Travel_Nerd

Lovely conclusion, kja. Your travels are inspiring.

I'm amongst those that were moved by the War Photo Limited. Two years later and I still think of it - probably one of the most meaningful and objective exhibits I have ever seen. May not be appropriate, but the place really should give discounts at the nearest bar. I remember walking around Dubrovnik in a haze after that.

kja

@ Travel_Nerd: I’ve seen quite a few museums and memorials devoted to war or genocide or torture … they all leave me a bit dazed. Each and every one seems to have a goal of making sure the things they document never happen again. Sadly, history continues to repeat. That’s the part that I find hardest. And yet I still hear the power of the voices those museums memorilze and consider it an honor to visit those exhibits.

Fortunately, I also find much to celebrate in the places I visit and am glad if my experiences are inspirational to others. Thank you for reading my report and taking the time to comment!

valgalchi

Thank you for the great report. Romania is definitely on my long (and getting longer everyday) list!

kja

@ valgalchi: You are welcome! Thank you for your compliment.

thursdaysd

Just got around to reading this great report - I don't spend much time on Fodors these days.

For those asking about public transport, I visited southern Romania in 2014 using public transport supplemented by an occasional, very cheap, car and driver. When I visited the north, in 2006, I did use a car and driver for the whole trip.

For anyone with an interest in Art Nouveau/Secessionist/etc architecture, I highly recommend crossing the border into Hungary to visit Szeged.

kja

@ thursdaysd: Nice to "see" you here! Thanks for reading my report and assuring people that they can see Romania without driving. I'm envious of your time in Szeged.

Ingo

Fantastic trip report, kja - thanks a lot. My favourite pictures are the different kinds of churches - wooden, byzantine ... That three-faced Jesus Christ (Trinity) is quite a piece! And the snow-capped Carpathian mountains - wow! May really seems to be the perfect time for a visit.

Friends of mine did a road trip through Romania this year and loved it, too. The only thing they were not happy with were the awful road conditions in the countryside. Thank God it was a rental car ...

kja

Thanks for reading my report, Ingo, and taking the time to comment! I saw a lot of truly impressive churches of various styles -- quite a treat! And I was fascinated to see that three-faced Jesus Christ / Trinity -- the only other one I'd seen was the frescoed one in the church in Lavin, which I learned about through you.

I'm glad to say that even the country roads on which I drove were generally in good shape (and often afforded glimpses of distant snowcaps), though I did end up behind a road planer once, and that made for a long, less than ideal stretch -- but better than being on a road in need of planing. I thought it interesting to learn that the roads around Viscri have intentionally been left as gravel as a way to deter huge tour buses.

shelemm

I was in Romania for a week, mostly in Transylvania, and I didn't come across any road that was in poor condition.

kja

I did say that the roads on which I drove were GENERALLY in good shape -- not ALWAYS so. The major highways were, as I recall, all well maintained. But on minor roads, there were some bad sections, thankfully short ones and usually with clear signs that road crews were beginning to address the situation. And fortunately, the GPS I used for that trip was "live" so I could avoid the worst roads. I suspect that road conditions are seasonal -- winter freezes and thaws and spring run-off can do a serious number of roadways! I was there in May. In the north, spring was just beginning; further south and through most of Transylvania, winter was far enough in the rear-view mirror for serious road repairs to be underway. I believe shelemm was there in June or July, after those repairs were likely to have been completed. That's my guess!

shelemm

I recounted my limited experience in one section of the country for a week. I did not notice the roads were freshly repaired, and I do not doubt that in the less traveled north of the country maybe the roads are in a different condition.

Certainly, the word highway can mean different things based on context. Any road could be called a highway, but when you are in a country like Romania, you can banish the idea that a highway is an elevated road that is straight and fast. That is in very little evidence. Most roads connecting cities are just roads that have no special quality, though the speed limit increases on sections that are straight. But as I went from crossing the Danube near Vidin, Bulgaria and looped through Transylvania, Bucharest, and then back to Ruse, Bulgaria, the roads were pleasant and would not in any way lead me to the conclusion they are in awful condition, as reported by the friend of a Fodorite.

kja

I think we have established that shelemm and I had very different experiences. As with many things, I suspect that different travelers exploring different parts of the country at different times have different experiences.

In my 3+ weeks, I drove on a few minor roads that were in need of repair and some major highways well designed for their 130 km/hour speed limits. Most of the roads were fine. Given the climate and terrain, I would find it surprising if there weren't roads in need of repair each spring.