Visit Romania

Locations from the present

You’ve just arrived at the presentation of The Quest’s 2^nd Element! Not familiar with The Quest? Warp here to learn more about it. Long story short, we challenge you to embark on a quest to visit Romania and discover its hidden gems through our trademark concept of Time Travel Tourism – a unique way of travelling.

The Quest is based on 3 elements: Past locations, Present ones and Hidden History. Each one will unveil beautiful places but only the 3 of them combined will get you closer to the purpose of The Quest: becoming a “time traveler”. In the previous “chapter” you have unveiled the locations from a distant past (1^st Element), so now it’s time to discover the modern thrills:

Bucharest’s Old City – a nightlong spectacle of lights, music and joy, 7 days a week

The Palace of Parliament – the largest administrative building in the world for civilian use

Danube Delta safari – a crazy adventure through the world's 3^rd largest biodiversity

World class opera at the Romanian Athenaeum, hosting the Enescu International Festival

Unique architecture – The Brancovenesc style, also called the “Wallachian Renaissance”

Surreal outdoor museums out of which ASTRA is one of the largest in Europe

Aside from the “regular” museums, Romania offers several outdoor ones. The fascinating ASTRA Museum stands out as a colossal open-air reconstruction started over half a century ago, stretching over 96 hectares. You can admire over 300 restored buildings and over 15,000 traditional objects. All in all, it gathers all that is authentic Romanian by displaying fully restored and early medieval houses, workshops, mills, smithies or tools, all of which are placed in a paradise-like location: above the city of Sibiu (2007 European Cultural Capital), on top of a large hill overlooking the city, in the middle of a forest glade, around the shores of a small lake. Pure fantasy!

Retezat Reservation – a huge natural park on the roof of the Carpathian Mountains

Revolutionary indoor and outdoor sculptures of Constantin Brancusi – the pioneer of modernism

Transfagarasan – the best road in the world by Top Gear

And many more…

National Library, Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Romanian Atheneum, Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Astra National Museum Complex - one of the largest outdoor museums in Europe. Credits C.N.M. ASTRA

Transalpina a.k.a. the King's Road - the highest road in the Carpathian Mountains. Source: romaniatraveldestinations.com/the-transalpina-road-in-romania/

Transalpina Ski resort, hovering over Vidra lake, on top of the Parang Mountains. Source: traveleurope.ro/turism-1988.html

Balea complex & Transfagarasan - the best road in the world (Top Gear). Photo by Adrian Petrisor, www.adrianpetrisor.ro

Arch of Triumph, Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Cantacuzino Palace, Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Caru' Cu Bere Restaurant - since 1898. Classical music, famous brewery, fine dining, art nouveau architecture, historical monument of Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Turda Salina bottom - a Sci-Fi look over the underground lake. Photo by Adrian Petrisor, www.adrianpetrisor.ro

Balea Ice Hotel - luxury on the roof of the Carpathian Mountains, close to a glacier lake, in Fagaras county. Credits: Igor_Marinovic

Palace of Parliament, Bucharest. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Mamaia Seaside Resort - beach lounge & club. Credits: Purobeach Black Sea

Bucharest, Old City - a nightlong spectacle of lights, music and joy! Credits: Stefan Jurca

Mamaia Seaside Resort - beach club. Credits: Fratelli Beach&Club Mamaia Nord

Turda Salina - ranked by Business Insider as the most beautiful underground place in the world. Photo by Adrian Petrisor, www.adrianpetrisor.ro

Bucharest - Old City. Photo by Gaspar Serrano, www.flickr.com/gaspars

Recap time, lads!

The Quest to Unveil Romania’s new way of travelling has 3 Elements.
You’ve just seen a bit of the 2^nd Element – the locations closer to the present day.
The 1^st Element contains locations from a distant past. Go here if you missed it out.

Now, you have a better picture of the terrain: historical areas, natural wonders and modern thrills. Still, if we take a look at our secret map, we can see large areas where a 3^rd Element combines with the first 2 in a unique pattern, rendering past and present to feel like they are running in the same time. The outcome of this fusion is the real treasure that you must unveil. The goal of your Quest.

You’re starting to wonder, to say the least. Good. “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom” (Socrates) and you’re not yet prepared, young Padawan. Let’s go and find out about Hidden History and what makes it so special.