The Churches of Cisnădioara

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A view of the Evangelical church and the fortified church in Cisnadioara

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.

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Sightseeing in Sibiu

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The 14th century citadel in Sibiu

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!

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Serbia Roundup

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The view of Novi Sad from the fortress

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.

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Hiking and Camping in Vršac

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A view of the Vrsac mountains from Djak's Peak

A view of the Vrsac mountains from Djak’s Peak

The best way to get to Romania from Belgrade is to take a bus to Vrsac on the Serbian side of the border and then a train to Timisoara in Romania. Since I had to stop in Vrsac anyway, I decided to take advantage of my new tent and do some camping there before crossing the border. The small, extremely green mountain range just outside the city is perfect for a day or two of trekking, well-marked and easily accessible. Camping is allowed in most of the area.

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World War II, the Battle of Čegar, and Constantine in Niš

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The remains of marble columns at Constantine I's Mediana palace

The remains of marble columns at Constantine I’s Mediana palace

The city of Niš in Serbia is full of tremendous historical sites spanning hundreds of years. The city is the proud birthplace of Roman emperor Constantine I and tourists can visit the 4th century site of Mediana, where the remains of the palace and some churches have been found. Although not extraordinarily impressive on its own, when coupled with a visit to the National Museum in town a visitor can get an impression of what life was like for the Romans.

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