Sinaia
Romania
As far as mountain towns go, this one is surely among the prettiest. Most houses resemble royal mansions, and the train station’s dark arches and columns add to an ominous yet majestic atmosphere, reminiscent of the vampire tales we read as children.
The castle’s richly varied architecture and decoration are well worth a visit. I am glad I made this detour to see it. The weather was perfect for photos, with the low sun casting dramatic light and grey clouds in the background completing the effect.
After the visit, we hurried to the cable car station, only to discover that it was temporarily closed. This forced us to run downhill to the nearest operating station, as missing the next departure would have made it very difficult to reach the village before nightfall. We were planning to return on foot.
The views from the mountain top, more than 2,000 metres above sea level, were surreal and otherworldly. The hike down was just as rewarding, with light rain giving way to vibrant rainbows and clouds spiralling gracefully through the valleys. We managed to capture an incredible number of amazing shots during that expedition.
The Balkan Crawl
Stop 29 of 34
- Arrived from Brasov · by train · about 20 km
- Left for Sighișoara · by train · about 160 km