11 Oct - Did a day trip tour to Bulgaria today. Bucharest is only 40mi/80km north of the border. Crossed the Danube river into Ruse, Bulgaria for some sightseeing. Then drove another 90 min south into the foothills of the Balkan mountains to visit the amazing Tsarevets, fortress of the Bulgarian Czars during the 13th/14th centuries until they were taken over by the Ottomans. Enjoyed a delicious Bulgarian lunch overlooking the winding Yantra river and then drove the 3 hours back north to Bucharest. Wonderful day and very happy to see a cross section of the Bulgarian countryside. Tomorrow: Transylvania!
Spent a beautiful autumn day in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania today. First stop was a 2-hour drive northwest of Bucharest at Peles Royal Palace built by King Karol 1 between 1873 and 1914. Amazing inlaid wood artisanship. Next stop was Bran (Dracula’s) Castle complete with bespoke torture chamber. Finally we stopped in the quaint city of Brasov for a delicious Romanian lunch before heading back to Bucharest. It’s was a full day, 12-hour tour!
