Enjoying Romania's natural beauty, outdoor activities

Tourists take pictures of one of the mud volcano reservations in Cerca, Romania. /Korea Times photos by Kim Se-jeong

By Kim Se-jeong

BUCHAREST —Romania is far from the famous tourist destinations of Europe and is probably only known for Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, to Koreans.

My idea was to drive around the country to visit my Romanian boyfriend’s family and friends and discover what’s available along the way.

During this trip, and I was captivated by the country’s fascinating nature — the high Carpathian Mountains covered with grass and forests, hills, the valleys, the Danube River and its canyons, which are perfect for outdoor activities and spas.

Another stunning part of the Romanian landscape are the plains and plateaus in the Transylvanian and Moldovan regions which were covered with fields of sunflower, corn, wheat and maize.

Romania is about as big as the two Koreas combined.

The Carpathian Mountains and Transylvanian Alps, which are two defining natural features of the western part of the country, create the Transylvanian Basin between them.

The eastern part of the country features the Moldavian Plateau in the north and the Walachian Plain in the south.

The Danube River runs through the country horizontally and flows into the Black Sea on the country’s east coast.

Sinaia

Peles Castle in Sinaia was built by King Carol I for summer retreat.

Sinaia is one of the country’s famous resort towns and is also known for Peles Castle, which King Carol I built as his summer retreat.

The town is a destination for hiking and winter sports, especially skiing. Gondolas are at work, except in winter, carrying tourists and hikers up to one of the Carpathian mountains. Below my feet on a gondola were the grass-covered slopes and forests.

We took the Gondola back to the town center but some people chose to hike back. People also camp on top of the mountain which is more than 2,000 meters high mountain.

Baile Herculane

Baile Herculane is an old town, dating back to AD 102, known for its thermal baths. Its name came from the name of Hercules. Yet, its remnants in the town speak volumes to the ancient glory and prosperity of the city.

Many were and are drawn to the town because of the hot springs rich in sulfur, magnesium and other minerals and thus, are ideal for thermal baths.

The hot springs are available for anyone interested in bathing outdoors, but indoor baths are also available for those who want more privacy.

Not so far is a canyon on the Danube River that serves as a border between Serbia and Romania. The 134-kilometer route offers a scenic view for drivers, bikers and water sports enthusiasts.

Vatra Dornei

Vatra Dornei is surrounded by mountains that are good for hiking and skiing.

The slopes of neighboring mountains make Vatra Dornei perfect for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer, with ski gondolas transporting hikers to the mountain top. The town is also a favorite destination for mountain bikers.

Mountain tops offer a breathtaking view of the Carpathian mountains in the distance and the grassy slopes dotted with colorful huts and buildings below me.

The hike back down was the quietest hiking experience I’ve ever had in years. I stopped to pick wild blueberries, a prime seasonal pastime activity for villagers — I also found the mountain blueberries in the local market.

Cerca

Cerca, a town in central Romania, has reservations of mud volcanos in which gas erupts from 3,000 meters below the surface, through layers of underground salty water and clay.

These geological reservations are found mainly in Romania, as well as Italy, Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan. An eruption is constant but slow and usually releases a small amount of mud.

How to get to Romania

Graph by Cho Sang-won

There’s no direct flight from Korea. The shortest route is through a connecting flight in Doha, Qatar via Qatar Airways. During the peak season between May and August, a round-trip ticket costs about 1,000 euro.

How to rent a car in Romania

You can search for rental cars fast on Google. It’s a big advantage if you can drive a stick shift because rental car services have few automatic cars and charge more for them.