Some traditional houses in the ASTRA complex outside Sibiu
The ASTRA Complex is an open air museum just a few kilometers outside of Sibiu. It contains over 300 houses that reflect traditional Romanian life from different regions of the country. Most of the buildings reflect occupational realities of people like potters and weavers. There are also some impressive wells and windmills. The whole site is set in a gorgeous section of the Dumbrava forest.
Mushrooms on a log in Cisnadioara
In addition to the beautiful churches in Cisnădioara, there’s also plenty of lush green mountains to explore. I spent an afternoon following some of the marked paths and discovered lots of interesting mushrooms and flowers. Here’s a short photo essay to share them!
A view of the Evangelical church and the fortified church in Cisnadioara
Cisnădioara is a small town about 10 km south of Sibiu and it’s where I camped for a few days. It’s a lovely town full of friendly people and a handful of impressive churches. The most famous church is the fortified St. Michael church up on a hill – one of more than 150 such churches throughout Transylvania. It’s an easy hike up to the church and visitors are treated to great views. Inside the church is a monument to soldiers killed during World War I.
The 14th century citadel in Sibiu
After recovering from my rough week in the Apuseni mountains, I finally got my energy back up and moved on to Sibiu. The city is known as one of the gems Romania’s Saxon heritage, and after visiting I definitely understood why. The old town is extremely well preserved and the architecture is really fascinating. I had a great time walking around!
The view of Novi Sad from the fortress
I spent 19 days in Serbia and spent an average of $38 per day. I visited 6 different places – Subotica, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Tara National Park, Nis, and Vrsac. There wasn’t too much that I missed out on that I would have liked to see, but I’d love to return to Tara to camp and see more of the sights there. The highlights were the food (although I got sick of meat after just a few days!), the language, the people, and the history.
A Yank without a Chain 