Cemeteries and memorials to visit Romania

A strange name for a cemetery, but a fitting one indeed: a masterpiece of naive, colorful and poetic art, the joyful cemetery(cimitirul vesel) of Săpânța attracts thousands of tourists every year. Its originality lies in its 800 or so bright-blue painted crosses, embellished with many other colors and motifs, personalized for each of the village's deceased: they are most often sculpted and decorated to illustrate their trade (woodcutter, weaver, ploughman...) or some other emblematic activity in their lives (drinking, praying...). Some represent the circumstances of a tragic death: by drowning, in a car or subway accident. The crosses are accompanied by short biographies written in the first person, recounting the major episodes in the life of the deceased, his or her joys and sorrows, qualities and faults... texts filled with humor and tenderness. To get the most out of them, we advise you to be accompanied by a Romanian-speaking guide or friend, even if the drawings are quite explicit. These folk art jewels are the work of a certain Stan Ioan Pătraş. Born in 1908, this local craftsman began carving and painting crosses in 1935. He died in 1977 and is buried here, his tomb topped by a cross decorated... by himself. Since his death, his disciples have carried on the tradition. You can also visit his house, which has been converted into a memorial, where you can also see some of his furniture. It is located in a street behind the cemetery.

It occupies the former prison, infamous for having housed many opponents of the communist regime in the 1950s. Some 200 politicians, clerics and intellectuals were imprisoned and tortured here. 54 died. Photographs in the cells show the horror of this repression and retrace the history of communism and dissidence. The inner courtyard is home to the Cortege of the Sacrificed, a moving group of bronze statues.

At the beginning of the boulevard, this obelisk topped by a bell commemorates an important episode in the country's history: the Transylvanian Memorandum. In 1892, representatives of the Romanians of Transylvania, then under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sent a petition in defense of their rights and culture to Emperor Franz Joseph, who ignored it. In response, the petition was made public in Sibiu. Tensions, violence and, under pressure from Hungarian nationalists, a trial followed in 1894. Fourteen people were imprisoned, then pardoned in 1895.

Housed in a decrepit former military barracks, this association-run memorial is an essential stop-off point for immersing yourself in the genesis of the Romanian Revolution. It traces the chronology of the uprising in Timișoara, and then the entire country. The exhibition is supported by numerous black-and-white period photos, offering a man's-eye view of the events. The main panels are translated into English, and a rather well-made documentary, available in French, is screened upstairs. The association's staff can also guide you through the rooms. One of them features a series of children's drawings, produced shortly after the revolution, forming a mosaic of hard-hitting and touching glimpses of events. Another room shows miniatures of the twelve sculptures of remembrance scattered around the city. Each has its own significance: one is dedicated to the mothers of the victims, another to the children killed during the repression, and so on. The memorial features maps indicating their location and meaning. Throughout the exhibition, you'll also find emblematic objects: flags with holes in them (symbols of the revolution), police uniforms or demonstrators' clothes... A chapel has even been reconstituted, in memory of the 104 people killed in Timișoara, four of whom have never been identified. While the lack of resources is palpable, the visit is nonetheless instructive and emotionally charged.

This vast cemetery is the equivalent of Père Lachaise in Paris. It was created in 1858, on land made available by Baron Barbu Bellu. It's a quiet place, immersed in greenery, really pleasant. You feel as if you're wandering through a wood where a few graves have been laid out. Here you'll find the graves of personalities such as Mihai Eminescu, the national poet, and playwright Ion Luca Caragiale. They lie alongside members of wealthy local families, who competed to build the most beautiful tombs, such as the imposing Cantacuzènes mausoleum.

There are still three Jewish cemeteries in Bucharest. One, Sephardic, is near the Bellu cemetery, on the other side of Piața Eroii Revoluției. Another Sephardic cemetery is located further south, in the Giurgiului district (șoseaua Giurgiului, 62). With around 40,000 graves, it's the largest. A monument has been erected here for the victims of the 1941 pogrom perpetrated in the capital. Finally, the Filantropia cemetery (bulevardul Mihalache, 91) is reserved for Ashkenazi Jews. Founded in 1865, it contains some 30,000 graves. It also houses an oratory.

This cemetery is home to Nicolae Ceauşescu's grave, located on the left-hand side. His wife Elena is buried nearby. Not far away is also their son Nicu, who died of cirrhosis in 1996 after a life of debauchery. Their three graves are permanently decorated with flowers and lit with candles by those nostalgic for that period. The cemetery also has a military section, where fallen soldiers are laid to rest. Across the street is the Turkish cemetery, originally an Ottoman military cemetery.

Close to the Gare du Nord railway station, the former prison, in operation from 1941 to 1977, is infamous for the atrocious experimental re-education-through-torture program that political opponents underwent here between 1949 and 1951. The same program, in which everyone was both victim and torturer, was later applied in the Aiud and Gherla prisons in Transylvania. A memorial was built there, and opened to the public in 2014. The premises have been left virtually untouched, with documents and testimonies. An emotional visit.