Our adventure starts following the mighty Danube through the Iron Gates, crossing the border from Serbia into Romania. Mr Schmitt and I then head via Bucharest to the Black Sea, a long awaited destination, to explore ancient cultures and the Danube Delta ecosystem. Heading inland we traverse the Carpathians and explore the land of Dracula, before heading towards and across the Great Hungarian plain. We take some downtime in the vineyards of Lake Balaton, and explore eastern Croatia, including the capital, Zagreb, before returning "home" to Istria Nostra ...
An der schönen blauen Donau ...
There is arguably no finer place in the world to enjoy Johann Strauss's majestic waltz, than riding through the Iron Gates ... our first destination on our Black to Adriatic adventure. Picking up our trusted steed "Pegasus" from Jure (of the ever reliable Adriatic Moto Tours) at Belgrade airport, Mr Schmitt and I head straight for the mighty Danube, joining it at Golubac fortress.
Once a long standing frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube is central to the outset of our Romanian adventure. Originating in Germany, the river passes through five countries before entering Serbia, and threads its way through an additional five before emptying into the Black Sea ... but now we are getting ahead of ourselves ...
From the impressive Golubac Fortress, the broad river narrows though the gorges and we follow it, heading east along Trajan's road through Serbia's Derdap National Park. The winding road follows the majestic river, glistening as the sun slowly descends through the late afternoon. We cross the mighty Danube for the first time this journey, and, leaving Serbia, enter Romania as dusk approaches at Drobeta-Turnu Severin. We leave the Continental hotel, a leftover of the region's Communist past, and stumble upon an outdoor cafe where we savour our first Romanian fare, and toast the start of our epic journey. The border town lies close to the location of Trajan's Bridge, built in 105 AD by Appolodorus of Damascus as a supply route for the Roman legions fighting in Dacia. Sadly the bridge is no more, and the site in need of some attention, but we enjoyed our visit, casting our minds back and imagining what once was, before setting out for the nation's capital.
Bucharest
To Mr Schmitt's delight, after a long day on the road, driving through the countryside of Oltenia and Walachia, under the watchful gaze of the Carpathian Mountains, we arrive in the nation's capital, and receive the warm welcome of Dutch hospitality at the RembrandT Hotel in the old city centre.
Our evening will be spent wandering around the old town and soaking in the local atmosphere of the Lipscani area, which, since the 14th century was the home to merchants and craftsmen - Romanian, Austrian, Greek, Armenian and Jewish in heritage. After strolling the narrow cobblestone streets, admiring the local art galleries and antique shops, and feasting on the local fare, I'm ready for Mr Schmitt to chaperone me home for a night of dutch comforts (in more than one sense of the word ...).
The Black Sea
After months of anticipation, we will finally see the Black Sea with our own eyes ... this was destined to be a highlight of the trip for Mr Schmitt ... the first step of a longer term journey of eastern silk road lands. Labelled first as inhospitable (Pindar 475 BC) and later hospitable (post Milesian colonization), the Black Sea sat at the crossroads of the ancient world. It was allegedly sailed by the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, and marked, the edge of the known world for the Greeks. After settling into our base at Enisala Safari Village, and enjoying the first of many fabulous sunsets, we set out on a day of exploration.
Dobrogea, which sits between the lower basin of the Danube and the Black Sea, was part of the northern loop of the Silk Road, that passed north of the Caspian Sea, to Crimea, around the Black Sea, by Enisala to Byzantium. Our adventure started at the ruins of the ancient commercial city of Histria (derived from the Latin word Hister meaning Danube), the first urban settlement in Romanian territory dating back to the 7th Century BC. We also visited the old Roman Fort Argamum, and the ruins of the Genovese fort in Enisala, a short walk from our hotel. Saturated with culture, we returned to our base, explored the traditional Ottoman Lounge, and settled in for wonderful home cooking and our fabulous discovery of Feteasca Neagra - fortunately they had a few in stock at the honesty bar!
The Danube Delta
The place where the mighty Danube ends it's journey of almost 1864 miles through Europe, was a place we had to visit ... The Danube Delta was formed 6,500 years ago when the Black Sea rose to its current level and a cove began to fill up with the soil and sediment from the upstream river. The delta is the second largest in Europe (after the Volga) but remains the best preserved in the world. As a result of its location on the migratory path, the area is in effect a magnet for birds from as far as Mongolia, the Arctic and Siberia, with over 300 species found there in the summer months. A place of tranquility, surrounded by nature in all its glory, it is a photographers dream - I was in my element! It is also, as we discovered, subject to rapid changes in climate - we experienced it all: the heavens opened and offered rain followed by hail ... Fully exposed to the elements, only the deep reeds offer some form of shelter, which we took welcome advantage of on more than one occasion! A little wet and windswept, we were delighted when the sun blessed us with its presence, and presented the opportunity to see the delta waters glistening as a pod of pelicans took flight. The variety in weather was only surpassed by the flora, fauna and birdlife ... a wonderful experience even for novice ornithologists like ourselves (although Mr Schmitt may challenge being called a novice!).
Entering Dracula's lands
Leaving the coast, we head inland, into the mountains, towards our destination for the next few days - the land beyond the forest - better known as Transylvania. Infamous as the land of vampires, Transylvania has not only a rich history, but also a beautiful landscape, surrounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountains. Having recently been gripped by Bram Stoker's novel, it is little surprise that I cling a little closer to Mr Schmitt as we near Dracula's lair ...
In 82 BC, Transylvania became the nucleus of the Kingdom of Dacia (82 BC). Having been conquered by Rome in the second century AD, the territory passed through tribal and later Bulgarian rule, before coming under Hungarian control from the turn of the first millennium. During the 12th and 13th Centuries, Hungarian Kings invited German colonists to develop towns and cultivate the land. These "Transylvanian Saxons" were farmers, artisans and merchants, and their presence is still very evident in the local saxon heritage, architecture and culture.
In the 13th Century, the Teutonic Knights fortified the area of south-east Transylvania, creating a strong defence against the threat of Ottoman and Tatar invasion, and built Kronstadt: the City of the Crown. Known today as Brasov, the city was founded on an ancient Dacian site, and was later settled by Saxons as one of the seven walled cities in the region, and it is the home of Casa Rozelor, our resting place for the night. After settling into the charming hotel, we took a stroll to admire the medieval saxon walls and bastions and the gothic style Black Church, before settling down at an intimate little wine bar for some great local fare ... not a vampire in sight ...
In the first century AD, the Dacians built a fortification called Sandava. It is on this site that Sighisoara stands today, a stunningly well-preserved medieval town, which was destined to be one of my highlights of the region. The wonderfully welcoming Fronius Residence was our base, from which we would explore, hand in hand as always, the winding cobbled alleys, secluded squares, numerous towers and turrets, and 500 year old
frescoes in the Church on the Hill. We felt like we had stepped back in time, and unfortunately we had but the one day and evening to soak it all in ...
Leaving Vlad the Impaler's beautiful birthplace behind us, we head deeper into Transylvania, visiting Biertan in the early morning, with it's impressive fortified church, en route to the 2007 European City of Culture - Sibiu. "Hermannstadt", or today's Sibiu, was the largest and wealthiest of the seven walled cities, constructed by the Transylvanian Saxons, and it retains a
distinctly German feel. From Levoslav House we set out to explore the narrow streets and church dominated squares, including the underground passageway, running under the Council Tower, that links the upper and lower squares.
But the highlight for us did not lie in the city itself... Sibiu is one of the gateway cities to arguably the oldest road over the Carpathian mountains. Reaching a soaring 7,000 feet, the TransAlpina was built at the end of the 2nd century AD by the Romans in their campaign to conquer Dacia. We were promised Alpine scenery, breathtaking views, and a healthy dose of excitement and adventure ... and the experience did not disappoint ...
It would be impossible to part from Transylvania without once last hit of history - a visit to the Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains (Sarmisegetusa Regia). It was also a fabulous way to break up a long day on the road, and we were blessed with glorious sunshine for the experience. Dating from the 1st century BC, the fortresses were built as a defence ring around the capital (Sarmisegetusa), the ruins are well preserved, and fascinating - Mr Schmitt could have spent many an hour exploring the remains of what was clearly a vigorous and innovative culture ... but the Magyars were calling ...
From the Carpathian Mountains to the Pannonian Plain ...
Embarking further westwards, we left the mountainous and awe-inspiring scenery of the Carpathians, in anticipation of a dramatically different landscape ... Going back to prehistoric times, the Great Hungarian Plain was an important meeting point of cultures between Eastern and Western Europe. It forms the largest region of the Pannonian Basin, and, in the Middle Ages, was frequently the scene of conflict between the Hapsburg and Ottoman Empires. The difference was stark ...
Our first resting place was in Szeged, the regional centre of the Southern Great Plain. Self proclaimed as a unique place where design and tradition in gastronomy and architecture come together, we were excited to arrive at Hotel Tiszavirag, a boutique hotel in a renovated townhouse, perfectly located to explore the inner town, its beautiful buildings and wide alleys.
Szeged is also known as the home of Paprika, which arrived in Hungary in the 16th Century as an ornamental plant, and 100 years later was cultivated into the herb that became a mainstay of Hungarian cuisine. We did not miss out trying the real deal during a fabulous dinner that evening, accompanied by our first, and impressive local wine ... the first of many fabulous gourmet experiences in the land of the Magyars.
Our journey continued from Szeged westwards, across the flat lands of European "cowboy country" to the Roman city of Sopianae, founded in the 2nd Century BC and home to the early Christian necropolis which we were excited to visit.
As a result of it's multi-cultural heritage - German, Croatian and Romany - Pecs is often referred to as the "Borderless City". Famous for its Mediterranean climate and local wines, it sounded like the perfect appetizer for our next destination - what Travel and Leisure had recently labelled "Wine's Next Frontier" ... I had little doubt that Mr Schmitt and I would settle in just fine ...
Lake Balaton
In the Kali Basin, a few kilometres from Lake Balaton, and on the site of a former wine press, we were excited to experience Magyar Toscana. Liszkay Borkuria is not just an award winning winery, but also a luxury wine hotel.
The hotel stands in splendid isolation, a perfect location to rest after a number days on the dusty road. With its 350 year old wine cellar, charming accommodation, Provence style dining room, panoramic outdoor pool, Finnish sauna, and vistas overlooking the volcanic hills, it was a small piece of heaven ... What else could I ask for ... well lets start with a chilled glass of fine Hungarian wine in the late afternoon sunshine in the fabulous company of Mr S ...
Zagreb
After a couple of days of rest & relaxation, culture called ... We headed across the border to Croatia's capital City - Zagreb, which Mr Schmitt, having recently read Marcus Tanner's Croatian history, was fascinated to explore. So, after a quick check in at boutique Hotel President Pantovcak, appropriately located just off British Square, we set out for an adventure to satiate our cultural appetite and build up our gastronomic one ...
After an enjoyable walking tour of the thousand year old Gornji grad (Upper Town), we were ready for, and felt like we deserved, a great dinner. We were not disappointed at Contemporary Dubravkin Put, Zagreb's only JRE designated restaurant, and one that we have already planned to return to on our next visit to re-challenge our senses ...
Istria Nostra
After an incredible journey from the Black Sea, over the mountains and across the plains, the familiar Adriatic Sea was calling, and more importantly, so was Istria Nostra ... and the fabulous Relais Chateaux hotel, restaurant, winery and olive oil estate of Meneghetti.
Comments