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13 September 2022

Transalpina - Transsilvania - Maramureș

After my detour to the Iron Gate <Danube breakthrough> I wanted to continue north again. The motto was Transalpina - Transylvania - Maramureș.

Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a the border city with  Serbia, south of the Iron Gates, and driving there from Bucharesti didn't really excite me. Endless fields and between them industrial complexes <whether active or ruins> and trucks. The drive to Novaci <southern entry into the Transalpina> is only about 130 km and after 2.5 hours I had made it. I realized my mistake while driving. Don't drive on a Sunday, because that's when the Romanians are on the road.

But the Transalpina ripped it all out again.

The Transalpina <DN67C> took me to the Transylvanian Alps, climbing to 2'132 m. It is 148 km long. The alternative would have been the Transfogarascha, but it wasn't snow-free in early June.

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The journey to the highest point, Vârful Păpuşa at 2,132m, took about 20 minutes. The higher you get, the more beautiful the view  and I decided to spend the night at 2,019 m. There is nothing better than enjoying a gin and tonic in the evening. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

The next day I chose to depart via Petroşani, Hateg  to Hunedoara. So I didn't drive the entire 148 km.

I had been told that this would be the cradle of the Dacians or Romania. I was more interested in Castelul Corvinilor and the gypsy palaces in a suburb of Hunedoara. Castelul Corvinilor is a TripAdvisor recommendation and it was quite busy even before it opened at 12pm on a Monday. After 30 minutes I was gone again. But I had refueled my gas bottle. I saved about 40 € for a new bottle.

On the way to Sibiu, the usual Romanian landscape presented itself to me. Fields and in between factories and warehouses. Sibiu itself is somewhat unusual. First, it has an American-style mall, just huge. Between the shopping center and the Upper Town, the usual communist architectural style can be found. And always an abandoned factory. The Upper Town dates back to the 13th century and is characterized by German settlers, the Transylvanian Saxons.

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Since none of the camps in Sibiu could inspire me, I continued towards Medias. I looked at various monasteries and churches. If there is anything in Romania, it is monasteries and churches. There are monasteries of the Romanian Orthodox Church, but also a few Roman Catholic monasteries. Many have colorful extraordinary frescoes which often cover the entire wall of the church.

And there are flowers, whether brought by the monastery itself or by the visitors. In front of some monasteries there are stands where you can buy flowers for the visit.

What I learned from a guide in Plopiş is that graves are not "dismantled" after 20 years like in Germany and I could see 1869 on the oldest gravestone. The second was that married couples have a grave together. Not particularly unusual, but both names are on the gravestone, even if only one partner has already died. You can also have graves during lifetime, then only the date of birth is on the grave. A bit bizarre for me

I then spent the evening at a reservoir in front of Medias.

Medias itself was the first major city to offer a real old town in addition to churches and supermarkets. Among other things, I was impressed by the fortified church, Saint Margaret. Over the next few days I saw more fortified churches.

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My journey continued along the 14a and via Târnăveni to the Mănăstirea Nașterea Măicii Domnului. This monastery, run by nuns, is also a small solitude and invites you to linger.

When I  tried to get into Târgu Mureș next moring, I failed because of traffic. Construction sites, accidents and no progress. I gave up and shot after 20 minutes. My next destination was the Hermitage St. Ioan Evanghelistul, in the middle of nowhere <more specifically, south of Luduș>. After about 60 minutes of driving, crossing a mud hole, I stood in front of a dirt road with an incline that had 4x4 character and saw the Hermitage clad in scaffolding. I broke off in frustration and after a break headed towards Turda and Cheile Turzii. Completely unprepared, I then visited another monastery inhabited by nuns, Monastery of St. Great Martyr Demetrios <Mănăstirea Dumbrava>. The monastery is draped in flowers and is a place of tranquility, although there have been quite a few visitors

Actually, I wanted to hike in the Turzii Gorge <Cheile Turzii>, but in mid-June it was pretty busy here and I didn't feel like hiking through the gorge in a queue, let alone camping here. But you have to be lucky, because the Tureniulu Gorge <Cheile Tureniului> is only 15 km away and there was no operation here. Although Tureniulu cannot be compared to Turzii, you can also hike a few meters here and in the evening stand relaxed next to a few people from the next village.

I hadn't even gotten in after Târgu Mureș, Cluj-Napoca let me in but didn't let me park. A few parking spaces are indicated on P4N. One was a construction site and the other was full. I tried plan B <drive around the city aimlessly> and then plan C <follow the tram until you find a parking space>. After 60 minutes I gave up. So I didn't really visit Cluj-Napoca.

Frustrated, I looked for a café and changed my plans. Maramureș was now my destination and hiking. So Breb became my next destination. The trip via Dej,  Târgu Lăpuș and Strâmbu-Băiuț showed me a completely different Romania.

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Maramureș is shaped by the mountains of Oaș, Gutâi, Țibleș and Rodnei, the Maramureș Mountains, and frames the valley along the Tisza. Small rivers and streams come down the mountains which are heavily forested and not easily accessible <a paradise for 4x4 drivers>.

The passes of the Maramureș Mountains are up to 1'500 m high <Prislop Pass (1'416 m), Dealul Ștefăniței (1'254 m)>. And not every pass has a consistently paved road…..

The mountains themselves are just over 2'000 m <Pietrosul (2'303 m), Hovârla (2'061 m)> . A hike from Creasta Cocoşului Hike at 1,331 m was enough for me. After all, it's almost 800 m high