ciuc's pedestrian drag.
8Information
Banca Comercială Română ( GOOGLE MAP ; Str Kossuth Lajos 17; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri) One of several banks with ATMs along Str Kossuth Lajos.
Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-317 007; www.szereda.ro; 1st fl, City Hall, Piaţa Cetăţii 1; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri summer)
A well-hidden seasonal information office on the 1st floor of city hall.
8Getting There & Away
From Miercurea Ciuc train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-315 102; Str Brașovului 1), services reach Braşov (30 lei, two to 2½ hours, 10 daily, some at night), several via Sfântu Gheorghe (22 lei, 1½ hours); three continue to Bucharest (67 lei, 5½ hours). There are also 11 daily trains to Gheorgheni (18 lei, 1½ hours), and one to Iaşi (80 lei, seven hours).
The bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Str Brașovului) is 50m north of the train station. Buses go to Braşov (20 lei, two hours, three daily), six to Gheorgheni (12 lei, 1½ to two hours), plus five to Sfântu Gheorghe (15 lei, 1½ hours), nine to Odorheiu Secuiesc (12 lei, one hour), and one to Budapest (130 lei, 11½ hours).
Gheorgheni
Pop 20,020
Gheorgheni's Hungarian heritage and flashes of Armenian history are diverting enough, but this languid town is best used as a springboard to the countryside. Gheorgheni is in the midst of superlative road-trip country: roads meander between towering forests (especially along the 13B to Sovata), the best restaurants are snuggled within small villages, and 25km east lies forest-fringed Lacu Roşu (Red Lake).
1Sights
Look out for the runic Old Hungarian alphabet, which can be seen on street signs around Gheorgheni. This writing form is so ancient that linguists can't agree on it precise origin. Locals proud of their Székely heritage think it's due for a comeback. Another unexpected influence is Armenian culture: Gheorgheni had a sizeable Armenian minority in the 18th century and is home to an Armenian Church (on, appropriately named, Str Biserica Armeană).
Lăzarea CastleCASTLE
(Lázár Kastély; GOOGLE MAP ; Lăzarea)
Just 6km northwest of Gheorgheni on the road to Topliţa is the tiny village of Lăzarea (Gyergyószárhegy in Hungarian). The predominantly Hungarian village is dominated by its 16th-century castle, whose walls are crowned with unique sculpted designs. Gábor Bethlen, later to become prince of Transylvania (r 1613–29), was raised within this Renaissance-style citadel. When we passed through, the castle doors were closed indefinitely and renovations were hotly expected.
4Sleeping & Eating
Gheorgheni has serviceable budget guesthouses, though few have charisma. For a slice of Székely country living, visitors with private transport can explore surrounding villages Borsec, Lăzarea and Borzont, each of which has pensiunes.
AstoriaHOTEL$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-365 600; www.astoria-hotel.ro; Str Două Poduri 2; s/d 100/150 lei; pW)
Gheorgheni's most mellow place to stay is the Astoria Hotel, in a turreted building down a quiet street off Str Márton Áron. Yellow-tinged bedrooms are contemporary and well-tended, if a little bare. Friendly staff can arrange horse-riding excursions into the countryside.
Lázár PanzióPENSION$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-362 042; www.lazarpanzio.ro; Str Băii 3; s/d/tr 78/98/128 lei; pW)
Family-run since the 1930s, this guesthouse-restaurant 30m west of Piaţa Libertăţii offers no-frills rooms with home comforts like fresh sheets, reading lights and small TVs. Breakfast is an extra 10 lei.
oBasa FogadóHUNGARIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0745-399 286; www.basafogado.com; Str Principala 131, Borzont; mains 20 lei; h8am-11pm; v)
Driving the Gheorgheni–Sovata road, it's impossible to miss this folksy inn, marked with a giant roadside knife and fork. Fifteen kilometres west of Gheorgheni, this country dining room with knee-slapping hospitality is worth travelling for. The inn was established in 1897, and it has been whipping up chicken stew, bacon-wrapped garlic pork, and green pea soup ever since.
Erdélyi GondűzőHUNGARIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0752-048 874; www.erdelyi-gonduzo.ro; 12C Km6.5; mains 20 lei; h10am-9.30pm)
En route to Lacu Roşu, tuck into juicy roasted sausage, grilled trout, fried cheese – or heck, maybe all three – at this inviting restaurant and pension. It's 7km east of Gheorgheni.
8Information
Tourist Information Centre ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0730-710 965; www.visitgheorgheni.ro; Piaţa Libertăţii 22; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri) Superbly helpful staff offer maps, outdoor advice and good humour at Gheorgheni's tourist office.
8Getting There & Away
The bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-363 999; Str Gării) and train station (
GOOGLE MAP ; Str Gării) are 2km west of the centre.
There are direct buses to Braşov (30 lei, 2½ hours, three daily) and Odorheiu Secuiesc (30 lei, 2½ to three hours, two daily). Routes also extend to Târgu Mureş (25 to 30 lei, two to four hours, seven daily), continuing to Cluj-Napoca (35 lei, 4½ to 6½ hours). Bus services also reach Lacu Roşu (5 lei, 30 minutes, five to seven daily).
Trains go to Braşov (45 lei, three to 3½ hours, seven daily) and Baia Mare (73 lei, seven hours, one daily) and Bucharest North (73 lei, six hours, three daily).
Odorheiu Secuiesc
Pop 36,530
With baroque buildings, galleries and genteel cafe culture, Odorheiu Secuiesc is a pleasant spot to enjoy some Hungarian flavour. Around 96% of the town's residents identify as Hungarian, which is reflected in the language and cuisine: you'll spot signs in both Romanian and Hungarian, and enjoy poppyseed cake and gulyás (goulash) galore.
Most locals refer to the town as Székelyudvarhely, unfortunately no easier for foreigners to pronounce than its Romanian name. It’s an agreeable detour between Sighişoara and the east.
History
Settlements have been scattered around the southeastern stretch of the Transylvanian basin since the late Stone Age, though the first mention of the town – then ‘Uduorhel’ – was in 1333. Uduorhel grew as a market town and was granted privileges by Queen Isabella (then regent of Transylvania) in 1557, allowing it to thrive. Transylvanian prince Gábor Bethlen affirmed its status and rights in 1615. Several buildings in town are restorations of structures that date to its prosperous 16th to 18th centuries.
1Sights
If you're short on time, a stroll along Piaţa Primeriei allows a glimpse of the prettiest architecture, including the City Hall (1895–96) and 18th-century baroque Hungarian Reformed Church (Református Templom).
Haáz Rezső MuseumMUSEUM
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.hrmuzeum.ro; Str Bethlen Gábor 2; adult/child 5/2.50 lei; h9am-6pm Tue-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun Apr-Sep, 9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun Oct, 9am-4pm Tue-Fri Nov-Mar)
This lacey-looking building, 1900-built Haberstumpf cottage, seems slightly lost, standing next to the roaring main road through town. But the gallery within is excellent. It features mostly 20th-century art, much of it modern interpretations of the Hungarian and Romanian countryside, with plenty of striking sculptures and surreality around its several exhibition rooms.
Chapel of JesusCHURCH
(Jézus Kápolna; GOOGLE MAP ; Str Bethlen Gábor; adult 2.50 lei, child free; h9am-4pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun)
Some 2km south of town, a striking wooden gateway carved in filigree leads to the small, conical Jesus Chapel, encircled by a stone wall. Estimated to date to the 16th century, it's the only standing medieval remainder from Odorheiu’s long history.
There is a telephone number posted outside the chapel; call for access between the visiting hours.
CitadelRUINS
( GOOGLE MAP )
The crumbling walls of Odorheiu Secuiesc’s medieval citadel can be spied from Str Eötvös József.
4Sleeping
There is a handful of budget and midrange guesthouses in the centre of town, mostly aimed at business travellers and overnighting tourists (few stay longer than one night). There’s also an enormous range of budget pensions north of the centre, along route 13A.
Petőfi PanzióGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0756-093 926; www.petofipanzio.ro; Str Petőfi Sándor 2; s/d 90/140 lei; pW)
This popular guesthouse has little rooms with hardwood furnishings, in a soothing location away from the square and main roads. The sauna, jacuzzi and traditional Hungarian restaurant are enjoyable perks.
Korona PanzióHOTEL$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-216 946; www.koronapanzio.ro; Piața Primăriei 12; s/d/tr €18/26/39; iW)
Just off the prettiest part of the main square, Korona has the best location in town. Duck beneath the archway to access this courtyard hotel with pine-accented rooms. Lodgings are plain, but the flowery beer garden and restaurant compensate (and unexpectedly, a free solarium). Breakfast is an additional €4.
5Eating & Drinking
Hungarian coffee-and-cake culture brightens Odorheiu’s food scene. Find places to eat and drink in Piața Primăriei and its surrounding roads. There are fast-food joints and supermarkets along Str Bethlen Gábor.
GondüzőROMANIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-218 372; www.gonduzo.ro; Str Sântimbru 18; mains 20-40 lei; h10am-midnight)
This upscale hotel-restaurant serves refined Romanian dishes such as trout stuffed with chanterelles, duck with potatoes and cabbage, pork trotters with sour cream… and a few soups and salads if you need a time-out from filling peasant fare.
GPontCAFE
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.gpont.ro; Str Sântimbru 8; h8am-late Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun; W)
Bookish and brick-lined, this boho cafe and community space serves up live jazz, literary meet-ups, and great coffee. Sink into a faded leather armchair and let your eye wander across antique photos and candlebra, while lounge music and intellectual chatter forms the soundtrack.
8Information
There are ATMs and banks along Str Kossuth Lajos and around Piaţa Primăriei.
Tourinfo ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-217 427; www.tourinfo.ro; Str Bethlen Gábor 43; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri summer) Seasonal tourist information point with maps and brochures.
8Getting There & Away
From the bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-212 034; Str Târgului), a 400m walk southwest of the train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Str Bethlen Gábor), there are buses to Sovata (12 lei, 1¼ hours, six daily), Miercurea Ciuc (12 lei, one hour, three to five daily) and Târgu Mureş (22 lei, two to 3½ hours, 10 daily). For Sibiu or Cluj-Napoca, travel via Târgu Mureş.
Hungary-bound buses are run by Csavargó ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-217 377; www.csavargo.ro) and Scorpion Trans ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-218 495; www.scorpiontrans.eu); both have ticket windows at the bus station. Services reach Budapest (120 to 130 lei, 11 hours, one daily) and Pécs (160 lei, 15½ hours, one daily).
Trains clank out towards Sighişoara (7 lei, 1½ hours, three daily).
Odorheiu Secuiesc to Târgu Mureş
Praid
Eight kilometres north of Corund on the road to Sovata, Praid is home to a salt mine (Salina Praid; GOOGLE MAP ; %0266-240 200; www.salinapraid.ro; Str Minei 44, Praid; adult/child 25/15 lei; hentry 8am-2.50pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun), a bizarre underground world with a church, sculpture, swing sets, slides, a cafe selling soda and beer. Locals come for extended underground treatments for bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses at the base, 120m below the surface. A bus leads down dark tunnels – it’s almost apocalyptic. There’s a saltwater outdoor pool a couple of hundred metres west of the entrance to the salt mine. Seven daily buses connect Praid with Sovata (4 lei, 20 minutes).
Sovata
Pop 10,385
Since the 19th century, bathers have eased their achey bodies into Sovata's Bear Lake. The warm, salty waters at this forest-hugged beauty spot, 35km north of Odorheiu Secuiesc, have long been famed for their healing powers. A couple of high-rise hotels, cashing in on Sovata's continued popularity, risk encroaching on the views. But overall, this spa town retains a nostalgic feel, with faded villas lining the road and bathers idling on lakeshore wooden decking each summer.
4Sleeping
Vila SaraPENSION$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-570 159; www.vilasara.ro; Str Trandafirilor 86; r from 126 lei; pW)
Opposite a coal-black orthodox chapel, and rather mimicking its spiky wooden style, is this richly decorated wooden chalet. It has 10 simple rooms with marble floors and pine furniture (some with balconies) plus a lounge with fireplace to relax in. Breakfast not included.
Danubius Health Spa SovataRESORT$$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-570 151; www.danubiushotels.com; Str Trandafirilor 82; d from €86; paWs)
If you want to do Sovata's salt lake in style, stay at the shiny four-st
ar Danubius and make full use of the pool, sauna, steam bath and bewildering array of wellness treatments from mud packs to massages. Rooms have all the polish you'd expect from this prestigious hotel chain, with wonderfully comfortable beds and views of forest or the lake.
8Information
Salt Lake Travel Tourist Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-577 421; www.sovatatravel.ro; Str Bradului 2A; h10am-8pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Sep-Jun, plus to 4pm Sat Jun) Book wellness treatments and transport, and get local information from this small travel agency.
8Getting There & Away
Daily buses connect Sovata with Odorheiu Secuiesc (12 lei, one to 1½ hours, five daily), Târgu Mureş (14 lei, two hours, hourly) and Gheorgheni (15 lei, 1½ hours, one daily).
Târgu Mureş
Pop 142,000
Târgu Mureş is Transylvania’s most underrated town. This spirited place is an ideal starting point to explore Székely Land; its own population is almost an even Romanian-Hungarian split. Târgu Mureş' showpiece is Piaţa Trandafirilor, which preens with statues, two cathedrals, and the unique Culture Palace, the region's most riotously decorated building. Given its location at the heart of Transylvania, there are plenty of ways to whittle a Târgu Mureş detour into your travels – you’ll be very glad you did.