ROMANIA ~ Bran Castle - Transsylvania ~

...Beautiful castle steeped in history and fiction... situated on a cliff at an elevation of 762m surrounded by valleys and hills overlooking the picturesque village of Bran... a famous medieval landmark...  narrow winding stairways lead through some 60 timbered rooms, many connected by underground passages... several with museum-like displays around different themes.... Bran Castle today is a museum dedicated to Queen Marie of Romania... although it is known throughout the world as Dracula’s Castle, there is not much really about Dracula other than the castle was an inspiration for the character in the book.... the Irish author Bram Stoker loosely modeled his vampire Count Dracula on the 15thC Romanian prince Vlad Tepes... once the home of this ruler of Walachia... but still the castle continues to hold a strong attraction for all fans of the Count... Thanks a lot Andrene!(✿ ♥‿♥)

The first documented mentioning of Bran Castle is the act issued by Louis I of Hungary on 19 November 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brașov) the privilege to build the stone castle on their own expense and labor force.

Bran Castle was completed by 1382, in record time, and was built for the purpose of defending Transylvania’s border and included a customs station.

Queen Marie, the last queen consort of Romania, was quite fond of Bran Castle as a residence, and was given the castle in 1920 by the town of Brasov, and later her daughter Princess Ileana inherited it, however in 1948, it was taken by the communists and eventually made into a museum.

Stamp:

Famous Romanians
(Issued 15-06-2018)

ROMANIA ~ Rodna Mountains National Park - UNESCO ~

...Great new National Park to add to my collection... it is the largest protected area in northern Romania... the amazing scenery at the Rodna Mountains National Park is of great beauty that shows traces of glaciation, with specific glacial valleys, lakes, slopes, rapids, steep peaks and cascades arising at nearly 1,000 m elevation... a place for nature lovers and hikers... Thanks Julia!!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

The National Park is located  in the Rodna Mountains, a subdivision of the Eastern Carpathians.The park started as a natural reserve back in 1932, when Romania was taking first steps in environmental protection. The name comes from the nearby Rodna Veche village.

 Rodna Mountains National Park is the second largest national park in the country, with an area of 47.177 ha. The importance of this protected area geology and geomorphology is due to both mountains and the presence of numerous species of iconic mammals, like the mysterious lynx, the brown bear, rare birds and thousands of plant species.

In 1979 the area was declared a biosphere reserve within the framework of UNESCO’s "Man and the Biosphere" Programme.

Stamps:

Flowers and Clocks
(Issued 2106-2013)

Flora & Fauna - Ceahlau National Park
(Issued 01-09-2016)

ROMANIA ~ Sapanta-The Merry Cemetry ~

..This is the most unusual and colorful cemetery I have ever seen...original, funny and sad at the same time...nothing like the cold tombstones here in Belgium!! Thanks a lot Mihnea!!

Photo: ©2S Design The Merry Cemetery is a cemetery in the village of Sapanța, Maramureş county. It is famous for its colourful tombstones with naive paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons that are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The dominant color of the oak crosses is blue, called "sapanta blue".
The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.

Stamp:
Flowers and antiques clocks stamps
 (Issued 21-06-2013)

ROMANIA ~Barsana Monastery~

... a stunning view...almost unbelievable that no power tools or nails were used to put this impressive construction together...Thanks a lot Raluca!!


Nice flowers and antiques clocks stamps
 (Issued 21-06-2013)

Bârsana is one of the most important villages in the valley of the Iza River.

Barsana is one of the wooden churches in Maramures, a beautiful synthesis of Eastern and Western European architecture, with Gothic and Byzantine elements. The church was manually carved by some of the most talented craftsmen from Maramures.

The complex comprise at least 10 beautiful buildings, constructed in traditional stile with extremely gorgeous balconies, windows and staircases carved in wood .

ROMANIA ~The Danube Delta - UNESCO~

Beautiful  views of a unique wildlife paradise in Europe...looks to be a fantastic nature reserve that I discovered thanks to my postcard collecting...Thanks a lot Mircea!


Nice flowers and antiques clocks stamps
(Issued 21-06-2013)

The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.

The Danube River is the most international river on the planet - its course runs across — or forms a part of the borders of several countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and four capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade.

 The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has the third largest biodiversity in the world (over 5,500 flora and fauna species), exceeded only by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador.

ROMANIA ~Map~

A mapcard showing highlights of the country...always a pleasure to find one in my mailbox ^__^...
Thanks Mircea!!

Nice flowers and antiques clocks stamps
 (Issued 21-06-2013)

Romania is a country located at the intersection of Central and Southeastern Europe, bordering on the Black Sea. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast and east, and Bulgaria to the south. At 238,391 square kilometres (92,043 sq mi), Romania is the eighth largest country of the European Union by area.
 Its capital and biggest city is Bucharest, the 6th largest city in the EU.

ROMANIA ~ Transylvania-Cluj-Napoca~

Impressive statue in a wonderful setting and people's meeting place on the main square... Thanks Raluca!

Nice stamp issued February 2012
from the Economyv& Industry theme.
(Banknote portraits-Nicolae Grigorescu)

The city is located in Northern Transylvania, on Somes River and is the capital of Transylvania.Today it’s a very important academic center with 12 universities.

The equestrian statue of King Matthias, the Hungarian renaissance king (1458-1490) stands in front of the Saint Michael churc. The sculpture, by János Fadrusz, was erected in 1902 and stands in the front of the Saint Michael church on the main square of Kolozsvár. Since this statue poses as a national and ethnic symbol for the Hungarians in Transylvania, the chauvinistic Rumanian administration made several attempts to destroy it using all sorts of reasons...

ROMANIA ~ Sighisoara - UNESCO~

Got a great card of Romania,"the land of vampires"!:D It is not only a new UNESCO site... but I think we all know "Dracula" and this place is also the birhtplace of Vlad the Impaler (1456 to 1462), a fifteenth-century prince of Wallachia from which Stoker created Dracula,... Thanks Joseph!!

Nice stamps too!!

Founded by Transylvanian Saxons during the 12th century, Sighisoara still stands as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches.

ROMANIA ~ Costesti - UNESCO~

One of two new UNESCO sites that I received yesterday... A great and interesting site from Romania!! WIP UNESCO swap. Thanks Raluca!!


The Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains are Iron Age defense works built as protection against Roman conquest. They were built between the 1st centuries B.C. and A.D. by the Dacians, who lived in what is now Romania.
Six locations are part of this site:
- Sarmizegetusa Regia
- Costesti-Cetatuie
- Costesti-Blidaru
- Luncani-Piatra Rosie
- Bãnita
- Cãpâlna

ROMANIA ~House from Berbesti-Maramures~

A nice view of a typical old Romanian household...Thanks Raluca!


Maramureş is considered as one of the best preserved zones in Europe from the perspective of cultural anthropology and ethnography.House of Berbesti (1795), interior.

ROMANIA ~ Churches of Moldavia - UNESCO~

Got a great monastery card today! Another special shaped building that you never find here in Western Europe...Its my third UNESCO site from the seven of Romania!

Humor Monastery is set on a hill top in one of the most fascinating of the Suceava county landscapes. This natural setting is associated with an original architectural and decorative diversity. The Church of the Humor Monastery is a famous fundation of the Middle Ages. The Church of the Humor Monastery was entirely painted al fresco

ROMANIA ~Black church~

Biserica Neagră or Black Church is a cathedral in Braşov, a city in south-eastern Transylvania, Romania. It was built between 1385-1477 and stands as the main Gothic style monument in the country, as well as being the largest and one of the most important Lutheran places of worship in the region.The name "Black Church" was given after the catastrophic fire in 1689, when the whole city was actually burnt. The flames and the smoke blackened its walls. The Organ
having a number of 4000 pipes and it ranks among the biggest organs in the South-Eastern Europe.

ROMANIA ~UNESCO~

Received a nice card with a lot of beautiful views of Romania, most of them Unesco sites. I especially like the "soft" colors of the pictures...

1. Bram Castle fortress built between 1377-1382.
2.The Danube Delta (UNESCO) form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas and flow in the Black Sea. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.
3. Rasnov Fortress was built about 800 years ago on a rocky hilltop, The fortress is on the Bran Pass, a trade route connecting Wallachia with Transylvania. It is one of the biggest rural fortresses in the country and somehow unique in that it was meant to be a place of refuge for the commoners from sieges over extended periods of time. As such it had at least 30 houses, a school, a chapel, and other buildings more commonly associated with a village.
4. Biertan is one of the most important Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, having been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993.
5.The Monastery of Moldoviţa (UNESCO) was built in 1532 by Petru Rareş, who was Stefan the Great's illegitimate son.

ROMANIA

Two East European countries, Ukraine and Romania... An amazing view of it so called Dracula castle. While it actually has no real link to Dracula, this castle is one of Romania’s most well known and visited sites. I must say that I never liked the Dracula movies and the castle doesn't even look scary of creepy.:-)
And another great Kiev view! Found this on te internet:
... Kiev always looks beautiful: in the brilliance of chestnut trees “candles” in spring, in magnificence of colors in summer, in the gold of leaves in autumn and in the mystery of winter evenings. I think this says it all...


The Castle-Fortress BRAN was built between 1377-1382 on a crag in the pass Bran and had a great defense role the road connecting Transilvania with Muntenia.Surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend and perched high atop a 200-foot-high rock, Bran Castle owes its fame to its imposing towers and turrets as well as to the myth created around Bram Stocker’s Dracula. Vlad Tepes-Vlad the Impaler was really a very cruel, savage man, but he didn't live in Bran Castle! Between 1920-1947 the castle was the residence for Queen Mary and her family. Now it is a museum.

ROMANIA

Lovely Easter card from Emil!

ROMANIA ~The Peles Castle~

A really beautiful castle card arrived today! Its only my third card from Romania and even though it is an European country I know almost nothing about it...

Built between 1873-1883 (first floor) and between 1896-1914 (second floor), by the order of Carol of Hohenzollern-first king of Romania following the plans of a Viennese arhitect Wilhelm von Doderer and a german arhitect Johann Schultz,with gottic transformations made by the czech arhitect Karinel Liman between 1896-1914, Peles has 160 rooms of different styles and a central tower (66m high).

ROMANIA

Romania is located in the South-East Central Europe. Views of Constanta, lies on the western coast of the Black sea and traces its history some 2.500 years.Sighisaore stands as one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe (its on the Unesco list). Targa Jiu is the capital of the province Gorj on the banks of the river Jiu and Tulcea was founded in the 17th C and has been an important harbor since ancient times.

ROMANIA ~Danube Delta-Unesco ~

Great find in my mailbox today.... A new country and new Unesco site.When I first looked at it I couldn't guess what it was...
Romania is a country situated in Central Europe with capital Bucharest!

PT-70370 ~Danube Delta~
Originally uploaded by gerda_dager

Detail of the Danube's Delta, the second largest delta in Europe and the best preserved on the continent with an area of 3446km². The Danube Delta is listed as a UNESCO Reservation of the Biosphere because of its peculiar features and its variety of ecosystems.