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The Transfagarasan (trans /over/ across) + Fagaras) is the second-highest paved road in Romania.
Built as a strategic military route, the 90 km of twists and turns run north to south across the tallest sections of the Southern Carpathians.
The road connects the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia.
The road was constructed between 1970 and 1974, during the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. Ceausescu wanted to ensure quick military access across the mountains in the event the Soviets attempted a move into Romania.
Consequently, the road was built mainly with military forces, at a high cost both financially and from a human standpoint—roughly 6 million kilograms of dynamite were used on the northern face.
The Column of the Infinite is a piece of art of the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. It is part of the Sculptural Ensemble in Targu Jiu city.
This complex has also the Table of Silence and the Gate of the Kiss. The Column was inaugurated on the 27th of October in 1938 and has no less than 29,33 m, a sum of 15 octahedral imbricate shapes and at the margins there are halves of the same shapes which resemble a necklace as the artist himself called them.
The Column is a representation of the real funeral columns specific for the southern part of Romania.
Because it bears this meaning, the Column was also called the Column of Eternal Gratitude as it is dedicated to the soldiers that fought in the 1st World War in that area.
"This is the message of my Column - to burn like a flame ... to get transformed in lightening in order to unite the sky with the earth."
"Doesn't its inner rhythm from one clepsydra to the next reveal the countless pulsations of the universes that ceaselessly expand and contract?"
"I am no longer of this world; I am far from myself, separated from my own body.
I find myself among essential things." -- Constantin Brancusi
The Palace of the Romanian Parliament
Right in the historical and geographical centre of Bucharest stands an impressive building that strikes the eye by its particular style.
. It is the Palace of the Romanian Parliament, a "giant" built during the "golden age" of the dictatorial regime and born in the mind of a man for whom the notion of "reasonable size" did not exist.
Still, there is a "first place " no other building in the whole world could compete for, namely that of the most disputed one,
as no other construction has, until nowadays, been the target of such a great number of epithets, varying from "genius" to "monstruos".
The construction, started in July 1984, has 6 registers and 21 bodies.
The pompous halls and galleries are generously decorated with monumental sculptures
golden plaster, laced ceilings, brocharts, tapestries and heavy carpets, which harmoniously overwhelm the visitors.
The Marble from Ruschita sends its reflections from the floors and columns to the walls and ceilings.
The oak, mahogony and beck wood welcome the visitors with the warmth of their refined sculptures
that may be equaled only by the plaster work or the crystals and the bross of the chandeliers.
The Statue of Dacian king Decebalus
It is a 40-m high statue that is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe. It is located on the Danube's rocky bank.
The idea belonged to Romanian businessman and historian and it took 10 years (1994--2004) for twelve sculptors to finish it, at a cost of over one million dollars.
Right in front of the statue, but on the Serbian shore facing Romania, there is an ancient memorial plaque (Tabula Traiana)
commemorating the victories of the Roman Empire over the Dacian kingdom in 105.
Inspired by the Rushmore Mountain`s sculptures from the USA, representing four of the most famous American presidents, Decebal`s head is 40 m high and 25 m wide;
The Merry Cemetery.
The worldwide fame of Sapânta is due to the unique cemetery that has become an important tourist attraction.
The original character of the cemetery is first of all suggested by its name: The Merry Cemetery.
This paradoxical name is due to the vivid colours of the crosses and the amusing or satirical epitaphs carved on them.
. It is said that this joyful attitude towards death is a legacy of the Dacians who believed in the immortality of the soul and
that death was only a passage to a better life.
They did not see death as a tragic end
but as a chance to meet with the supreme god,
Zalmoxis.
The cemetery dates back to the mid-1930's and is the creation of local folk artists.
One famous epitaph is:
Underneath this heavy cross
Lies my mother-in-law poor
Had she lived three days more
I would be here and she would read
You that are passing by
Try not to wake her up For if she comes back home
She'll bite my head off But I will act in the way 50 00:02:47,257 --> 00:02:49,741 That she will not return
Stay here my dear Mother-in-law.
BUCHAREST
Known for its wide
tree-lined boulevards,
glorious Belle Époque buildings and
a reputation for the high life
(which in the 1900s earned its nickname of "Little Paris")
Bucharest, Romania's largest city and capital,
is today a bustling metropolis.
Romanian legend has it that the city of Bucharest
was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River
by a shepherd named Bucur
whose name literarily means "joy."
His flute playing reportedly dazzled
the people and his hearty wine from
nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders
who gave his name to the place.
The Muddy Volcanoes
Would you like to take some good Martian or Lunar pictures?
I'm not sending you in space,
don't worry!
There is a spectacular place in Romania called the Muddy Volcanoes.
This is a natural reservation very scarce in vegetation,
where the soil is made of dried mud coming out from small volcanoes mouths.
The land is soft, but it is possible to walk on it.
Yet, in some parts you have the strange sensation that it will collapse and you'll end up swallowed by the mud.
At first sight, you would think that the volcanoes are hot, but if you have the curiosity to put a finger inside the mud,
you'll be surprised to see that they are cold. The reservation is unique in Europe, with similar phenomena being observed in Siberia and Australia. 79 00:04:33,624 --> 00:04:37,291 Bran Castle
Bran Castle was originally a fortress built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order
in the year 1212.
It was known by the name of Dietrichstein at the time.
Later on, towards the end of the 13th century, it was
taken over by the Saxons in that region in order
to protect the City of Brasov, an important trade center.
Vlad The Impaler used Bran Castle as headquarters
for his incursions into Transylvania.
This castle should not be mistaken for the
actual Castle Dracula (now in ruins), which
is located on the Arges River.
Vlad Tepes was merciless towards those who went against him
be they noblemen (boyars) or of a lower status.
ROMANIA