The Dambovicioara Cave included in the Lakes and Caves tour

Situated in the Sourthern part of Piatra Craiului Mountains, the Rucar - Dambovicioara zone is characterised by a varied and spectacular Karst relief. River flowing down from Fagras, Piatra Craiului and Leaota Mountains have digged in the limestones fro here narrow and deep valleys, developind on a relatively restraint area the biggest gorges complex from our country (see the map). Many erosion forms are here, underground and on the surface. Little or middle size caves are frequent. The most known is "Dambovicioara". Situated in the Northern part of the village with the same name - at about 1 km - este very accessible for the tourists, the entrance being just near the road that crosses the Dambovicioara Gorges.

250 m long, this cave has the aspect of little ramificated gallery, with an ascendent line (see the map); it can be easyly visited, having the ceiling higher the a man (aprox. 2 m). In the interior there are good visiting conditions - slight air current sign that there is an other entrance. Temperature is between 10-12°C, and the humitidt is moderate. The fauna is relatively poor: no cave spieces have been found, only fossiles of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus).

The cave is known since 1579, year in which the cave is attested documentary during Mihnea Turcitul ruling. Later in 1767, J. Fridvalsky writes about this cave in a scientific work Mineralogia magni Principatus Transilvaniae, some this cave is the first Karst form from Wallachia mentioned in a scientific study.

Recent researches descovered new galleries, but there are not yet introduced in the visiting circuit.


Even is not very important from speleogical point of view (many of the stalactites and stalagmites being destroyed by some visitors), the cave is an important touristic objective, by its localisation, at the bottom of Piatra Craiului, with many natural beauties, with chamois and vultures, ozonized air, clear waters.

In this picturesque area there some halting places like "Brusturet" or "Piatra Craiului" Chalets and varied monuments created by man: Oratea Fortress, Dambovicioara Bridge etc.

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Tschuss!

Sibiu...

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A truly medieval city awaits you in the heart of Romania.. ginger bread houses, nice people, traditional dishes they are already there.. waiting..
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The city of Sibiu had 3 rounds of walls around 3 major plaza.. this is the centre of them, the Great Plaza.. from the Concil Tower, built in the 14th century as the first gate of the Hermannstadt city and Watch Tower



The formerly Catholic, now Evangelical Cathedral is built in the 14-16th centuries in gorhic styles and is them ost impressive building in Sibiu




This is a part of the defensive system which you can still find and visit: the wall with the Potters' Tower and Archers' Tower




The walking old street full of terraces and boutiques, handicrafts and antiques shops ..




Charles Houston... I quote "good looking guy in the Sibiu Great Plaza" :)

Gingerbread houses

The first hotel in Sibiu..

The Council Tower..

Maramures - The Merry Cemetery in Sapanta

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The Merry Cemetery (Romanian: Cimitirul Vesel) is a cemetery in the village of Sãpânta, Maramures county, Romania,that is famous for its colourful tombstones with the native paintings that represent scenes from the life of the buried persons and even poetry in which those persons are described.

The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it grows apart from most of the European cultures, that consider death something solemn. Sometimes this is put in connection with the Dacian culture, whose philosophy was based on the immortality of the soul and the belief that somebody's death was a joyful moment, as that person was getting to a better life.

The cemetery has its origin in some crosses sculpted by Ioan Stan Patras ,born 1908 - died 1977,his own grave will be seen here ,made by himself before dying. In 1935, Patras sculpted the first epitaph and since the 1960s, the whole cemetery was populated with over 800 such crosses, sculpted from oak wood, and it became an open-air museum and a tourist attraction.His work will be continued by one of his learners,by Dumitru Pop,restaurating now old and creating new tombstones.

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The Citadel of Suceava - video

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gedECIdLCuI
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Maramures - The Steam Train Mocanita video

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bWQoy-nPvU
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The Ancient Dacian Capital - Sarmizegetusa

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Sarmizegetusa was the most important Dacian military, religious and political centre. Erected on top of a crag 1,200 metres high, the fortress was the core of the strategic defensive system in the Orăştie Mountains (in present-day Romania), comprising six citadels.

The fortress, a

quadrilateral formed by massive stone blocks (murus dacicus), was constructed on five terraces, on an area of almost 30,000 m². Sarmizegetusa also had a sacred precinct—among the most important and largest circular and rectangular Dacian sanctuaries the famous Circular Calendar Sanctuary is included.

The civilians lived around the fortress, down the mountain on man-made terraces. Dacian nobility had flowing water, brought through ceramic pipes, in their residences. The archaeological inventory found at the site shows that Dacian society had a high standard of living.

The Dacian capital reached its acme under

King Decebal who fought two wars against the Emperor Trajan of the Roman Empire in 101-102, the first successfully repelling the Roman invaders, and again in 105-106, the second culminating in the Battle of Sarmisegetusa, and the defeat of the Dacians. The Roman conquerors established a military garrison there. Later, the capital of Roman Dacia was named after the Dacian capital—Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa, established 40 km from the ruined Dacian capital.

All the six fortresses—Sarmizegetusa, Blidaru, Piatra Roşie, Orăştioara de Sus Costeşti, Căpâlna, Alba Căpâlna and Baniţa that formed the defensive system of Decebalus are part of a UNESCO World heritage site.

Map of Dacia printed in 1595