Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Romania

Route 12C, which links the charming village of Bicaz with Gheorgheni and Transylvania, crosses the gorges rightly considered the most beautiful in the country. They were formed by the erosion of limestone rocks. The winding road, which follows the River Bicaz, is dominated by gigantic monolithic walls emerging from the forest. Piatra Altarului, the most spectacular, is 1,120 metres high and takes its name (Altar Stone) from the ceremonies once celebrated here by the Dacians. You then reach Lake Roșu.

They bear witness to the importance of the site during the Roman period. What remains of the walls of the castrum, which must have been 3 m high and 1.5 m thick, allows us to guess the rooms and the four towers. This fortress was used to control the river and the bridge that spanned it. Of this Trajan Bridge (Podul Traian), named after the Roman Emperor who decided to build it, only one pillar remains. An architectural feat for the time, it was built between 103 and 105 to facilitate the invasion of Dacia by the Romans. Upstream, there are ruins of thermal baths.

This wine-growing region is the most famous in Dobrogea. It extends around the town of Basarabi. Located 20 km from Constanţa, the east-facing hillsides are particularly well-suited to vine-growing. This estate was extended in the 1950s, following a major planting campaign. A variety of grape varieties are grown here, producing wines that are often sweet and fruity, which, especially for red wines, may be a little disconcerting for French tourists. Guided tours are available, with tastings of course.

This village on the road to Ploieşti owes its name to the great Romanian playwright (1852-1912), whose birthplace he was. It is, of course, that a small exposure to his memory is presented.

Near Moneasa, it is a remarkable cave for its stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes.

This is where its source is from the Ruisseau health centre.

This "cheese factory" alone is worth the trip to Cund. Here, István produces an excellent aged farmhouse cheese, inspired by Swiss cheeses and available in a variety of flavors (walnut, red wine, etc.). The young farmer, who raises some forty cows fed on fresh grass and home-grown hay, is keen to explain his working methods. You'll have the chance to take part in a workshop where you'll learn how to produce caș (typical fresh cheese) before finishing with a brunch tasting.

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This small family-run complex has been producing Marginea's famous black pottery for six generations. Not only can you buy home-made pottery, but you can also visit the workshop, with its lathes and kilns, and watch the potters at work (except on Sundays). At the front, an old wooden house houses a small restaurant, La Table du potier(Masa olarului). It serves excellent local specialties, prepared in clay pots, of course!

In Moigrad, 8 km northeast of Zalău, the Roman fortress of Porolissum was built on the site of a Dacian fortress and became the capital of the province of Dacia Porolissensis. Thanks to extensive reconstruction and restoration work, the ruins include moats, surrounding walls, baths, temples and an amphitheatre. From 106 AD, the fortress marked the northern frontier of Roman Dacia. It is thought to have had a population of 20,000, and many soldiers were housed in the city's two large stone forts.

A stop in the shop of the Cotnari wine estate is a must, especially to taste its sweet white wines bursting with sugar, produced in the region since the reign of Ștefan cel Mare, at the end of the 15th century! Various tasting formulas are proposed. Some of them include a visit to the fifteen cellars of the estate, which extend over more than 2 km. They contain old vintages, the oldest dating back to 1957. Get there early: tours end at 3:30.

Just north of Budești, this village of 700 inhabitants, which stretches along the Cosău River, is full of charm. It boasts two beautiful ^17th-century wooden churches. A must-see is the Folk Technical Architecture Complex, at no. 181: this ingenious peasant installation, still in use, uses the river's power to wash textiles, grind grain or distill țuică. You can also visit the workshop of illustrious local craftsman Vasile Borodi (no. 180), who makes traditional hats(clop).

Located in the Ciomatu massif, at an altitude of 950 meters, Lake Sfânta Ana was formed in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is the only lake of its kind in Romania. Circular in shape, its waters are crystal-clear. It is not fed by springs, but only by rainwater. The surrounding area is particularly pleasant, with abundant flora and distinctive rock formations. Pilgrimages in honor of Saint Anne, on July 26, and spa treatments attract many tourists to the shores of the lake.

These forest-covered mountains are home to a rich fauna, including a large bear population. The region is criss-crossed by enchanting hiking trails, starting at Piatra Fântânele. It's best to have a good map before venturing out. The highest point in the Bârgău mountains is Heniul Mare (1,610 m). If you're traveling to Moldavia from Bistrița, you'll find a number of routes (by car, bus or train) that cross the massif and offer superb scenery. This is particularly true of the road to Vatra Dornei, which crosses the Tihuța pass.

On the outskirts of the city, white mountains surround a 30-metre deep lake. Several tens of meters high, these salt mountains (muntele de sare) have been sculpted by the rain, which has given them pretty shapes, curves and waves. The salt crystals form a multitude of needles. This natural monument, classified as a geological reserve, was created by the collapse of a salt mining gallery, which caused a landslide and ripped open the mountain. Careful, when the sun hits, the salt, shiny, becomes quite blinding.

The gorges of the Galbena (Cheile Galbenei) offer a breathtaking spectacle: deep gorges, secret corners, forgotten clearings, innumerable waterfalls... It is an ideal place for hiking, even if some paths are sometimes dizzying and uneven. Climbing or canyoning are also options, for the more adventurous. One of the trails starts from Cabana Padiș (9-10h, yellow dot marking). You will pass through the cave of the Feu vif glacier (Ghețarul Focul viu), which takes on an astonishing reddish hue at certain times of the day.

This city (not to be confused with the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa Regia) was the main settlement in Roman Dacia, and was home to many institutions. Founded by Emperor Trajan shortly after the conquest of Dacia in 106 as Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa, it had a population of 20,000 to 30,000. Today, only the foundations of the citadel remain, allowing us to imagine its past grandeur and remarkable organization. You'll recognize the Augustan palace (whose courtyard hosted meetings of the Dacian High Council), the 5,000-seat amphitheater, the forum with its tall marble columns, villas and temples. The entire city has yet to be uncovered, and excavations are continuing. As is often the case, until the early ^19th century, the stones were used as building materials by local villagers.

Not far from the archaeological site, in the village of Sarmizegetusa, the museum is a useful complement to a visit to the remains. Here you'll find objects found during excavations and reconstructions: amphorae, farming tools, games, a model of the amphitheatre (with its special effects machine!), fragments of bronze statues, school tablets, sundials, lead pipes for distributing water..

Sarmizegetusa is 16 km from Hațeg, on the road to Caransebeș. The (rare) buses between Hațeg and Reșița or Deva and Zeicani stop here.

Nestled in the forest at an altitude of 1,105 metres, it contains an enormous block of ice some 4,000 years old, set in a 48-metre-deep cave. It is one of the only caves of its kind in Europe. It was first explored in the ^19th century, then by Emil Racoviță in the early ^20th century. You'll see magnificent natural ice sculptures, which change with the seasons. Access to the cave is via stairs, some of them very steep and vertiginous. Be sure to bundle up: even in summer, the thermometer barely rises above zero.

The citadels of Ponor(Cetățile Ponorului) are a fascinating natural site, popular with speleologists. It's one of Europe's most grandiose karstic landscapes, with waterfalls and astonishing formations, along an underground river that runs through a 4 km tunnel. It's reached by a beautiful hike, very rugged in places, starting from Cabana Padiș (12 km, 6h, blue dot marking). Boulders over 70 m high mark the entrance to the cave. To explore it, it's best to be accompanied by experienced cavers.

It occupies a house reminiscent of a ship, built in 1910 by Admiral Vasile Urseanu. As president of the Astronomical Society at the time, he wanted to give as many people as possible access to the sky. The building features a dome with an opening roof, housing the telescope. Today, astronomical observations are made from the roof terrace. Telescopes are used to observe the sun, its eruptions and other stars. The permanent exhibition is open to groups only.

Romexpo was built on the site of the former racecourse in 1964. The complex, which hosts numerous events, is dominated by the central pavilion and its 93-meter-diameter dome. The Sofitel hotel tower dates from 1994, and the adjoining business center(Centru Internaţional de Afaceri - World Trade Center) is in full development: conference rooms, offices, company headquarters. It is also close to the airport.

The creation of the Iron Gates Dam has disrupted the entire local ecosystem. In order to preserve the fauna and flora of this region, the Iron Gates Natural Park was created in 2000, covering an area of more than 100,000 ha, along the artificial lake. Numerous species then took advantage of the warm and humid climate to settle or develop. More than 5,000 species have been recorded, including the Hermann's tortoise and the dreaded horned viper.