Curtea de Arges
About 40 km from Pitesti, upstream, is the town of Curtea de Arges, which must not be omitted, traveling in these areas. W XIV-XVI w. it was a mountain seat (though not the capital) Wallachian princes. The pride of the village is the famous monastery cathedral of Master Manole, 16th-century Romanian architect, possibly from Spain. According to legend, this church was considered the most beautiful building not only in Romania during its construction, but also in the world. Ruler Nicolae Basarab feared, that Master Manole will create an even more beautiful church in the future, so he decided to kill the architect. While this one was on the roof of a completely finished building, the scaffolding was removed at the prince's orders. The master hastily constructed wings and flew away, but soon he fell to the ground and killed himself, and in place, where he fell, a spring with healing properties gushed out. Another legend tells, that the master was going to build a real miracle of architecture, and because he believed, that for this he must sacrifice his beloved being, he ordered his young to be walled up alive in the foundations of the church, beautiful wife. Then fate supposedly took revenge on the builder.
The structure itself is an eclectic mixture of Byzantine and Armenian-Georgian elements with clear strong influences from the Western Renaissance, mainly Italian architecture. All these ingredients together create an amazingly cohesive effect, beautiful effect. The yellow and golden walls of the cathedral, richly ornamented, make a great impression, especially in the bright midday sun. Cathedral and a nearby spring, called the Well of Master Manole, it attracts pilgrimages of the faithful and crowds of tourists.
In Curtea de Arges, it is also worth visiting the dilapidated former palace chapel (the palace itself is no more), erected at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. according to the canons of Byzantine architecture. Interesting old frescoes, among them the oldest in Romania, have finally been renovated, as well as the entire facility, currently surrounded by scaffolding. The most interesting painting shows the Virgin Mary in a blessed state – with a clearly outlined belly – something unheard of in eastern iconography, nor western. With a bit of luck, you can meet a kind lady near the church, which has a lot to tell about the facility and its history, and properly rewarded, lights candles on the altar and plays a tape with romantic Orthodox chants. The lady speaks French fluently, worse in English, he also knows a few words in Polish, not so much though, to speak this language.
The ruined 14th-century Church of Sin Nicoara stands on a hill surrounded by trees. There is an inexpensive campsite nearby with chalets and an open-air wash basin. It is easy to find any chosen place in the town, because it's clearly set up in the main square, helpful signposts.
Poienari
Buses run from Curtea de Arges up the river – all the way to Poienari, at the border between Wallachia and Transylvania. There is practically nothing in Poienari except the imposing ruins of the castle of Vlad the Impaler, towering over the gorge with almost vertical walls. Worth the beat 1400 degrees, to see, how vast views the hospodar had of his picturesque estate here. The ruins themselves don't look so great at the top, as seen from the valley floor. W 1888 r. a third of it, what has survived so far, she fell down the cliff, so that only a few walls and two towers remained.
legend has it, that while during the Turkish siege the defenders of the castle lost all hope of perseverance, Vlad the Impaler's wife threw herself from the walls, calling out, that he prefers, that "her flesh should rot and be eaten by the fish of Arges, than it has fallen into the hands of the damned”. The hospodar himself was said to have survived, clearer chasing thanks to the horseshoes attached to the horse's hooves backwards. In Bram Stoker's novel, it was the tragic fate of an unhappily orphaned husband that transformed Prince Dracula into a bloodthirsty vampire.
At the foot of the castle mountain, over a winding river, Romanians love to have picnics. If anyone would like to follow in their footsteps, should bring his own provisions, because you won't be able to buy it nearby.
Further up Arjesh
To the north, to Transylvania, the famous Transfagarasan road runs through the Fagaras Mountains along the Ardzesh River, the construction of which cost unimaginably a lot of effort and cost a lot of money. The route is definitely worth traversing due to the fascinating mountain scenery and impressive construction solutions of the road itself.
Right after Poienari, the road climbs upwards, passing a hydroelectric plant hidden in the rock (no need to be surprised at the sight of the guards guarding a strange hole in the rock, and most of all, the hole should not be photographed). The secret of the mysterious tunnel's exit is explained behind one of the bends and tunnels, which overlooks the mighty one, an arched dam. The dam that connects the banks of the valley is ma 160 m in height, and it withstands the pressure of the waters of the artificial reservoir – Lake Vidraru – with an area of more than eight square kilometers.
The beautifully situated lake provides a great viewing experience, but its advantages end there – there are no boats on it, you can't even go down into the water, for the fjord-like coves cut into steep mountain valleys, leaving no single patch of beach behind. The route surrounding the reservoir is not very popular, no buses run here, and Romanian tourists who come here for relaxation usually do not have space in their cars for hitchhikers.