Trip to Targu Mures - Bistra

We went again on a trip to Transylvania, more exactlly to the town of Targu Mures and then to the little village of Bistra for a weekend of relaxation.

As usual we took the train from Bucharest. There are not many options as there are two trains that leave for Targu Mures each day. One leaves at 13:00 the other at 21:33. The trip lasts an incredible 9h and 43 min. We had other options so we took the 13:00 train and got off in Sighisoara which is 60km away from Targu Mures. The trip to Sighisoara lasts 5 hours. There is no direct train line from Sighisoara to Targu Mures so the trip lasts another 5 hours by train.

The ticket price for a one way trip to Sighisoara costs 20 euros. There is also a Restaurant Car attached to the train. Prices are ridiculous, the waiters will take their own tip once you pay for the food, something I find unacceptable.

Targu Mures is a small town. There is a nice complex called "Weekend". It's full of restaurants and it has some great looking swimming pools.

On Saturday morning we left by car Targu Mures for Bistra. Almost one hour later we were there. It's a very nice location to have a cottage. The scenery is great and very relaxing.

On Sunday evening we took the train home. There is a train which leaves at 21:30 from Deda which is 5km away from Bistra and arrives at 5:30AM in Bucharest. It has sleeping cars so we decided to book a small room with two beds. One ticket costs 20euro + 15 euro extra for the sleeping car. The sleeping car was clean and tidy but very warm inside.

We had to sleep with the window open for some time. The guard was unfriendly when I asked him to unlock the door to our cabin. Next time I will take my ear plugs with me as it was quite impossible to sleep because of the noise. Our cabin was directly above the bogie which made strange noises on every turn. Plus the track is old so the sections are joined by fishplates and combining that with the poor noise insulation of the carriage I was able to count all the track joints from Deda to Brasov. I was able to fall asleep in Brasov from where the new modern track to Bucharest starts. So the sleeping car is not that comfortable but it's a place where one can sit comfortably in bed.

TRIP TO SIGHISOARA

TRAIN TRIP

Andrei bought the tickets on Wednesday. There are a few CFR ticket agencies in Bucharest which are more convenient than queuing for 1-2 hours at the rail station before the actual trip, it really saves a lot of time and nerves. It’s cheaper to buy a return ticket. The tickets cost 98RON/person (about €26). Keep in mind that the price can be lower if you own a European student card.
We left Bucharest’s North Railway station at 16:45. The train ride was ok, just a bit crowded on that Friday afternoon (trains are always crowded during the weekend).
We arrived in Sighisoara at 21:35 although the train was scheduled to arrive at 21:15 (trains in Romania leave on time but never arrive on time).



THE HOTEL

We booked a double room at a nice location. The place is called Pensiunea Joker (http://www.pensiuneajoker.com/). The room was clean, the beds very confortable, the floor was heated. For a small fee they can prepare breakfast. A double room costs 100RON per night (aprox. €30). If you arrive at night, and if you are for the first time in Sighisoara, this hotel (like many others) can be hard to find because the streets are dark and street signs are missing. Maps of Sighisoara are not so clear, the GPS being a good way to find your way around at first. During the day it’s easy to find your way around, you won’t even need a map.


SIGHTSEEING AND ATTRACTIONS

After a good night’s rest, in the morning we went out to eat breakfast. This is how we discovered this restaurant (PERLA).

The breakfast was more than filling, the cost was as much as a normal lunch (55RON, €15). We had an omelet, pressed cheese, a cold platter with various cheeses and ham, coffee and an orange juice.
We ate at this restaurant again during our stay. We definitely recommend that you try:


Soup in bread






And…mulled wine:

It’s perfect after a full day’s walk in the cold. Spices are well balanced and the apple adds to the great taste! It’s cheap also, just 5RON (€1,5) for a 250ml cup.

Attractions in Sighisoara are numerous.
You can visit the clock tower which also houses the history museum of Sighisoara:

The view from the terrace is spectacular:

A must see in the medieval fortress is the stair passage:

The stairs lead to a church which can also be visited. It even has a crypt below the altar.

At the base of the stairs we found one of the most amazing places in the fortress. It is a wine cellar called Teo’s Distillery. Here they serve Romanian traditional liquors such as Rachiu, Tuica. All are 100% natural made after a very old family recipe. You can taste for free or have a drink of the one you really like. The atmosphere is awesome. At the end you can buy a few bottles, a small one is 20RON (€6) and a big one is 50RON (€15). If you like traditional drinks this place is a must to visit.

After a long drink at the distillery head on back to the base of the tower. There you will find a kiosk where they sell a local doughy delicacy. You can add sugar, cinnamon, nuts. A big one costs 10RON (€2,5) while a small one is 5RON(€1,25). Expect to stay in big queues because a lot of people want to get their hand on one of these.

After eating these you might want to check the other kiosks nearby. They sell souvenirs and hand crafts.

Of course be prepared for a unique and true medieval adventure if you visit during winter or during rainy days. It seems that streets were very muddy during medieval times so as to preserve the atmosphere, streets are equally muddy during our times therefore we recommend you to bring a lot of shoe polish!