Muntenia

I have been to this region a few times, reaching various destinations. On no fewer than three occasions I have been to Bucharest, which besides being its main city is also the capital of the country. The great city, however, isn't particularly interesting and I count it among the least significant in Europe. Certainly years of communism and the senseless policy of Ceausescu contributed to this judgement: he destroyed much of the historic centre to make way for his famous palace, a mammoth construction among the largest in the world. The palace has inevitably become the symbol of the capital, also because the main roads converge on it and it's practically impossible to avoid it. Certainly with its white marble walls it cuts a fine figure, but to think that to build it historic Orthodox churches and aristocratic palaces were destroyed makes you reflect.

One of the most beautiful perspectives of Ceausescu's palace, which now houses the Parliament, is offered by Bulevardul Unirii, which ends in the square of the same name dominated by a monumental fountain. What remains of old Bucharest is a little further north, in an intricate maze of streets where churches and ancient palaces survive the communist devastation. From here you reach one of the symbolic places of the Christmas 1989 revolution, University Square, where the University Palace, the National Theatre and the Hotel Intercontinental face one another. We are a few steps from Revolution Square, which houses the palace that was once the seat of the Communist Party, from whose terrace Ceausescu made his last speech to the crowd before fleeing by helicopter. On the square, besides the monument to the revolutionaries, important buildings such as the National Library face out.

The city doesn't lack public parks, true green lungs amid a chaotic and disorderly urbanisation. Another important city and ancient capital is Tirgoviste; it was here that Ceausescu attempted to flee but was summarily tried and executed together with his wife Elena. I came here a couple of times because there are the remains of the Court of the Voivode Vlad Tepes, the one who inspired the writer Bram Stoker for his novel "Dracula". In reality Vlad was a skilful prince who, albeit by barbaric means, repelled the Ottomans who wanted to invade Europe. He returned the infidels to sender after impaling them, and here there are numerous remains of his Court: a cylindrical tower and an Orthodox basilica. In the surroundings of the city, on a hill, it is interesting to climb up to the neat Dealu Monastery.

I arrived here on a splendid Sunday in October; a religious ceremony was under way and many people had poured into the cloister. From here the view ranges over the plain below and embraces Tirgoviste, once the most important city in all of Wallachia, linked to three historic figures such as Vlad Tepes, Michael the Brave (another anti-Ottoman hero) and Ceausescu, who met his death here. Prince Vlad, in literature Dracula, is said to rest in the monastery on the small island in the middle of Lake Snagov, a place north of Bucharest. I have been on the shores of the lake; however, I limited myself to seeing the island from here without reaching it, because there was no boat available to ferry me to the monastery. Much further east, Curtea de Arges has the most beautiful monastery in Romania.

The basilica has a solemn interior, the remains of a saint venerated by the Orthodox and an exterior finely carved with geometric figures and twisted columns. The nearby fountain is linked to a macabre legend whose protagonist was the architect Manole. The monastery was commissioned by Prince Basarab in the 16th century. The complex of buildings is set in a very evocative rural setting. From here a mountain road leads to the great Vidraru dam and the lake of the same name it forms. Climbing a small tower you can enjoy a good panorama of the body of water surrounded by green mountains. In the far north rise the Carpathians, which separate Muntenia from Transylvania. At the heart of this mountain range the town of Sinaia occupies a narrow valley and is Romania's main ski resort.

Even when it isn't snowing it's lovely to stroll through the woods or climb the hill to visit Peles Castle, summer residence of the Romanian court, a dwelling full of charm both outside and inside. In its halls are kept precious art masterpieces, marble friezes, tapestries and sculptures. The castle is surrounded by a green meadow and its architecture with towers and turrets recalls those of Disney fairy tales. A little further north, following the railway line, is the resort of Busteni, from where a cable car reaches the Bucegi plateau. Unfortunately when I climbed up here the plateau was wrapped in clouds and I couldn't take the path that would have led me to a strange rock formation vaguely resembling the Egyptian sphinx.

Though they are destinations without particular tourist significance, I visited an orphanage in Alexandria and crossed the bridge over the Danube that links Giurgiu with the Bulgarian city of Ruse.