I visited the Bucegi Mountains in the southern part of Romania’s famous Carpathian Mountains. I must confess that when I planned a trip to Sinaia, I had in mind only the Peles castle and Pelisor palace. After visiting Peles castle, I had time to kill and started my search of the Gondola, as many signs on the road were pointing to the same. The only reason I was looking for the Gondola was because it would have taken me to the top of the mountain, which was visible from the castle.
The search went on for a long time and I asked a few locals about it. Every time I got a response "further down the road". As I was walking through such beautiful roads, I didn't mind it one bit.
That was until I saw this sign ! Once I had the bear in mind, I started looking into the woods every few metres wondering whether it is ready to spring an attack. Of course, nothing of that sort happened and it was my imagination working overtime. In the end, the walk turned out to be around 3-4 kms and a Porto guy also joined me midway during the search.
Bucegi Mountains are absolutely beautiful. In the winters, they are a magnet for Ski lovers and in the summers, there are a lot of hiking trails worth exploring. However, during my visit in the autumn season, I spotted very few people who were making the journey to the top.
The gondola costs 55 lei (€12) for a round trip. There is a pit stop midway during the ride and from there, one needs to take the second gondola (or hike). By this time, we were realizing that the gondola fare was a steal and we were going to find some mouth watering views on top of the mountain, which was beyond our wildest dreams.
There were mountains in every direction and you could look at Sinaia and all the neighbouring villages. I was totally lost in the view.
After a while, I just sat down as I planned to stay here for a long long time. Sinaia is called the " Pearl of Carpathian mountains" and now, I know why.
It was extremely peaceful and picturesque in these mountains. When I saw this, my first comment was a telephone booth on top of the mountain -
As the clouds rolled in, we felt like we were being swallowed up into another world and it became quite cool in the mountains. My only feeling at that point of time was total bliss - I wished I could capture this sight in my mind forever and take it with me wherever I went.
The other side was equally stunning, if not more. One could see the cattle grazing on the mountain slopes and there was not a human in sight. The valley was filled with the sound of chiming bells. The local farmers graze their cattle in these mountain meadows and put bells around their necks. It created a really authentic Romanian mountainside experience.
The railway line which connects Bucharest to Brasov is visible from here. We spotted a goods train and could hear it from top of the mountain. Other than that, it was so quiet and peaceful. With some focus, one can make out the Peles castle and the town of Sinaia as well. In these mountains, one can hike for days on end & enjoy the stillness of the place. Just eat, walk, lose yourself in nature - Repeat!
As the evening wore on, we realized it was time to go back and reluctantly, we made our way back to the cable car station.
I won't be forgetting this day in a hurry. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to realize that I am not dreaming and today was one of those days !
Comments