Today we’ll take you to the northern Romanian county of
Bistrita Nasaud, which boasts lots of opportunities for all types of tourist activities,
from relaxation to active tourism. The area has well preserved its traditions
and crafts, so tourists will be able to buy many local craftworks and to
participate in various events organized in the county’s communes and villages
all along the year.
Bistrita Nasaud
county is located in the central-northern part of Romania and includes the
contact area between the Eastern Carpathians and the Transylvanian Plateau. The
county seat is the city of Bistrita, which was first attested in documents in
1264 as an old German borough and a valuable historical centre. It is the
starting point towards the mountainous area which is very appreciated by
tourists, as Claudia Andron, the president of the tourism promotion Association
A tourist in Bistrita Nasaud told us:
Claudia Andron: Bistrita
Nasaud is a new tourist destination, given that before, the area did not
benefit from tourist promotion. Several years ago, our association planned a
strategy and we are now seeing the results. Tourists have started to be
interested in or region and we have shown willingness to help, our slogan
being ‘Discover Bistrita Nasaud’. If people usually choose Maramures for
traditions and Bukovina for the monasteries, here in Bistrita Nasaud they have
it all: ecological, rural, ecumenical, cultural and historical tourism. The
area also boasts a large storage lake, Colibita, which has become very popular
with tourists in the past 2 years. We are now trying to deal with the big flow
of tourists and we still have to make investments in accommodation facilities. Those
who want to spend a few days at the Colibita lake should book their trip in
advance.
Colibita is
located at 40-km from Bistrita and 17 kms away from Tihuta Pass, which is
famous due to the Dracula legend. It is a solitary place in the mountains, near
a very big lake, where people are leading a quiet life, growing animals and farming,
says Andreea Spinu, a travel agent in Bistrita Bargaului.
Andreea Spinu: The area
is actually a depression in the middle of which there is a storage lake. It is
the main attraction of the region. The depression is situated in the east of
Bistrita Nasaud county, on the very contact line between the Bargau and
Calimani Mountains. Around 2% of the Calimani National Park is located in our
commune and people come here mostly for relaxation. We have various offers for
trekking, riding, drives in horse-drawn vehicles in summer and in horse-drawn
sledges in winter. Also the area’s flora and fauna are special and the air
quality is very good. A much-sought- after pastime is adventure tourism
including kayak, rafting, paragliding, mountaineering, bouldering and hunting.
We have a very rich offer.
Bistrita is also
the right place for those who want to spend a few days in a traditional house
full of traditional objects. Here is Andreea Spinu with more details:
There
are several households open to tourists. Colibita boasts many traditional
houses displaying traditional decorative or functional objects. In winter these
houses turn into handicraft centers, with women spending their time weaving on
the loom.
Next, Claudia
Andron, the president of the tourism promotion Association A tourist in
Bistrita Nasaud will tell us more about traditional decorations and ornaments,
about traditions passed from one generation to the next:
If you
happen to travel to the Nasaud area, you must stop by the workshop of the famous
local artist Virginia Linul. You will find there a whole universe of the
traditional dress. There are many women who still sew traditional costumes in
the old fashion. They make embroideries by hand and use beads to make
traditional motifs. You will even find here an old, natural washing-machine
which our ancestors used in the past. Today, there are people in Bistrita
Nasaud who still use such methods.
Bistrita Nasaud
also boasts many cultural events which tourists can attend all throughout the
year. Claudia Andron is back at the microphone:
There is
a big cultural effervescence in Bistrita Nasaud, we have many festivals such as
the Golden Apple satire and humor festival which is 20 years old, the Zamfira’s
Wedding festival, which gathers traditional music ensembles from all over the
world, we also have symphony concerts held in the Bistrita synagogue. Then
there is the Garlic Festival in Count Dracula’s region which takes place in the
last week of July. People are very hospitable and prices are reasonable as
compared to other regions of Romania. Locals are very attentive with tourists
and make them feel really comfortable. Not to mention the very delicious and
healthy food of the area. At present we are developing a project called ‘Made
in Bistrita Nasaud’ which encourages production of natural food.
As we spoke
about reasonable prices in this area, you should know that for one-night accommodation
in a 3-daisy guesthouse in Colibita, prices start from 10 Euros per person
including parking and Wi-Fi.
(translated by Lacramioara Simion)