Day 14 - July 28th, 2012
Miklosvar - Harman - Prejmer - Sinai - Bucharest, Romania
The Breakfast Table
Breakfast
The Well
Guesthouse
Corn
A Quaint Abode
Shadow
Door
Handle
Another breakfast beneath the vines, our final good-bye, and then we were driving from Miklosvar.
Our initial plan was to go from Miklosvar to Sinai (to see the castle, as recommended by our host from Bucharest) and then end in Bucharest. This was the plan, but this has been a trip of changing plans, and one of the amazing things in the region are the fortified churches. There are hundreds of these churches, as we have seen many many signs for them, but we had yet to stop. At supper our co-eaters suggested that we see Prejmer, and as we left our hostess recommended that we see Harman (since it is on the route). Done and done.
To defend Christian lands the Saxons had settlers build towns along the line of the Ottoman Empire. These towns and villages were to be equipped with fortified churches so that the people could shelter themselves from any heathen attack while they defended the Christian lands. Saxon settlers were granted freedom from tax, and their task was seen as an important one. Both Harman and Prejmer have exceptional fortified churches. The church sits at the centre, and it is surrounded by a thick wall with store rooms and shelters on the inside. Prejmer is the largest of these forts and it has enough rooms in the walls so that each villager had a place to themselves (200+). It is hard to describe the immensity of these forts, but I will try and let my pictures do the trick...btw... UNESCO.
Harman
Harman's Gate
In the Wall
Windows
Inside Harman's Walls
Harman's Fortified Church
Clock Tower
Inside Harman
The Outer Wall
The Church
Wall and Church
Tower
Repaired Door
An Old Archway
Detail
Ladder into the Church
Harman
Pews
In the Church
The Fortified Church
Harman's Fortified Church from the Outside
Prejmer
Detail
Prejmer's Outside
The Gate
Inside Prejmer
The Church
A Hand in the Plaster
Inside Prejmer's Walls
Still Inside Prejmer's Walls
The Wall
Inside Prejmer
Church Windows
Gate
The Organ and the Arches
Inside the Church
Prejmer from Outside
After marvelling at the churches we continued south towards Sinai. We had come up one pass into Transylvania, and we were now going down the other. The natural beauty may have been overwhelming where we not so saturated from the beauty of home. Sinai is squashed in the mountain pass, and Peles Castle is remarkably hard to find. Ok... so it isn't that bad, but we had all sorts of issues because the parking guy motioned for us to go elsewhere when we were at the parking lot for the castle. After some exploring we found the castle. We had considered skipping it given our difficulties, but I am glad that we didn't. This castle is modern. It was build at the turn of the 1900's and it has such amenities as central heating and a central vacuum system. From the outside it looks like the fairy tale castle that every little girl dreams of living in and every little boy dreams of rescuing every little girl from. It is amazing. My words simply cannot suffice. I could not take photos inside but believe me that you have never seen such things as are in there: carvings of everything... carved railings, carved furniture, carved everything. A courtyard, at least 20m by 20m with a stained glass sky light. A weapons collection from all over the world, and all time... at the time... Dancing halls with Venetian glass and mirrors. This is not the most exquisitely decorated castle in the world, but if they did any more it would be too much.
Castelul Peles
Fairy Tale Castle
Tower Between the Trees
The Castle
Peles Castle
Inside the Courtyard
Carving
Looking Up
The Fountain
The Statue
Peles Castle
I am glad that we were recommended to see this, and I am glad that we found it.
We continued south to Bucharest, and after some lostness we even found our hostel (the same one as before). We ate at the same restaurant as the first night (I ate the same meal quatro carne!!!) and we slept in the same bed...
