Elite Traveler Discovery Itinerary in Romania - Every Trip is Different
My Day ... visiting a fortified church in Viscri then the Bran Castle in Bran and having dinner at Count Tibor Kalnoky's - all in Transylvania
I didn't know what a medieval fortified church was until I came to Viscri and climbed the tower. You could have seen the enemy a long way off and had time to get the villagers sheltered within the church's outer walls.
On Balaban Hill I watched the repair of the Inn's barn with beams hand-hewn from logs brought out by horse from the forest nearby.
To get in we found Frau Dootz who keeps the keys. She's one of a few remaining 'Saxons' in the village and she keeps a sharp eye on the church which has been caringly restored in recent years.
We were fortunate to be invited by D. Dimancescu to a choral concert in honor of his birthday celebrated at the Bran Castle. Restored by Queen Marie in the 1920s, I got a good vantage point in the arched window seen in the picture at right.
Dinner was at Count Tibor Kalnoky's country mansion house. A popular music group - the Nightlosers, played American blues on Romanian instruments. It was lively and we had an elegant meal afterwards..
