Radio România Internațional

Tag: park

  • Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains

    Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains

    Romania is home to roughly 12,000 caves, actually being one of Europe’s top countries in terms of the number and the diversity of the caves. Being of a very special beauty, the caves stand out thanks to the uniqueness of their karstic formations and the great length of the galleries, with some of them even being longer than ten kilometres. Actually, in the early 20th century, Romanian explorer Emil Racoviță laid the foundation of the world’s first biospeleology institute. At that, Racovita began the mapping of the subterranean universe. If we look again at the most beautiful caves, one of Europe’s most beautiful such caves can be found in western Romania, in Anina Mountains. It is called the Comarnic Cave.

    The Comarnic Cave is one of Romania’s most beautiful and wildest caves. It is 6,203 meters long, lying at an altitude of 100 meters, with a three-level development. Of them, tourists can only see the upper level, stretching along 1,750 meters. The lower level is crossed by Ponicova rivulet’s subterranean segment.

    Bogdan Badescu is the president of the Resita-based Explorers Speleological Association. At national level, Bogdan is a well-known speleologist and a former president of the Romanian Speleology Federation. Bogdan Badescu is our guide today and it is from him we found out that, in order for a cave to be formed, a soluble rock is needed. We’re speaking about limestone. As for the Caras-Severin County, there are many calcareous areas there.

    “The limestones are formed at the bottom of the seas or at the bottom of lagoons, there where there are many sea creatures, which, after they die, they remain at the bottom of the seas, while all those shells of snails and bones make a bed which gets thicker in millions of years. And that’s how we get to have the present-day situation, where we have the Anina Mountains, which are more than 1,000 high, all of them being formed of limestone.

    Three elements are required for a cave to be formed. We need a soluble rock. We also need water, I mean water that can flow through the soluble rock, thereby dissolving it so the space can thus be formed. Then we also need the course the water can flow through. Having the rock is not enough, unless a couple of seeps exists, for the water to flow through. In a very long period of time, the water, as it flows, dissolves the limestone, more and more. If, initially, a gallery had a one-centimetre-wide seep, now it is 10 to 20 meters wide and high. “

    Interesting to note is the fact that there are no stalactites in the Comarnic Cave, yet there are deposits of calcium carbonate, the cave’s earliest such deposits. With details on that, here is the president of the Resita-based Explorers Speleological Association, Bogdan Badescu:

    “ As we advance into the cave, we notice many more such calcium carbonate formations in various stages and shapes, all of them very beautiful. And, towards the middle of the cave, there where it is around 200 meters deep, as against the surface of the ground there are some huge basins which right now are even full of water. In popular terms, they are known as the Chinese walls. Their charm is very special. Another strong point of the cave is made of its silex formations. On the walls, we can see some stripes of a darker, black-brownish colour. Those are the silex interlayers. Of them, in the past, tools were manufactured, by the primitive men. It is the staple rock used for the manufacturing of the first tools.”

    Unfriendly as it may seem, and with life circumstances being very difficult, the environment of the cave is home to adapted forms of life. A true subterranean universe. With details on that, here is the president of the Resita-based Explorers Speleological Association, Bogdan Badescu:

    “There is a series of invertebrates which, as a rule, are one, two millimetre-long, or even less than one millimetre. Those invertebrates permanently live in the deep environment of the cave and they feed on one another, or on the trophic resources sometimes brought by the water from the surface. Apart from those invertebrate species in the cave, around one hundred, there are also the species that reach the cave accidentally.

    The Ponicova rivulet, especially when the river flow is high, can mostly bring crabs or frogs in the cave. Those species, for a while they live as long as they can find food and the time comes for them to die, yet they manage to survive for quite a long period of time. There also are the butterflies and the spiders who you’re most likely to come across in the first dozens of meters, at the entrance of the Comarnic Cave.

    The symbol-species everybody knows are the bat species. They are mammals entering the cave permanently, there they have both the birth habitat but also the hibernation and sheltering habitat. Especially in winter they form quite large colonies in the Comarnic Cave .”

    Practical info on how to visit, providing it is the director of the Semenic-Caras Gorges National Park, Nicolae Ifca, who is also the administrator of the Comarnic Cave.

    “I recommend tourists to access the official site of the park, at www.pnscc.ro, where they can get all the info on the visiting hours for absolutely any objective that can be found in the park. In the cave we come across several halls, bigger or smaller, a great many stalactite-type formations, stalagmites, columns, but for each and every one of them we have a name given by the administration, that’s for sure. Our daily timetable begins at 10:30 am with the first admission, while the last admission is at 15:30. From Monday to Friday we provide a guide to the visit, with a request to be made in advance, yet on Saturdays and Sundays we provide a guide on a permanent basis. “

    In the Semenic-Caras Gorges National Park we find eleven nature reserves, but also 65,000 hectares of virgin and old-growth beech forests, included, in 2016, in the UNESCO world heritage list. And it is also here that we can find a rare specimen of Sequoia, whose circumference is 5.7 meters and whose estimate age is 200 years. The giant tree has been included in a route starting off right from the Comarnic Cave.

    Actually, the Semenic-Caras Gorges National Park Administration provides guiding services for seven tourist programs, in the protected area. The guides are the park rangers who know the area, they can offer numerous pieces of info on the local history and culture, flora a and fauna species, or ecosystems. The fee per persons for a guided programs is 70 Lei (14 Euros).

  • Harghita County, a family destination

    Harghita County, a family destination

    Hello, dear friends and
    welcome to another travel feature on Radio Romania International. This is DB at
    the microphone and today we invite you to the county of Harghita, located in Romania’s
    central region. Here one can find the only volcanic lake in eastern Europe, the
    St. Anne Lake as well as the Praid salt mine, a genuine salt town at a depth of
    120 meters from the surface. The region offers excellent conditions for mountain
    hiking and is famous for its ski slopes very appreciated by winter sports
    lovers.


    Mezey Zsolt, project manager
    with the Intercommunity Development Association has told us that all the travel programmes
    here are very safe and family-friendly.




    Mezey Zsolt: My
    first suggestion is the Salt Land because here we are running a series of activities
    aimed at introducing several trades and involving visitors in them, based on
    the old principle, which says that ‘learning is doing’. This is an
    unforgettable experience because tourists are being assisted by professionals
    while getting involved in several activities related to one trade or another. Visitors
    can participate in pottery for instance, so they can take home the object they have
    created with their own hands. Then we invite visitors to bake the famous kürtőskalacs
    or polish aragonite jewels. You can find more details on our webpage at visitharghita.com.




    Harghita has lots to offer
    in terms of adventure tourism as well. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt,
    project manager with the Intercommunity Development Association.




    Mezey Zsolt: An experience
    which is becoming increasingly popular is via ferrata. The name originates in the
    Italian Dolomites and initially was a military infrastructure. It is actually a
    climbing route that employs steel cables, rungs or ladders fixed to rocks. The
    Gheorgheni-Red Lake route includes our via ferrata infrastructure dubbed ‘Wild
    Ferenc’ on the south-western side of Suhardul Mic Mountain. This route is 200
    meter long and 170 meters above the ground. Another suchlike infrastructure can
    be found on the Sugau Gorges nature reserve and is known as Astragalus. With a total
    length of 700 meters, it has five routes 285 meters from the ground. But I
    believe the most beautiful of them all is in the Corbu village and it is known
    as ‘The Hawks’ Stone’. This route, which covers 150 meters, includes a
    suspended 15-meters long bridge and a vertical section with stairs. This
    programme is available between April and November but it very much depends on
    the weather. For more information, videos and photos of the aforementioned
    routes visit our webpage at visitharghita.com.




    Another novel experience
    would be a trip to a genuine sheepfold, where one can learn first hand about
    this ancient trade and traditions related. Here visitors can enjoy a rich traditional
    meal consisting of several courses of delicious bio food. Specialised guides
    will be accompanying you on your trip and if you feel like getting a bit of an
    adrenaline rush, the region offers proper conditions for trips in 4×4 vehicles.
    Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt.




    Mezey
    Zsolt: In a well-equipped terrain vehicle, you can explore
    the Hasmas Mountains and the Bicazului Gorges. Upon request, the experience can
    be completed by a via-ferrata route in the region but there are also other
    routes available in various transport vehicles, such as the Unimog. A historical
    route can be covered in this vehicle or in a ZIL 157, an army truck built in
    the former USSR, which we have dubbed ‘the crocodile’. A 6×6 terrain vehicle
    offers safety and comfort, and the routes have been chosen in such a way to
    offer access to breath-taking views and other interesting spots along the way. We
    also have a one-hour guided tour of the botanical reserve at Tinov Mohos, which
    is very interesting especially for kids as it takes them through an area, which
    is a remnant of the Ice Age, where they can see carnivorous plants and other
    rare species. Like I said, many of these plant species are dating back to the Ice
    Age and I would invite visitors in the area to also take a boat trip on the St.
    Anne Lake, as this experience has lately become very popular with families in
    general. The boats are big enough to take 3-4 people who are required to wear
    life vests, which come in all sizes.


    Such a family-friendly
    programme is the animal park of Babusgató, where children can interact with
    animals and spend a great time. As we all know, animal therapy has been largely
    used around the world with great effects on patients. Here is again at the
    microphone Mezey Zsolt




    Mezey Zsolt: Here children can see and
    even touch deer, Icelandic horses, rabbits and other cute animals. Another
    family-friendly experience is the bob-sleigh race, which is actually crossing areas
    of breath-taking beauty. There are three bob-sleigh tracks here, including a
    summer one, 15 hundred meter long, which can be accessed by means of the ski
    lifts and I would like to inform you that the track in Toplita is the longest
    in Romania stretching over almost 18 hundred meters. Most of it crosses a
    forest and the bob-sleigh gains a speed of 40 kilometers an hour. Children with
    ages between three and eight can enjoy this experience only if accompanied by adults.
    The oldest track, located in the commune of Ghimes has recently become an
    attraction for thrill-seeking tourists, who have described the landscapes here
    as similar to those they have seen in Austria or Switzerland.




    Tourists
    visiting the area are also offered another option; that of taking a one-day
    tour of Transylvania, by visiting a multi-cultural theme park entitled
    Mini-Transylvania, showcasing replicas of the main historical buildings in this
    part of Romania. The park is located close to Odorheiu Secuiesc and covers a
    surface of eight thousand square meters. (bill)

  • Romania and its still rich rural past

    Romania and its still rich rural past


    We’re
    opening up for you, today, the gates of a museum which is a real-size replica
    of old-time and traditional Bukovina. Established in the 1970s, the Bukovina Village Museum has been included, since
    2004, in the heritage list of Suceava County’s historical monuments. We’re
    having a walk around the alleys of the museum only to discover households and
    tools which are specific for the rural activities, but also craftsmen and handicraft
    items. The director of the Bukovina Village Museum, Dr. Constantin-Emil Ursu, is
    our guide today. Dr Ursu told us the establishment was one of Romania’s
    youngest traditional art outdoor museums.


    Our museum mainly focuses on wooden architecture which is traditional in
    this region. Suceava County’s forest-covered surface area accounts for 60%, and
    is Romania’s second-largest such area. We know all too well wood has been the
    staple material in the building of the Bukovina village, where, jointly with
    Romanians, people of other ethnic groups have led their lives: German, Polish,
    Ukrainians, Jews or Italians. Our museum is an attempt at reconstructing a
    village with everything that at that time was available, regarding households, community
    constructions or the technical installations that partially stand proof of the
    area’s crafts and, of course, of the Bukovina locals’ way of life. Each
    micro-zone has a life of its own. So, as part of the Village Museum, you can
    even visit a pottery workshop, but also a local pub, a little church, which is
    still functional, a school and suchlike. Since it is one of the youngest museums,
    we have opened nearly half of the surface area that was mentioned in the final stage
    of the project, 2.2 hectares of thereabouts. Yet that area is very illustrative
    for the essence of the Bukovina village. As for our second surface area, there
    are self-contained households erected on the premises, yet the infrastructure does
    not exist, for the time being.


    We
    asked the director of the Bukovina National Museum, Dr. Constantin-Emil Ursu,
    to speak about the layout of the various structures as part of the Bukovina
    Village Museum.

    The objectives have not been placed thematically.
    They are incorporated in the territory of the village. There are several households,
    then the mill follows, placed on the banks of a rivulet that flows through the
    village, then you can see the church, opposite the school, and so on. We have
    tried to recreate the image of a traditional Bukovina village using the interiors
    as well, which makes a very good impression on our visitors. The items we have
    range from towels and wall carpets to ovens and stoves, extremely different
    from one another. Of course, we have traditional
    furniture and traditional apparel pieces. Almost all that we have in this museum
    is functional, including, for instance, the ironware of the recreated village. Also,
    the educational activities hold pride of place with us. Unfortunately, traditional
    crafts have disappeared, little by little, or have become less interesting. We
    have gone at all lengths, to the best of our abilities, to gather as many
    children as possible, for the summer months, so they can learn the ropes of a
    certain craft, yet there’s more to it than that, we’ve been meaning to get them
    understand what the creation of a traditional object means.


    Throughout the year, on the premises of the Bukovina Village
    Museum, all sorts of events are being staged. They promote the craftsmanship
    objects, traditional art, in general, but also the simple and clean way of life
    of the Bukovina village. The director of the Bukovina
    Village Museum, Dr. Constantin-Emil Ursu.




    The largest number of
    visitors we have has been drawn by
    the event themed Come, people, come to the fair ! It is a different kind
    of fair, it doesn’t only have traditional products, it also has music and
    stylized traditional products. It has been spoken of a lot, and people still talk
    about it, the embroidered peasant blouse, that is. The traditional embroidered
    blouse has been center-stage in the world of fashion. Yet we can equally speak
    like that about jewels. Visitors can also find household items: mugs, plates
    and suchlike. Very many visitors have turned up to place orders, for instance,
    for pottery in a guesthouse, for jewelry shops, for leatherware, and so on. We
    tried to stage an event that can also give a boost to the local economy.


    Of course, tourists’ feedback was quick to appear. Therefore,
    they view the museum as a landmark, as a tourist asset you shouldn’t miss while
    on a stay in Suceava County. Constantin-Emil Ursu once again.


    We’ve equally enjoyed our success
    with the foreign and the Romanian tourists. Unfortunately, the rural world is not
    that well represented in the urban areas any more. There are generations that
    no longer have grandparents in the rural regions, they’ve grown up and studied
    abroad. These youngsters view the Bukovina Village Museum as a curiosity. Obviously,
    our museum charms the foreign tourists. As part of the permanent exhibition, for
    three objectives, we tried to reconstruct the traditional rites of passage:
    baptism, wedding and funeral. Now, speaking about craftsmen once again, we have
    a dedicated stand in the museum. In another development, for the summer season,
    starting in May, there are a couple of craftsmen who put up for sale the items
    they hand-crafted, on the premises, at the museum.


    The director of the Bukovina National Museum, Dr.
    Constantin-Emil Ursu, says they have plans for the future. These plans will
    stick to establishment’s present characteristic, that of a living museum.


    The Suceava County Council has already
    signed a contract, and the design for the second part of the museum will follow.
    Many of the problems will be solved, starting with the infrastructure and the preservation
    and completion of certain households. The contract has received European
    funding. Also, we have received a donation, a church included on the historical
    monuments list. It will be placed in the perimeter of the second development stage
    for our museum. We hope for the second church to be opened to visitors as well,
    just as the one we have today is, lying in the first perimeter, the Customs
    Church. The latter church becomes functional once the Holy Week begins. We have
    a priest who has been generously distributed to us by the Radauti and Suceava Archbishopric.
    So tourists can also attend masses until the final part of year in November. We’re
    trying to give a new lease of life to our objectives, as far as the law allows
    and as long as the functions can be reenacted.


    We have launched our invitation! In the hopes that we have
    talked you into visiting the Bukovina Village Museum, next time we extend an
    invitation to Romania’s smallest national park, the Buila-Vanturarita National Park.
    Yet the tourist offer there is impressive.

    (EN)





  • Romania’s beautiful mountain scenery

    Romania’s beautiful mountain scenery


    Today we’re heading towards the Calimani Nature Park in northern
    Romania, an asset where tourists are welcomed with a very generous offer. In
    winter, the ski touring is practiced, while in the summer you can go hiking for
    fauna-watching purposes. Moreover, since 2013, the administration of the park has
    opened a modern visiting center where educational exhibitions are mounted,
    promoting the tourist assets of the region. It is also here that the products
    are presented, manufactured by local craftsmen. Then you can take up a theme
    pathway, especially arranged for a two-hour journey in the invisible world of
    the Saru Dornei Tinov. Liviu Hutanu is Calimani National Park’s tourism activities
    official.

    Liviu Hutanu:


    It is one of the Calimani Massif’s
    protected areas, encompassing the upper third part of the Calimani Mountains. It
    has been declared a protected area since 2000. Here we protect numerous species
    of plants and animals, their habitats. We have been trying, to the best of our
    abilities, and in addition to the preservation activities, to develop long-lasting
    tourism or ecotourism, to use a trendier term. It would be unfair for us to block
    access to so many natural assets. The purpose of a natural park is preservation,
    but also the promotion of tourism in a given area, yet that is being done without
    affecting the preservation part of our work.


    Ski touring through the snow can provide unforgettable
    experiences. In the company of a park ranger specializing in the observation and
    interpretation of nature, you’re highly likely to discover traces of wild
    animals, you will be initiated in the secrets of the life and habits of the beasts
    in the forest. The route will be selected taking into account the timeframe the
    tourists opted for and in keeping with the weather conditions, over
    December-May. It roughly takes a seven-hour hike to carry the program, which
    also includes a rest break and a traditional snack. The fee for that starts from
    120 Lei and varies, in keeping with the number of people participating.


    Liviu Hutanu:

    We have more than 120 kilometers of
    tourist routes. We also have two theme pathways: the theme pathway of the 12 Apostles
    and the one in the former Calimani Sulphur exploitation. We have a marathon
    route, Via Maria Terezia, of which one third stretches
    along the protected area. Camping sites have been arranged, in the strategic
    points, near springs, we also have three tourist shelters. Actually, the
    tourist infrastructure has been properly taken care of and appropriately marked,
    especially for backpacking hikers. Therefore, we promote the non-polluting and
    environment-friendly activities..


    But what are the most important tourist objectives in
    the Calimani Nature Park?

    Liviu
    Hutanu:


    The most-often visited
    such asset, which is also the most beautiful one, which is also included on our
    logo, is the 12 Apostles Nature Reserve. Here you can find a cluster of rocks,
    of various shapes which, in time, have been given all sorts of names, stirring
    visitors’ imagination. We have, among others, The Marshall, Nefertiti, the Lion.
    Of these rocks, the one standing out and which is the most photographed, is
    named The Old Man. It is a big rock, 30, 40 meters tall, which, if viewed from
    three different angles, has the face of an old man. Most of the times it has
    been compared to the Sphynx in the Bucegi Mountains. It is a natural asset, but
    we also have an anthropic tourist asset. It is the Sulphur pit. It was opened
    in 1976. Thanks to the excavations there, since the Calimani Mountains are
    volcanic mountains, a cross-cut section could be created, of a volcanic cone. We
    can thus have the chance to see how the inside of a volcano looks like. It is
    something almost unique in Europe.


    Every hiking activity should begin from an information
    point. Here is Calimani Nature Park’s tourism activities official, Liviu Hutanu,
    speaking about that.


    Available for tourists is the Calimani
    National Park Visiting Centre as well as the other information points, with our
    park rangers being always there. The visiting center is one of the main attractions
    of the Dorna Country eco-tourism destination. The ecotourism destination
    certification was granted four years ago by the Tourism Ministry. The center
    has been thought out in a bid to enhance the destination’s attractiveness, but
    also with a view to increasing the park’s capacity to secure an accessible communication
    with the visitors. The latter are being kept abreast of the hiking routes, tourist
    assets, or the restrictions that are in place in a national park. Here tourists
    can find an educational exhibition focusing on the assets of the park, there is
    also a corner of the items hand-crafted by the locals. In the courtyard, a
    theme hiking route has been arranged, along which the area’s craftsmanship
    activities are presented. The Saru Dornei Tinov Reserve can be found close by.


    For the near future, the Calimani National Park Administration
    has been carrying a couple of projects which are ongoing. Liviu Hutanu once again.


    We intend to set up a research center
    in the former Sulphur exploitation. We also want the center to be a Salvamont,
    Mountain Rescue Service basecamp. We also want several children’s playgrounds
    to be set up there, for the holiday camps we have in the region. On the
    territory f the park, as we speak, we have only one mountain biking trail and
    we intend to create two more such trails. We welcome all to come visit us, from
    the bottom of our hearts. Those who would like to visit us need to know the
    Calimani Mountains are not very steep, the trails are relatively easy to take
    and even accessible for families with children. The scenery is unaltered and we
    have hundreds of hectares of primary forests. We brag about the fact that you
    can walk around the park for three, maybe four days without meeting other human
    beings. So, for all those who want to live a wildlife experience, which is at
    once accessible, the Calimani Nature park is one of the best options for them.


    The invitation has been launched, In the hopes that we have
    talked you into visiting the Calimani Nature Park, next time we’re waiting for
    you with a new tourist destination.

    (EN)


  • Decaying landscape

    The place
    is an anthropic lake in the Văcărești neighbourhood, in the south-west of the
    city. Spreading nearly 200 hectares, the lake was originally designed as part
    of the complex engineering works on the river crossing Bucharest, Dâmbovița, and
    was supposed to be part of the flooding defence system designed in the
    communist years.


    Its construction
    required the demolition of one of Bucharest’s most beautiful religious
    buildings, the Văcărești Monastery. The original project went unfinished after
    the fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989. In the years that
    followed, the area was reclaimed by nature, and turned into a genuine delta-with
    diverse vegetation and animals ranging from birds to fish to foxes, rabbits,
    otters and so on. The Văcărești Delta grew into a stable ecosystem, and a habitat
    for protected species. In 2015, the Văcărești Delta was declared a nature park
    (Văcărești Nature Park)-a protected nature area and the first urban nature park
    in Romania.


    This October
    the Văcărești Nature Park played host to a project entitled Decaying Landscape,
    designed to bring people, nature and art closer together. We talked to the
    project manager and curator Gabriela Mateescu about the organisation of the
    event and the ideas on which it was based:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: Placed in the urban nature scenery of the Văcărești Delta, this
    project called Decaying landscape is a cross-disciplinary artistic
    cooperation and at the same time a research effort resulting in performances, land
    art works and site-specific installations. The event was organised by Nucleus
    0000 Association and co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall via ARCUB, as part
    of a programme entitled Bucharest: open city 2021. Bucharest is a city
    suffocated by concrete. But among the heavy slabs outlining the city, nature
    claims its place. On the site of the long abandoned, communist-era artificial
    lake of Văcărești, an ecosystem has formed over the past 30 years, with no
    human intervention whatsoever, right at the heart of the country’s largest
    urban settlement. Grown into a true delta, an autonomous ecosystem in the
    middle of Bucharest, the Văcărești Park is the right place to contemplate the state
    of nature and the effects of human intervention.


    Condensing an
    entire universe into a micro-space, artists from various fields have deconstructed
    post- and trans-humanist theories in the language of contemporary art. Gabriela
    Mateescu told us more about the participants in the Decaying Landscape
    project:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: On the 24th October, people were invited to walk
    around and discover the works of female artists Roberta Curcă, Mălina Ionescu,
    Gabriela Mateescu, Andreea Medar, Kiki Mihuță, Marina Oprea. Lost in the
    landscape were also the students of a performance workshop called microRave -
    attempts at becoming a landscape, coordinated by Andreea David, Maria
    Baroncea, on music written by Chlorys. A week before the event, we invited
    youth from Bucharest interested in art to come to the Delta for a dance
    performance workshop, taking advantage of the last sunny days of autumn. To help
    the visitors in their search, we put together a map with the GPS coordinates of
    the works, and mounted them at the Delta entrances and among the works. We also
    had 3 guided tours where the public walked the arts route together with the
    artists and the organisers. The installations were collected the next day, to
    keep the area unaltered.


    The artistic
    concept involved a hybrid space-brought to life by both the daily urban excitement
    and by the noises of the delta in the heart of the city. This area was
    temporarily revived in order to plead its own cause-a cultural function, to be
    precise-as the most appropriate place for contemplation, a means to reconnect
    with nature, a possible meditation on the harmful effects of improper human
    intervention on nature. Gabriela Mateescu also gave us some details on the public
    and their responses to the project in the Văcărești Delta:


    Gabriela Mateescu:
    Apart from the regular public of artistic events, we had people simply going
    out for a walk on a sunny day, who thus had an opportunity to see random works
    of art, which they were amazed with and interested in. And their curiosity was met
    by the explanations given by the artists and the project team. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Decaying landscape

    The place
    is an anthropic lake in the Văcărești neighbourhood, in the south-west of the
    city. Spreading nearly 200 hectares, the lake was originally designed as part
    of the complex engineering works on the river crossing Bucharest, Dâmbovița, and
    was supposed to be part of the flooding defence system designed in the
    communist years.


    Its construction
    required the demolition of one of Bucharest’s most beautiful religious
    buildings, the Văcărești Monastery. The original project went unfinished after
    the fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989. In the years that
    followed, the area was reclaimed by nature, and turned into a genuine delta-with
    diverse vegetation and animals ranging from birds to fish to foxes, rabbits,
    otters and so on. The Văcărești Delta grew into a stable ecosystem, and a habitat
    for protected species. In 2015, the Văcărești Delta was declared a nature park
    (Văcărești Nature Park)-a protected nature area and the first urban nature park
    in Romania.


    This October
    the Văcărești Nature Park played host to a project entitled Decaying Landscape,
    designed to bring people, nature and art closer together. We talked to the
    project manager and curator Gabriela Mateescu about the organisation of the
    event and the ideas on which it was based:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: Placed in the urban nature scenery of the Văcărești Delta, this
    project called Decaying landscape is a cross-disciplinary artistic
    cooperation and at the same time a research effort resulting in performances, land
    art works and site-specific installations. The event was organised by Nucleus
    0000 Association and co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall via ARCUB, as part
    of a programme entitled Bucharest: open city 2021. Bucharest is a city
    suffocated by concrete. But among the heavy slabs outlining the city, nature
    claims its place. On the site of the long abandoned, communist-era artificial
    lake of Văcărești, an ecosystem has formed over the past 30 years, with no
    human intervention whatsoever, right at the heart of the country’s largest
    urban settlement. Grown into a true delta, an autonomous ecosystem in the
    middle of Bucharest, the Văcărești Park is the right place to contemplate the state
    of nature and the effects of human intervention.


    Condensing an
    entire universe into a micro-space, artists from various fields have deconstructed
    post- and trans-humanist theories in the language of contemporary art. Gabriela
    Mateescu told us more about the participants in the Decaying Landscape
    project:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: On the 24th October, people were invited to walk
    around and discover the works of female artists Roberta Curcă, Mălina Ionescu,
    Gabriela Mateescu, Andreea Medar, Kiki Mihuță, Marina Oprea. Lost in the
    landscape were also the students of a performance workshop called microRave -
    attempts at becoming a landscape, coordinated by Andreea David, Maria
    Baroncea, on music written by Chlorys. A week before the event, we invited
    youth from Bucharest interested in art to come to the Delta for a dance
    performance workshop, taking advantage of the last sunny days of autumn. To help
    the visitors in their search, we put together a map with the GPS coordinates of
    the works, and mounted them at the Delta entrances and among the works. We also
    had 3 guided tours where the public walked the arts route together with the
    artists and the organisers. The installations were collected the next day, to
    keep the area unaltered.


    The artistic
    concept involved a hybrid space-brought to life by both the daily urban excitement
    and by the noises of the delta in the heart of the city. This area was
    temporarily revived in order to plead its own cause-a cultural function, to be
    precise-as the most appropriate place for contemplation, a means to reconnect
    with nature, a possible meditation on the harmful effects of improper human
    intervention on nature. Gabriela Mateescu also gave us some details on the public
    and their responses to the project in the Văcărești Delta:


    Gabriela Mateescu:
    Apart from the regular public of artistic events, we had people simply going
    out for a walk on a sunny day, who thus had an opportunity to see random works
    of art, which they were amazed with and interested in. And their curiosity was met
    by the explanations given by the artists and the project team. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Decaying landscape

    The place
    is an anthropic lake in the Văcărești neighbourhood, in the south-west of the
    city. Spreading nearly 200 hectares, the lake was originally designed as part
    of the complex engineering works on the river crossing Bucharest, Dâmbovița, and
    was supposed to be part of the flooding defence system designed in the
    communist years.


    Its construction
    required the demolition of one of Bucharest’s most beautiful religious
    buildings, the Văcărești Monastery. The original project went unfinished after
    the fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989. In the years that
    followed, the area was reclaimed by nature, and turned into a genuine delta-with
    diverse vegetation and animals ranging from birds to fish to foxes, rabbits,
    otters and so on. The Văcărești Delta grew into a stable ecosystem, and a habitat
    for protected species. In 2015, the Văcărești Delta was declared a nature park
    (Văcărești Nature Park)-a protected nature area and the first urban nature park
    in Romania.


    This October
    the Văcărești Nature Park played host to a project entitled Decaying Landscape,
    designed to bring people, nature and art closer together. We talked to the
    project manager and curator Gabriela Mateescu about the organisation of the
    event and the ideas on which it was based:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: Placed in the urban nature scenery of the Văcărești Delta, this
    project called Decaying landscape is a cross-disciplinary artistic
    cooperation and at the same time a research effort resulting in performances, land
    art works and site-specific installations. The event was organised by Nucleus
    0000 Association and co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall via ARCUB, as part
    of a programme entitled Bucharest: open city 2021. Bucharest is a city
    suffocated by concrete. But among the heavy slabs outlining the city, nature
    claims its place. On the site of the long abandoned, communist-era artificial
    lake of Văcărești, an ecosystem has formed over the past 30 years, with no
    human intervention whatsoever, right at the heart of the country’s largest
    urban settlement. Grown into a true delta, an autonomous ecosystem in the
    middle of Bucharest, the Văcărești Park is the right place to contemplate the state
    of nature and the effects of human intervention.


    Condensing an
    entire universe into a micro-space, artists from various fields have deconstructed
    post- and trans-humanist theories in the language of contemporary art. Gabriela
    Mateescu told us more about the participants in the Decaying Landscape
    project:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: On the 24th October, people were invited to walk
    around and discover the works of female artists Roberta Curcă, Mălina Ionescu,
    Gabriela Mateescu, Andreea Medar, Kiki Mihuță, Marina Oprea. Lost in the
    landscape were also the students of a performance workshop called microRave -
    attempts at becoming a landscape, coordinated by Andreea David, Maria
    Baroncea, on music written by Chlorys. A week before the event, we invited
    youth from Bucharest interested in art to come to the Delta for a dance
    performance workshop, taking advantage of the last sunny days of autumn. To help
    the visitors in their search, we put together a map with the GPS coordinates of
    the works, and mounted them at the Delta entrances and among the works. We also
    had 3 guided tours where the public walked the arts route together with the
    artists and the organisers. The installations were collected the next day, to
    keep the area unaltered.


    The artistic
    concept involved a hybrid space-brought to life by both the daily urban excitement
    and by the noises of the delta in the heart of the city. This area was
    temporarily revived in order to plead its own cause-a cultural function, to be
    precise-as the most appropriate place for contemplation, a means to reconnect
    with nature, a possible meditation on the harmful effects of improper human
    intervention on nature. Gabriela Mateescu also gave us some details on the public
    and their responses to the project in the Văcărești Delta:


    Gabriela Mateescu:
    Apart from the regular public of artistic events, we had people simply going
    out for a walk on a sunny day, who thus had an opportunity to see random works
    of art, which they were amazed with and interested in. And their curiosity was met
    by the explanations given by the artists and the project team. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Decaying Landscape

    Decaying Landscape

    The place
    is an anthropic lake in the Văcărești neighbourhood, in the south-west of the
    city. Spreading nearly 200 hectares, the lake was originally designed as part
    of the complex engineering works on the river crossing Bucharest, Dâmbovița, and
    was supposed to be part of the flooding defence system designed in the
    communist years.


    Its construction
    required the demolition of one of Bucharest’s most beautiful religious
    buildings, the Văcărești Monastery. The original project went unfinished after
    the fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989. In the years that
    followed, the area was reclaimed by nature, and turned into a genuine delta-with
    diverse vegetation and animals ranging from birds to fish to foxes, rabbits,
    otters and so on. The Văcărești Delta grew into a stable ecosystem, and a habitat
    for protected species. In 2015, the Văcărești Delta was declared a nature park
    (Văcărești Nature Park)-a protected nature area and the first urban nature park
    in Romania.


    This October
    the Văcărești Nature Park played host to a project entitled Decaying Landscape,
    designed to bring people, nature and art closer together. We talked to the
    project manager and curator Gabriela Mateescu about the organisation of the
    event and the ideas on which it was based:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: Placed in the urban nature scenery of the Văcărești Delta, this
    project called Decaying landscape is a cross-disciplinary artistic
    cooperation and at the same time a research effort resulting in performances, land
    art works and site-specific installations. The event was organised by Nucleus
    0000 Association and co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall via ARCUB, as part
    of a programme entitled Bucharest: open city 2021. Bucharest is a city
    suffocated by concrete. But among the heavy slabs outlining the city, nature
    claims its place. On the site of the long abandoned, communist-era artificial
    lake of Văcărești, an ecosystem has formed over the past 30 years, with no
    human intervention whatsoever, right at the heart of the country’s largest
    urban settlement. Grown into a true delta, an autonomous ecosystem in the
    middle of Bucharest, the Văcărești Park is the right place to contemplate the state
    of nature and the effects of human intervention.


    Condensing an
    entire universe into a micro-space, artists from various fields have deconstructed
    post- and trans-humanist theories in the language of contemporary art. Gabriela
    Mateescu told us more about the participants in the Decaying Landscape
    project:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: On the 24th October, people were invited to walk
    around and discover the works of female artists Roberta Curcă, Mălina Ionescu,
    Gabriela Mateescu, Andreea Medar, Kiki Mihuță, Marina Oprea. Lost in the
    landscape were also the students of a performance workshop called microRave -
    attempts at becoming a landscape, coordinated by Andreea David, Maria
    Baroncea, on music written by Chlorys. A week before the event, we invited
    youth from Bucharest interested in art to come to the Delta for a dance
    performance workshop, taking advantage of the last sunny days of autumn. To help
    the visitors in their search, we put together a map with the GPS coordinates of
    the works, and mounted them at the Delta entrances and among the works. We also
    had 3 guided tours where the public walked the arts route together with the
    artists and the organisers. The installations were collected the next day, to
    keep the area unaltered.


    The artistic
    concept involved a hybrid space-brought to life by both the daily urban excitement
    and by the noises of the delta in the heart of the city. This area was
    temporarily revived in order to plead its own cause-a cultural function, to be
    precise-as the most appropriate place for contemplation, a means to reconnect
    with nature, a possible meditation on the harmful effects of improper human
    intervention on nature. Gabriela Mateescu also gave us some details on the public
    and their responses to the project in the Văcărești Delta:


    Gabriela Mateescu:
    Apart from the regular public of artistic events, we had people simply going
    out for a walk on a sunny day, who thus had an opportunity to see random works
    of art, which they were amazed with and interested in. And their curiosity was met
    by the explanations given by the artists and the project team. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Decaying Landscape

    Decaying Landscape

    The place
    is an anthropic lake in the Văcărești neighbourhood, in the south-west of the
    city. Spreading nearly 200 hectares, the lake was originally designed as part
    of the complex engineering works on the river crossing Bucharest, Dâmbovița, and
    was supposed to be part of the flooding defence system designed in the
    communist years.


    Its construction
    required the demolition of one of Bucharest’s most beautiful religious
    buildings, the Văcărești Monastery. The original project went unfinished after
    the fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989. In the years that
    followed, the area was reclaimed by nature, and turned into a genuine delta-with
    diverse vegetation and animals ranging from birds to fish to foxes, rabbits,
    otters and so on. The Văcărești Delta grew into a stable ecosystem, and a habitat
    for protected species. In 2015, the Văcărești Delta was declared a nature park
    (Văcărești Nature Park)-a protected nature area and the first urban nature park
    in Romania.


    This October
    the Văcărești Nature Park played host to a project entitled Decaying Landscape,
    designed to bring people, nature and art closer together. We talked to the
    project manager and curator Gabriela Mateescu about the organisation of the
    event and the ideas on which it was based:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: Placed in the urban nature scenery of the Văcărești Delta, this
    project called Decaying landscape is a cross-disciplinary artistic
    cooperation and at the same time a research effort resulting in performances, land
    art works and site-specific installations. The event was organised by Nucleus
    0000 Association and co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall via ARCUB, as part
    of a programme entitled Bucharest: open city 2021. Bucharest is a city
    suffocated by concrete. But among the heavy slabs outlining the city, nature
    claims its place. On the site of the long abandoned, communist-era artificial
    lake of Văcărești, an ecosystem has formed over the past 30 years, with no
    human intervention whatsoever, right at the heart of the country’s largest
    urban settlement. Grown into a true delta, an autonomous ecosystem in the
    middle of Bucharest, the Văcărești Park is the right place to contemplate the state
    of nature and the effects of human intervention.


    Condensing an
    entire universe into a micro-space, artists from various fields have deconstructed
    post- and trans-humanist theories in the language of contemporary art. Gabriela
    Mateescu told us more about the participants in the Decaying Landscape
    project:


    Gabriela
    Mateescu: On the 24th October, people were invited to walk
    around and discover the works of female artists Roberta Curcă, Mălina Ionescu,
    Gabriela Mateescu, Andreea Medar, Kiki Mihuță, Marina Oprea. Lost in the
    landscape were also the students of a performance workshop called microRave -
    attempts at becoming a landscape, coordinated by Andreea David, Maria
    Baroncea, on music written by Chlorys. A week before the event, we invited
    youth from Bucharest interested in art to come to the Delta for a dance
    performance workshop, taking advantage of the last sunny days of autumn. To help
    the visitors in their search, we put together a map with the GPS coordinates of
    the works, and mounted them at the Delta entrances and among the works. We also
    had 3 guided tours where the public walked the arts route together with the
    artists and the organisers. The installations were collected the next day, to
    keep the area unaltered.


    The artistic
    concept involved a hybrid space-brought to life by both the daily urban excitement
    and by the noises of the delta in the heart of the city. This area was
    temporarily revived in order to plead its own cause-a cultural function, to be
    precise-as the most appropriate place for contemplation, a means to reconnect
    with nature, a possible meditation on the harmful effects of improper human
    intervention on nature. Gabriela Mateescu also gave us some details on the public
    and their responses to the project in the Văcărești Delta:


    Gabriela Mateescu:
    Apart from the regular public of artistic events, we had people simply going
    out for a walk on a sunny day, who thus had an opportunity to see random works
    of art, which they were amazed with and interested in. And their curiosity was met
    by the explanations given by the artists and the project team. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Piatra Craiului National Park

    Piatra Craiului National Park

    Covering 15 thousand hectares, the park is home to around 12 hundred species of plants, which is one third of the total number of plant species in Romania. This natural heaven, located 200 kilometers north of the capital Bucharest, covers two counties, Brasov and Arges and boasts one of the most spectacular massifs in Romania. Due to its diverse fauna and flora, the area was declared a nature reserve as early as 1938. Tourists and experts alike agree that Piatra Craiului National Park is one of the most beautiful such parks in Romania.



    Mircea Verghelet, head of the Park’s administration, tells us more about it: “This is the only area with altitudes of over 2 thousand meters, having chalk as the main rock. Chalk creates a spectacular relief in all massifs in Romania, but its dimensions in Piatra Craiului are quite impressive. The western cliff, in particular, the so-called western side of the mountain, boasts a number of steep chalk walls. The most spectacular mountain routes are also found here. There is also a mountain route unique in Romania, because it crosses the mountain peaks, revealing breathtaking landscapes that make the physical effort of getting there worthwhile.”



    The visitor center of the Piatra Craiului National Park is practically a museum of the massif, offering information about the park’s area, the species of flora and fauna and the local traditions. Mircea Verghelet: “The visitor center is made up of many interactive elements. There are interactive dioramas and also a 3D model of the mountain that comes to life due to a projector installed on the ceiling. First of all, we have maps of the tourist routes and shelters in the park, the types of soil, habitats and so on. The information is also available in English while the digital information displayed on the screens and the panels in the visitor center are bilingual, in Romanian and English.”



    The most visited tourist objective in the area of the Piatra Craiului National Park is a medieval fortress built in the 14th century, which has been preserved very well — the Bran Castle. Erected on a rock, 40 meters above the ground, the castle has four floors and four towers and is completely asymmetrical.



    Bogdan Balmus, a PR manager of the Bran Castle, tells us more about it: ”Romania’s most visited tourist objective is Bran Castle. It is a lively spot, telling its tales with passion and professionalism. And by that we mean the beautiful tales with knights and damsels from the medieval period, the beautiful history written by Queen Marie, to whom Bran castle owes its existence. It is Queen Marie that made Bran Castle what it is today. Of course, we also have the legend of Dracula, which attracts a great number of foreign tourists. We have been trying to add new elements every year, new stories and events that we meant to attract tourists. Moreover, we have recently reopened the Tea House. It was renovated to its former state as designed by Queen Marie. It is a special place, where people can spend wonderful moments. Also, we have continued restoration works at the castle. We completed the restoration of the south-eastern façade. Last but not the least, our visitors are in for a big surprise. It is the castle’s elevator, for which renovation and restoration works are in full swing. What we can tell you for the time being is that it will provide a multimedia show unique in South-Eastern Europe.”



    The Zarnesti Gorges make another access point to the Piatra Craiului National Park. The gorges, with 200-meter high walls, are the perfect place for mounting climbing and escalade. Dozens of trekking routes have been created here, of which the longest has 115 meters. Those who are not that much into adventure tourism are invited to visit the bears’ sanctuary in Zarnesti. Unique in Romania, the reserve covers 70 hectares, being the largest such reserve in Eastern Europe.